Should I aerate or dethatch my lawn?

It is best to dethatch first before aerating your lawn.

Aerating is best done when there's the problem of compaction. Both dethatching and aerating your lawn will improve air, nutrient, and water penetration into the root zone of your grass. Thatch is the main problem these two processes address.

How often should you aerate and dethatch your lawn?

Plan on doing it every five years or so if your lawn needs it. You might want to give your lawn a quick check every year just to see how much thatch has accumulated. Time your long-term dethatching and aeration (we'll get to that momentarily) schedule.

Whats better aerator or Dethatcher?

Aeration helps loosen the soil and helps decompose the excessive thatch layer at a faster rate. Both services accomplish a similar goal, but lawn aeration does so without the possibility of damaging your lawn in the way that dethatching would.

Why you should not dethatch your lawn?

Spring dethatching hits a lawn hard when it is already in a precarious condition. Secondly, dethatching in the spring with power equipment can bring up crabgrass and other noxious weed seeds, setting your lawn up for a future infestation.

Is it worth dethatching a lawn?

Not all lawns need dethatching, but when your lawn does need it, knowing how to dethatch your lawn is crucial to its future. Done properly, dethatching helps restore your lawn to health and keep it beautiful in years to come. By learning why, when and how to dethatch, you can keep your thick, lush grass on track.

Aeration vs Dethatching // Which should YOU do??

What month should I dethatch my lawn?

The best time to dethatch your lawn is when it's actively growing and the soil is moderately moist. For cool-season grasses, that's early spring or early fall. For warm-season grasses, dethatch in late spring through early summer (after the second mowing). That's when your grass is growing most vigorously.

How long does it take for lawn to recover from dethatching?

After dethatching your lawn it is a great time to aerate your lawn. After aerating, overseed and fertilize with Milorganite®. It should take about 3-4 weeks for the lawn to recover and show signs of new growth.

Does dethatching remove healthy grass?

Lawn dethatching can be crucial to keeping your grass and soil healthy. Even if you are mowing and doing everything else necessary for your lawn, thatch can build up. Over watering and over fertilization can cause excess thatch. Detaching removes the thick layer of dead plant material (thatch).

Should I aerate my lawn every year?

No, it's not necessary to aerate your lawn every year, especially if your grass is healthy and thriving. Aeration is good if you've got compacted, poor or clay-heavy soil that's been impacted by heavy equipment or lots of foot traffic. It's also good to aerate if you are renovating a yard or installing a new one.

Should I overseed after dethatching?

After dethatching, thatch should be removed and put in the compost pile. If you do not already have a compost pile, then you should seriously consider adding one. After this has been done, high-quality grass seed.

How often should I aerate my lawn?

How Frequently Should You Aerate Your Lawn? As for frequency, Friell said aeration should be performed at least once per year on most lawns. Lawns with compacted soil or soil with high clay content may benefit from aeration twice annually.

Does dethatching also aerate?

While aeration is a method of breaking up and treating the soil, dethatching is a method of breaking up and moving out thatch, a layer of natural debris that lays on top of the soil and beneath the grass. While both methods achieve similar end results, they treat different issues.

How do I know if my lawn needs dethatching?

Can you aerate your lawn too much?

Especially thick types of grass may also call for aerating more frequently. As a general rule, you shouldn't need to aerate more than once a year at any time ("too much of a good thing" applies here, since you don't want to damage your soil).

Why thatch is a problem?

Thatch is a layer of living and dead organic matter that occurs between the green matter and the soil surface. Excessive thatch (over ½ inch thick) creates a favorable environment for pests and disease, an unfavorable growing environment for grass roots, and can interfere with some lawn care practices.

Should I water before dethatching?

Water your lawn the day before you plan to dethatch. Mow your grass to half its normal height. Flag sprinkler heads and other hidden objects to prevent damaging them.

Should I fertilize my lawn after dethatching?

Once you have dethatched, you should apply a fertilizer that has the right NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium). Too much nitrogen will exacerbate your thatch problem in the future.

Should I rake my lawn after aerating?

The best thing to do with soil plugs after aeration is to rake them to low spots in your yard. This will add soil to the low areas, leveling your yard. It's a much simpler tactic for fixing low spots than shoveling in new topsoil.

Should you water after dethatching?

Recovery After Dethatching

Thatch removal can be traumatic for grass plants, so recovery techniques must encourage root repair and deep growth. Deep drenching with water rather than frequent shallow sprinkling helps attract root growth to lower levels where moisture persists longer than it does on the soil's surface.

What will break down thatch?

Your lawn will need regular fertilizing because soil microorganisms need nitrogen to decompose thatch.

Why is my lawn so spongy?

Why is my lawn soft and spongy? A good amount of growth in the previous years can lead to some build-up of surplus lawn runners in your turf. These runners eventually die and more grass tries to grow on top of it, however, this can restrict the amount of both oxygen and water getting to the roots of the plant.

Which direction should I mow the lawn?

Mow moving forward, whether you're pushing a push lawn mower or sitting behind the wheel of a riding lawn mower. Discharge the clippings (unless you bag them) towards the area you've already cut. Leave lawn clippings on the grass when you mow the lawn unless they form clumps or rows.