[kschwi]

Looking for a recommendation for someone to dethatch our lawn.

[Pondboy]

If you have St Augustine Grass….its not really recommended, especially this time of year where it’s dormancy is approaching.

Spring is the best time of year to do this so the grass can quickly recover. Dethatching basically cuts the stolons which is how St Aug grows.

The need to dethatch should only occur if you have a lot….half to a full inch.

If you do decide to proceed Deans, Massey and FL Pest would probably be some of the ones I’d call.

[ThisTimeIsDifferent]

Instead of dethatching, consider aerating St. Augustine grass if your soil is compacted, water pools after rain, or the turf looks thin and pale.

When to Aerate

• Best Time: Late spring to early summer (typically April through June, or up to August in warmer regions).
• Growth Condition: The grass must be actively growing so it can quickly fill in the holes. Avoid aerating during winter dormancy or right before extreme heat/drought stress.

How St. Augustine Differs from Other Grasses

• St. Augustine spreads via above-ground stolons (runners) rather than underground rhizomes like Bermuda grass.
• Because it recovers slower than Bermuda, use caution to avoid overly aggressive passes that damage surface stolons.
• Always use a core aerator (which pulls up small plugs of soil) rather than a solid-tine spike aerator, which can actually make compaction worse

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by kschwi

Looking for a recommendation for someone to dethatch our lawn.

I suggest that you contact Master Gardener to get the correct information regarding any dethatching to your lawns. Grass here is different than others areas. Master Gardener does some advertising in the Daily Sun, and has meetings (free) at the Pinellas Plaza, (the copper topped building) very close to the library.