93.8% of Homeowners SKIP THIS STEP. Don't Be One of Them.
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- čas přidán 9. 05. 2023
- A lush, green lawn is a beautiful addition to any outdoor space. However, even the most well-maintained lawns can become susceptible to thatch buildup. Thatch is a layer of dead grass, leaves, and other organic material that accumulates on the surface of the soil over time. While some thatch can be beneficial for the health of your lawn, too much can prevent water and nutrients from reaching the roots, leading to a weak and unhealthy lawn. This is where dethatching comes in.
Dethatching, also known as "thatch removal," is the process of removing excess thatch buildup from your lawn. This is typically done using a specialized dethatching machine or a power rake, which slices through the thatch and lifts it away from the soil surface. By removing excess thatch, you can help promote healthy grass growth and prevent lawn diseases.
But how do you know if your lawn needs to be dethatched? The general rule of thumb is THAT if your lawn's thatch layer is more than half an inch thick, it's time for dethatching. However, it's important to note that some types of grass, such as Bermuda grass, naturally produce more thatch than others. In these cases, dethatching may need to be done more frequently.
It's also worth noting that dethatching is not the same as scarifying, verticutting, or power raking, although these terms are often used interchangeably. While all of these processes involve removing thatch from your lawn, they differ in the level of aggressiveness and the equipment used.
Scarifying is a process that involves cutting through the thatch layer and the soil surface using a specialized tool called a scarifier. This process is typically used to remove moss, weeds, and other debris from the lawn, as well as to promote healthy grass growth.
Verticutting is similar to scarifying, but it involves using a machine with vertical blades to cut through the thatch and the soil surface. This process is more aggressive than scarifying and is typically done to remove heavy thatch buildup and promote deep root growth.
Power raking, as the name suggests, involves using a power rake to remove excess thatch from the lawn. This process is typically less aggressive than scarifying or verticutting and is often used for routine lawn maintenance.
So why is dethatching so important for the health of your lawn? As mentioned earlier, excessive thatch buildup can prevent water and nutrients from reaching the roots of your grass. This can lead to a weak and unhealthy lawn, as well as an increased risk of lawn diseases. Dethatching can help promote healthy grass growth by allowing water and nutrients to penetrate the soil surface and reach the roots.
In addition to promoting healthy grass growth, dethatching can also help improve the overall appearance of your lawn. A thick layer of thatch can give your lawn a spongy or spongy feel and make it more difficult to mow. By removing excess thatch, you can help restore your lawn's natural texture and make it easier to maintain.
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Disclaimer: Results may vary with location, weather, application rates, and applicator. Follow your local laws and application guidelines. Wear proper PPE.
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I like how the dog follows you around when mowing.
I always wondered what that rake was for in my grandpa's garage. He never made me use it. He was a good man.
The Best advice ever. I bought a Sunjoe last spring. Did my lawn, then hit it with milorganite and ironite last year. Did it again in April, and this year I’m the most hated dude in the subdivision because nobody has a lawn like mine. It looks like astroturf.
It depends on the type of grass! You don’t want to ever dethatch St. Austine grass, which is commonly used in Southern Lawns!
Same with Bermuda.
Thatch is nutrient dense. I compost mine in the fall, and then use the compost to fill in low spots in the spring!
Why spend all that time dethatching your lawn, if you're going to reuse the dead grass to fill in the low spots? If you have low spots on your lawn, get some lawn soil and overseed it. The dead grass and other debris are supposed to be disposed of, not recycled. That's what dethatching is for! A person doesn't dethatch their lawn and put the dead grass right back on it afterwards.
@@slimdude2011Don’t go showing your lack of knowledge of the composting process all at once now, dear…
Wow, that is perfection! There’s no better example of natural healthy circular ecology than that! 💚
@@Mrs.LadeyBug If I were to use compost on my lawn, I wouldn't use dead grass.
Pretty clever, I'll make a note.
This guy makes good content...seems like he has good sense
Never had to detatch my yard. Never had thatch in my yard. have detatched a client's yard, a couple dead spots we reseeded, just used a rake. Now less then 1 yr later, you'd have no idea last summer they were brown spots of dead grass.
