You are out in your yard, enjoying a beautiful day when you notice a patch of grass that just doesn’t look too good. Well, the bad news is that you may have a thatch problem. Good news is with some work it can be treated and your grass will be back to the green lush yard it is meant to be.
So what is thatch and what should you do about it? Thatch is a layer of dead grass, roots, or debris that accumulate between the soil and the greener grass above. When left over time, this thatch creates a mat that stops water and nutrients from flowing down to the soil. This creates an oasis for pests and lawn diseases to live in. Now, not all thatch is bad. Thatch up to about a ½ to an inch can be a good thing for your lawn. It creates a barrier which will protect your grass roots and soil from the heat.
That being said, any thatch over ½ an inch needs to be treated by dethatching the area. Dethatching can be done with a special thatch rake on small lawns, and for larger areas a dethatching machine should be used. You will want to dethatch the lawn in a criss-cross pattern to loosen the debris and remove the layer of thatch. Following this, you can rake the thatch up and out of the soil.
Another option to treating thatch is to aerate your lawn. Aerating your lawn is a special method of punching holes into your lawn. This technique allows water, minerals, and nutrients to soak into your soil which in turn creates a healthier lawn. This also helps to break down thatch. The primary goal of aerating is to loosen compacted soil in areas of foot traffic and clay soils.
There are hand aeration tools that can be used and mechanical machines as well. The hand aeration technique is less expensive more beneficial to those with smaller yards (and good cardio skills). The machine aeration tool is better for those with larger areas of lawn and less time to spend doing lawn care.
Handling the thatch buildup in your lawn is an important step when trying to create and maintain a healthy lawn. Dethatching and aerating your lawn can mean the difference in how green your grass is, and how healthy your soil is. These two techniques can be a game changer for your lawn and the appeal of everyone who sees it.
For more information, let the experienced team at Snappy’s Outdoor Equipment Sales & Service help you! Stop in our showroom at 2120 N. Dixie Hwy Lima, OH 45801 or give us a call at 419-879-1196.
