Dethatching Your Lawn

[Stuxnet]

We have a huge layer of thatch on our lawn and it's really starting to hurt the grass. I was going to look into having it done professionally before I spent 4 hours raking the lawn with a detatching rake.

So what were your results? Cost?

 

[Specop 007]

Didnt do it professionaly. I'd recommend renting a power rake if you do have alot of dead grass. Power rake that bizatch, then just run a regular rake over it.

 

[Homerboy]

I dunno but I wanted to do this this spring before the grass started greening, went to Home Depot and they didn't even have a tatching rake for sale... WTH?!

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Exercise FTW!

 

[0roo0roo]

theres a special thatching rake that does it quick. normal rakes suck horribly at the task

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: Homerboy
I dunno but I wanted to do this this spring before the grass started greening, went to Home Depot and they didn't even have a tatching rake for sale... WTH?!

It isn't called the Garden/Seasonal department for nothing.

 

[Tobolo]

Its not that hard to do it your self. I have included a link that deals with thatch. If you need anymore Information then please visit our site GeorgiaTurf.com (link in sig) While you live in the NC almost all of the info will apply to you!

Thatch Control in Turf - Gil's Pub

PM me if you have any questions!

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: Specop 007
Didnt do it professionaly. I'd recommend renting a power rake if you do have alot of dead grass. Power rake that bizatch, then just run a regular rake over it.

Was it pretty easy to rake up after running a vertical mower over it?

Originally posted by: Homerboy
I dunno but I wanted to do this this spring before the grass started greening

Well I must be lucky then, because my grass is still brown... so I have all the time in the world!



But seriously, the plan is to rake up whatever is dead and thatched, and then seed with a premium seed. I've rejuvenated laws before, but they were usually totally dead when I did it. Right now, half my lawn is dead while the other half is just fine, so I need to be a little more methodical in how I go about this.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
theres a special thatching rake that does it quick. normal rakes suck horribly at the task

The rakes that look like a big half moon?

 

[Stuxnet]

Originally posted by: Tobolo
Its not that hard to do it your self. I have included a link that deals with thatch. If you need anymore Information then please visit our site GeorgiaTurf.com (link in sig) While you live in the NC almost all of the info will apply to you!

Thatch Control in Turf - Gil's Pub

PM me if you have any questions!

Thanks!

I do have a thatch rake, but it was pulling up some roots, too. Oh well, I'm reseeding anyway.

 

[Axoliien]

It took me about 3 days after work to do the entire lawn by hand, but it was worth the exercise. If I had a bigger lawn, I would definately get a power rake to do it. Better that you learn how to do it yourself so you can do it again when the time arises. There really is nothing like getting the experience, even if you might screw up once in a while.

 

[Specop 007]

Originally posted by: jbourne77

Originally posted by: Specop 007
Didnt do it professionaly. I'd recommend renting a power rake if you do have alot of dead grass. Power rake that bizatch, then just run a regular rake over it.

Was it pretty easy to rake up after running a vertical mower over it?

Originally posted by: Homerboy
I dunno but I wanted to do this this spring before the grass started greening

Well I must be lucky then, because my grass is still brown... so I have all the time in the world!



But seriously, the plan is to rake up whatever is dead and thatched, and then seed with a premium seed. I've rejuvenated laws before, but they were usually totally dead when I did it. Right now, half my lawn is dead while the other half is just fine, so I need to be a little more methodical in how I go about this.

I didnt power rake. I did it the old fashioned way.
Next time I'm gonna spring for the motorized rake, because doing it by hand SUCKED.

 

[Jeraden]

I have one of those dethatching rakes and its a pain in the rear. Every year I vow to do my whole lawn, and every year I give up before I've done it all. Takes forever and you end up getting blisters before finishing (if you have even a moderate sized lawn). I don't think you are going to get very far with it in just 4 hours unless your lawn is really small.