This is why I always mulch my grass, cut regularly, keeps thatch from building up and instead feeds your lawn for free.
I never dethatch too. Core aerate and/or just put down gypsum. I always mulch unless we have rain for several days.
Thatch is grass roots growing sideways instead of down do to bad watering (lightly often) or bad fertilizer that encourage top growth not dead grass. Dead grass will break down and provide nutrients to the lawn plus it will keep water in the lawn.
As an experiment , I mulched a carpet of maple leaves laying on our lawn in the fall. Left a wet mushy layer of it on the lawn. This spring, our lawn was thick green and weeds were minimal. Who knew?
The Best video about dethatching on CZcams. I did however use the old style for 8 HOURS on the in laws yard one time. Now 15 years later being 55ish not doing that again. Renting a dethatcher thingy. Thanks for the best. 👍🍺
my latest problem in the backyard was recognizing, identifying & spraying for some nasty & invasive weeds. one was lesser celandine & the other is some kind of grassy weed that was hiding among the healthy grass & really took off while undetected. I haven't dethatched in a while, but next Sept & Oct when I start my Fall maintenance routine, I will absolutely be dethatching the backyard to clean out those dead weeds & also the newer ones that will want to come back again.
I got really good results with the SunJoe by dethatching and then following up with a second pass with the scarifier. I agree that the scarifier doesn't pull up as much thatch but the scarifier helps with overseeding. I did this last fall and my wife asked "Why did you scalp the yard?!" This spring the yard came back twice as thick and I have had neighbors and walkers stop to complement me and asked what I did. The SunJoe is a great homeowner product, IMO.
I love it . Bought it in the spring .
I got to use my Groundworks dethatcher on some trouble spots last night after the mow- these spots were too hard to get with the tow-behind, and I know I went over them like 5 times. The Groundworks took it right up!
The Groundskeeper rake also is good if you want to spot clean any trouble spots, or stimulate dog spots.
Man i love how simple u keep it while providing great info…
Stumbled on this video. Don’t have a lawn but wow your videos are a lesson in clarity and being concise!
these are the best videos on lawn care on youtube, cant believe how long it me to get here
Awesome video. Well layed out, easy to follow and to the point explanation. And everything you talk about comes with its own demonstration. Fantastic job! Well deserved sub.
Love you videos. You speak like youre talking to someone who that has no idea what youre talking about. PERFECT!
Thanks a lot to the cameraman and the presenter for good quality presentation and explanation. 🙂
👍 Just bought a used BillyGoat power rake, same one you showed. It is definitely aggressive, but so much faster than my corded sunjoe on 11,000 sq ft. Finally snow free here in Fairbanks, AK.
I been lost with the myriad options of these dethatchers now I know better. Thanka for this video ❤
That last line alone earns a subscribe! Thanks for the info.
Used the rake for like 10 minutes and i was like " hell nah". Went straight to the garage to get the electric dethatcher
Great explanation on the differences and the processes to perform the job. Your channel has a wealth of knowledge for the DIY enthusiast. Keep up the great work 💪🏼
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I didn't realise how much I needed this video in my life. Thank you 👍
Thanks from New Zealand. One the best video i hv seen so far..
That's amazing, I never expected all of that to be under the grass. My grass is so thick and so lumpy in spots. I have zoysia gras, which is supposed to be drought-resistant etcetera however it takes a ton of water to get it nice and lush. Thinking about getting one of these for this coming spring.
You always motivate me to be better at taking care of my lawn. Thanks for great lawncare content. Sweet dog.
Great video and Well spoken. I own a Sun Joe Dethatcher and I needed a thorough explanation.
Incredible, I'll definitely give dethatching a go! I did notice mowing more often filled in lawn gaps but never tried detaching, I'm sure it'll really even things out further.
I used to do this yearly on my lawn. I got compliments every year from my neighbors that my lawn looked the best on the block. I didn't think I was trying all that hard, just doing typical yard maintenance. I would also run an aerator over the lawn and then fertilize/water that week. The lawn would look a nice green and take far less water.
