This week's tip explains how excess thatch build up in
your lawn can reduce water efficiency and how to get rid
of excess thatch.
With summertime just around the corner, it might be a good
idea to break out the rake and remove excess thatch from
your lawn to make sure the grass is absorbing water efficiently.
What is thatch, you ask?
Thatch is a layer of organic debris and dead grass that
can build up over time between the soil surface and the green
blades of your lawn. Thatch can be caused by overfertilizing,
overwatering, or the overuse of fungicides and insecticides.
A small amount of thatch is helpful, but too much thatch
can act as a barrier that prevents vital water, air and nutrients
from reaching the roots.
It is important to remove excess thatch to ensure that your
lawn stays vibrant and that your sprinkler system is delivering
water efficiently to the lawn where it needs it.
To determine if your lawn has too much thatch, cut out a
small, triangular-shaped plug of turf several inches deep.
Examine the spongy layer of material above the soil. If it
is more than 3/4 to 1 inch thick, you should consider dethatching
your lawn.
The best time to remove the thatch from your lawn is in
early spring, preferably on a cool, dry day.
For smaller yards, you can use a sharp-tined thatch rake
to manually remove the thatch out of your lawn. For larger
turf areas, you might consider renting a power dethatcher
(also called a vertical mower) from your local equipment
rental center or home improvement warehouse. Whether you
do it manually or with power equipment, both methods use
sharp vertical blades to cut through the thatch layer and
bring some of the dead material to the surface where it can
be raked up and removed.
After you've removed the thatch and raked up all the grass
and debris, apply some additional grass seed, a light covering
of topsoil and a modest amount of fertilizer, then give your
lawn a good watering. Within a few weeks, your lawn
will be the envy of the neighborhood just in time for summer,
and one of the most water-efficient as well.
We hope you've found this tip useful. For additional information,
take a look at the following pages of our website:
Thatch is a layer of organic debris and dead grass that
can build up over time between the soil surface and the green
blades of your lawn. Thatch can be caused by overfertilizing,
overwatering, or the overuse of fungicides and insecticides.
A small amount of thatch is helpful, but too much thatch
can act as a barrier that prevents vital water, air and nutrients
from reaching the roots.