Dethatching Lawn Thatch

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Robert Pavlis

The snow has melted and it’s a tradition; dethatching your lawn. But should you be doing this to your lawn? Read on and you just might save yourself some work.

Dethatching Lawn Thatch
Lawn Thatch – about 1.5″ thick, source: The Lawn Company

What is Lawn Thatch?

Thatch is the build up of old grass roots and rhizomes. It is not the result of leaving grass clippings on the lawn. In fact grass clippings left on the lawn will reduce the amount of thatch. As the clippings decompose they also help decompose old roots and rhizomes.

Different grasses produce thatch at different rates. Warm climate grasses such as zoysia, Bermuda and buffalo produce thatch faster and may need to be dethatched more often. Cool season grasses such as bluegrass, fescue and ryegrass produce thatch more slowly.

Some thatch is actually good for grass since it:

  • keeps soil cool
  • slows water loss
  • insulates plant crowns from temperature fluctuation
  • improves tolerance to foot traffic.

Do You Have a Thatch Problem?

Healthy grass has thatch. You only have a problem if the thatch layer gets too thick so that water and air have trouble getting to grass roots.

A thatch layer that is less than 1/2″ thick, is not a problem. Leave the grass alone.

To measure  the thickness of thatch, poke around the grass until you find the brown layer near the bottom of the grass blade. With your finger or a stick, poke a hole through the brown layer to the top of the soil. Measure the thickness of the thatch.

When is the Right Time to Dethatch?

Dethatching causes a lot of damage to your grass and should be done at a time when the grass is growing so it can fix the damage before the next dormant period.

Building Natural Ponds book, by Robert Pavlis

Warm-season grass can be dethatched in late spring or early summer after it starts to grow. It is best not to do it in the middle or late of summer.

Cool season grasses should be done in early fall (early September in zone 5) since this is the time when grass grows the best.

Dethatching in fall results in fewer weed problems.

Early Spring Dethatching in Snow Country is a Bad Idea

In colder climates it has become a common ritual to dethatch as soon as the snow melts. People seem to want to get outside and do something, but dethatching at this time of year is a terrible idea. Most cool-season grass does not need to be dethatched, in which case you are just damaging the lawn. Secondly, the ground is still very wet in early spring. Walking on it compacts the soil, damaging soil structure, which makes it harder for your grass to grow. Stay off the lawn in spring.

What is the Best Way to Dethatch?

According to the Ohio State University power dethatchers and power rakes work very well. Dethaching attachments for lawn mowers do not work. Core aeration is claimed to work but the science for this is very limited.

Growing Great Lawns

Here are some other articles about your lawn.

The Truth About Clover in the Lawn

Biological Liquid Dethatcher for Lawns – Do They Work?

How to Get Rid of Moss in Lawns

Lawns Reduce CO2 Levels

How To Add The Right Clover To Your Lawn

Does Liquid Lawn Aeration Work – Liquid Soil Conditioners?

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Robert Pavlis

I have been gardening my whole life and have a science background. Besides writing and speaking about gardening, I own and operate a 6 acre private garden called Aspen Grove Gardens which now has over 3,000 perennials, grasses, shrubs and trees. Yes--I am a plantaholic!

46 thoughts on “Dethatching Lawn Thatch”

  1. Robert Pavlis, I bought a “dethatcher” that turned out to not actually be a real dethatcher as it only has small tines that do not penetrate or pull up thatch. The good news is that I took samples and I dont have a true thatch problem. I do however seem to have an excess of lawn debris, mostly from old grass clippings just over the thatch/soil. So thick that when you pull it up with your fingers it comes up in weaved pieces about 1/3 inch thick. You cannot even see dirt or thatch through this debis. The “dethatcher” I bought does a good job at pulling most of this thick debris up. Would it be beneficial to do so? I know you’re not a fan of overfeeding, but I have large areas of very thin grass that certainly will not take to over seeding with this debris present. And it hasn’t thickened up with regular watering and feeding. Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Are you sure it is debris and not thatch? grass clippings don’t accumulate very much because they decompose quickly – especially is a poor lawn.

      Reply
  2. Its early September in Massachusetts and I have never de-thatched my lawn. It has a lot of thatch and it’s clearly visible. Can I use a power rake now, or wait till spring. I still have 6 weeks of growing in my area?

    Reply
  3. I live in Michigan and I have ALWAYS dethatched in the Spring.
    I have NEVER had a single problem harming the lawn…and I do a deep raking with 2 passes. May not be everyone’s experience, but I like my lawn to breath before the season and absorbing water, sunlight, oxygen and fertilizer for an entire season. By fall, my lawn is the best on the street.

    Reply
  4. I killed off my lawn with roundup. I then power raked and raked/bagged all of the loosened dead grass. I then mowed/scalped my lawn on the lowest setting using the bag to pick up any remaining dead grass. I topped/leveled off the entire lawn with 6 cubic yards of top soil and rolled it out. Would this be enough prep for slit seeding?

    Reply
  5. You stated “Dethaching attachments for lawn mowers do not work”; but can you please tell me why you believe this to be the case?

    Reply
  6. I would like to thach my yard in the spring, should I do the fall fertilize thing? I’m in the northwest (Seattle) area. I didn’t fertilize last spring or fall . So the grass is not so good. Lots of moss. And dead spots.

    Reply
  7. I’m in the south and my lawn looks so brown with a lot of dead grass. I have irrigation and I feel like the dead grass needs to be raked out. Will it kill my grass if I do it in mid summer?

    Reply
  8. Thank you for all the answers you’ve provided here. I had sod put down 3 years ago on my new property here in Connecticut. It seems very temperamental reacts to hot dry conditions fast. I enjoyed keeping it longer like 4 to 5 inches but I think alot of the roots are growing on top of the soil. If I rake thatch out aggressively with a rake it seems to kill the grass. I tested an area off to the side that is predominantly more wet then my other areas. I can end up taking out a large amount of thatch but then it seems I’m only left with a little bit of the grass that actually has roots in the ground. I will aerate the lawn this month and hopefully when I spread some seeds some will land in Holes and grow like they should from the ground not on top of. I decided to cut my lawn shorter down to 2.5 inches but ended up having developed a bunch of brown spots.

    Reply
  9. Omg I need help!!!! I had my yard dethached and it just died I live in Colorado Springs Colorado!!! Do you think I killed my yard ??? I don’t know what to do ???? I’m at a lost I’ve never seen this kind of brown spots that looks dead !!! I feel like if I didn’t dethached I wouldn’t if had this problem!!!! I’m in trouble please please help!!!!!

    Reply
    • You will need to find someone local to have a look at the lawn. Dethatching, if done properly, will not kill the grass.

      Reply

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