I dethatched and scarified my front yard for probably the first time since this house was built in 1956. I had sixteen 30 gallon paper bags full of dead grass and hopefully thatch when done. At first I tried raking it all up but settled for running the mower over it and emptying the mower bag into the Lowes 30 gallon bags. I'm pretty sure that when I do this again next spring I'll have 16 more bags of lawn crap.
a sweeper is great for picking up the dead grass and it gives the grass a nice comb
I love that your dog just follows you about.
I dethatched with a modified blade on my lawnmower, works great.
Love your videos
I have an old mower that I put a thatching blade on. Works awesome! Afterwards I run around with my nice bag mower and suck old grass off of lawn. Works easy, and great results. I believe the blade with an extra set of springs are $20-30.00 Cheap!
Finally an amazing video to explain the debate!!! Jesse you the man bro 👊🏾😂😂😂 and I love your dog he just wants to help his best friend 😩😊👊🏾🔥🙏🏾🤙🏾
Thanks for always watching bro! Best dog I've ever had. He just always wants to be apart of the action 😂
I took your advice and purchased an electric corded model and I was very surprised on how well it worked!!
The Groundskeeper II rake is an excellent tool for this process as well, very light, easy to use and does a fantastic job.
Does it work well for removing dead moss?
@@NordicDan yes, it works well. Handy tool to add, works great for mulching too
it's a beast
Another commenter said that St. Augustine grass should never be dethatched. This makes sense because it sends out runners on top of the ground with shallow roots which would be easily damaged by the process. I live in Mississippi and have this kind of grass, but I also have a heavy layer of thatch, especially after the drought last summer and much of the grass died. It actually looks terrible with many dead, brown spots. I would like to hear from our intrepid video maker if he has any suggestions.
Manual thatcher not for the faint of heart but best arm and chest workout ever. Bonus is a gorgeous lawn. Did Manual thatching today, and it almost killed me, totally exhausting. But my lawn and arms look great 😮😅 already.
I did a heavy dethatch and then scarfied it hired a guy to aerate it and then I heavily seeded it and added a really nutrient rich top soil. I can not believe how well it worked. I water every 3days and its 33c in Canada currently. Not brown grass blade yet. really makes a difference to get the soil prepped
which part of Canada?
If you watch that video, you will know everything about dethatching without any wasted time and without being bored. It’s like a flawless video for what it sets out to achieve.
Thanks for the super-useful video! The combination of background information and advice is perfect.
I like your adding of the office clips to the back of your sunjoe. I HATE the bag but I could never figure out a good way to keep the flap open without have rocks nail me in the shins. I'll give the clips a try.
Bought an electric dethatcher a couple years ago, used it once and never again. It worked too well, spent hours bagging all of the dead grass and thatch up.
Really? Bagging mower will pick it up
How big is your lawn?
I used one last week and I love it. 3500 sqft. Raking the dead grass was the worst part, bagging went fine. I just tipped the can over and raked most of it in. I had already put the mower away. Used some as mulch around my day lilies. Going to scarify and over seed soon.
Yep when I hit my lawn the first time I generated so much thatch that I had to ease up the settings a lot. Now its spring again and I'm ready.
I use thatch for mulch on my raised bed gardens. They do an excellent job and at the start of early spring the next year, you can dig it into the beds to add organic material.
Thank you for this great video. I think I may not should be simply pulling the thatched grass out. I was thinking I needed to aerate yet now I may consider option #2.
This was great! Much Appreciated!
Am definitely realizing i should have done this, this year. Thanks for the info!
Thank you so much! You answered a lot of my questions with your informative video.
Haha, best outro! Just wanted to comment to say thanks for the clear explanation. I went with a corded one like you showed with the interchangeable dethatcher/scarifier, about to give it its first go.
Young man, awesome, detailed and informative video. Thank you for sharing!
Nice video, I've dethatched my lawn every Spring for the last 35 years and find it to be the most beneficial thing I do to my lawn, bar none. As this video states, it removes a huge barrier of waste and opens up / wakes up your grass in the spring. I've also used all of the gadgets and machines mentioned in this video, and personally found the gas powered power rake to be the best. It's aggressive but you can easily adjust it to the level you want. It does wonders. And after you finish the look of your lawn is not very good, it's totally beat up. But a good feeding of pre-emergent and slow release fertilizer and you lawn recovers in 2-3 weeks. Highly recommend it...
