Spring Home Improvement
The benefits of dethatching your yard
Dethatching can be performed with a manual or powered rake, or a rotary broom.
( StatePoint) Dethatching your lawn has numerous benefits. But if you’ re not sure what dethatching is or how to do it, you may be wondering if it’ s really worth all the effort.
To shed light on dethatching, lawn care equipment manufacturer, Exmark is answering some frequently asked questions.
What is Thatch? Thatch is a compacted layer of grass and plant stems, leaves, roots, and other organic debris that builds up faster than it can decompose. It accumulates right below the surface of your lawn and right on top of the soil, at the base of your grasses’ blades. Overly thick thatch blocks water and fertilizer from reaching the grasses’ roots, causing them to be trapped and vulnerable to heat, drought and stress— further stunting your lawn’ s health and growth. However, thatch isn’ t always a bad thing— a layer that’ s less than a quarter-inch thick is normal and isn’ t cause for alarm. It actually helps reduce soil compaction and water loss through evaporation, and it increases tolerance for cold and heat by protecting the growing blades.
When Should You Dethatch Your Lawn? For warm-season grasses, it’ s best to dethatch in the late spring or early summer, and for coolseason grasses it’ s best to do it in early spring or fall. But before you start dethatching, mow your lawn to half its normal height to avoid tearing up any live grass in the process. Then, take out your rake or dethatcher and remove the thatch.
How Do You Dethatch? The process of dethatching is simple. You can purchase a specialized rake, but in a pinch, a regular rake will do. You can also rent a dethatcher to make the job even easier. Your lawn
26 Madison Magazine March-April 2025