Lawn Thatching

[baileysdad]

Has anyone had your lawn thatched ?? Who have you used ?

some say it is good to let the lawn "air out" others disagree..

Coming from the mid-west we did it every few years...

Not sure ????

[Bonanza]

You don't need to (de) thatch your lawn if your grass is cut with a mulching mower.

We have a lawn service that mows with a riding mower and we have the grass clippings all over the place -- inside and out because we track it in!

My husband and I are talking about what to do and we've come up with two solutions. If we continue with the lawn service, we will get a lawn sweeper.
Otherwise, we will do it ourselves (we already have a mulching mower). I'm in favor of us doing it!

[mrsanborn]

You don't need to (de) thatch your lawn if your grass is cut with a mulching mower.


I disagree if we are talking about Zoysia grass.
After raking this tiny yard with a bow rake, I put 9 bags of thatch to the curb. I use a mulching mower. Read the following and decide for yourself. I do have one recommendation. Hire someone to do it.

"Zoysia grass is normally dormant and brown during the winter.

Zoysia grass (Zoysia spp.) is a warm-season turf species prized for its drought tolerance and an ability to withstand heavy traffic and slight shade well. A healthy zoysia grass lawn will be quite dense, which allows it to handle wear and avoid weed problems. Zoysia grass lawns do tend to produce excessive thatch, the layer of living grass stems tangled with dead plant material that accumulates between the soil surface and the green portion of the grass stems. Thinning this thatch layer regularly will help maintain turf vigor.

About Thatch
A thin thatch layer is beneficial, helping to conserve soil moisture and limit weed seed germination. However, where a thatch layer more than about 1/2 inch thick develops it can block air, moisture and nutrients from efficiently reaching grass roots. A thick thatch layer leaves the turf vulnerable to scalping, drought stress and invading weeds. It can also encourage pests and fungal problems.

Dethatching Timing and Frequency
Dethatching is generally warranted whenever a thatch layer is more than 1/2 inch thick. A thick thatch layer will give the lawn a bouncy feel. If your lawn exhibits scalping or unexpected drought stress symptoms, check the depth of the thatch layer. Zoysia grass will recover from dethatching best when it is actively growing in mid-to-late spring or early fall and generally benefits from annual dethatching. If you plan to apply pre-emergent herbicide, wait until after dethatching to avoid disrupting the herbicide."

[Bonanza]

Mr. Sanborn -- Thank you for enlightening me. I read what you wrote with interest. May I ask where you got that information? It reads as a pretty thorough explanation.

[Bogie Shooter]

The Zoysia Farm Nurseries Blog | Zoysia Grass, Improving America's Lawns Since 1953 (http://blog.zoysiafarms.com/)

Getting Lawn Ready for Spring

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posted on February 14th, 2014 by admin

With spring at our heels, it is time to start preparing our lawns for the summer months ahead. Spring maintenance will help you to have a beautiful, healthy, green lawn this year.

To get started it is best to de-thatch your lawn, once it has greened up. It is helpful to remove dead leaves and thatch material resulting from the previous season’s growth to improve the passage of air, water, and nutrients through the turf.

The easiest method to de-thatch your lawn is by using a Liquid Thatch Remover. This is a product we offer that is a natural liquid microbial treatment. Four treatments during the growing season will keep your lawn thatch free. Simply attached the 32 oz hose end sprayer to your hose and spray. It’s that easy!

After de-thatching your lawn applying a pre-emergent will help rid your lawn of weed and crabgrass seeds before they have a chance to germinate. Our Gluten–8 Organic Herbicide is the ideal product for this. Gluten 8 is simple and easy to use it’s very effective in reducing new weeds from ever starting. Do it early. Do it more than once.

This is also a great time to test the soil pH in your lawn. For the best results from your zoysia lawn we recommend the soil pH be between 6 and 7. If the soil pH is below a 6 then you should apply some lime, if the pH is above a 7 you should apply sulfur. Please follow the label instructions for the proper application. At our website you will find a soil pH Meter and a Rapitest soil kit as well as our Café Lime if your lawn needs lime. Sulfur products are best purchased from your local Garden Center.

Aerating your lawn, which is great for your grass, is also best done in spring to help loosen the soil and improve air flow and root growth. You can rent portable power aerating machines or most lawn care companies offer this service.
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EMPIRE Turf | Zoysia Grass | One Lawn, Many Benefits (http://www.empireturf.com/)

Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.empireturf.com/faq)

Q: My lawn company tells me my EMPIRE lawn needs to be de-thatched? What is this?

EMPIRE Turf has a dense, tight canopy which is a good thing because it helps to choke-out weeds and promote overall turf health. However, because of this dense canopy, new grass grows over the old which becomes thatch (the dead brown grass that is under the healthy green top.) De-thatching is a good idea. One way to avoid having to use an actual de-thatching machine is to “scalp” your EMPIRE Turf lawn once per year. This should be done to mature EMPIRE lawns only. Usually the best time to do this is the first mowing of the year when chances for the last freeze are over and EMPIRE is ready to come out of dormancy. Drop you mower a notch and cut that thatch layer off and either bag or rake away the clippings. This will make your EMPIRE green up faster and will take care of most of the thatch for the rest of the growing season