Hi! When do you know when to start dethatching in spring? And do you put down pre-emergent before or directely after dethatching? Thank you in advance!
@@AnonymousGameWarden I look for a period of consecutive dry days beginning in the last week of February. It's better if the ground is dry. Some years it was in late March before I was able to do it. And I apply pre-emergent / fertilizer immediately following the dethatching / cleanup. Don't worry if the lawn looks rough, it will after dethatching. It will recover nicely in the following weeks. good luck...
Used a manual dethatcher once and a man drove past my house, stopped then reversed. He asked what kind of rake I was using bc he noticed a big difference from what I had done already and the part yet to do. It was a small yard but boy my side muscles were ever sore for about a week after. Gave the dethatcher to my neighbour when I moved. He was quite happy with it.
Great Video Jesse! between the US and the UK it can get real confusing what it means to scarify/verticut/dethatch i think you did a great job clearing that up. nice to see that you guys are out of the snow! 🤣
Snow is a thing of the past. I'm fricken sun burnt now 😂 can't win! 😂😂 Thanks for watching bro!
Wow. Super helpful. Thanks!
People keep talking about lawn care and such for nice grass. I just enjoy having a reason to drive the mower.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
What ever you want to call it, the explanations were right on. I use to use the hand thatch rake on my 1800 sq ft lawn twice a season for years and always dreaded it. The results were worth it though. Got the Greenworks 4 years ago and it was a game changer. The scarifier and verticutter attachments for the Allett are too expensive now a days and might just invest in a SunJoe which has both attachments
The manual dethatcher is a good workout at least 😂 Allet and Swardman are crazy with their pricing. I'll never own any of their equipment because of the price tag alone. I'm sure they're fine tools, but the mower price plus cartridges are insane. Not for me.
I have a dethatching bar with a single spring tine at each end, that swaps out the cutting blade in my standard push lawnmower. It works well and gets a good amount of thatch out of the lawn.
I have been using the same type for years, works great! I start at the side and work my way to center of lawn, then put on regular blade & grass catcher, set the mower low, suck up all the thatch. I also use de-thatcher blade in the fall. Instead of raking up the leaves I power rake them & leave them laying until I do the grass in Spring.
Very well presented and packed with useful information. Well done.
I love dethatching as much as cutting! I do it religiously in spring and fall. The sunjoe is 🤴 👊🏽
For sure bro! I mainly just do it in the spring, but the sun joe is my favorite tool to use in the lawn! Clean up just sucks sometimes. Dusty as hell 😂
@LAWN LIFE one of these days we should chit chat about grass and the CZcams game👊🏽
Twice a year seems like overkill and I would guess it’s an indication of mulching when you’re taking too much height off of each mow?
@Screws n' Dado Grooves thatch forms when the lawn does not break down the material fast enough. Poor drainage, fertilizer that doesn't break down. I mow at least 3 times a week and my lawn must not be able to keep up with the clippings. They are basically shavings. I've been using soil microbes to help. Maybe this year i could get away with doing it once💪🏾👊🏾
Informative video! Appreciate the explanation of different methods and tools used
Guess it would still be dethatching time in MN, 😂 thanks for the video, I always enjoy a “satisfying” dethatch session! 👍🏻👊🏻
Always behind everyone else 🙃 I need to start making videos three weeks ahead of time for what I'd be doing in my own lawn 😂
Thank you !
I would have added to not do this too early in the spring, or when it’s wet. I did both and tore up my lawn a little. However about 6 weeks later it’s recovered and looking great
How do you know when is too early, and when to start dethatching in spring?
I have been doing mine by hand as I pull weeds and scrape moss out in my badly damaged lawn. OMG I’m so tired. When my lawn is repaired and thicker I can use a machine.
It absolutely amazes me how much time people spend on their laws. No discredit to lawn life, but man I can think of lots of other things in life to do. I thorw some seed mixed with clover down in the spring, spread some lime and call it good :)
Man, I just moved to Fort Worth, TX and my yard is fully shaded and sloped…and is mostly dirt right now. I’ve been researching solutions and came across this video. Unreal. You clearly know your $h!t. I’m most impressed with your communication and ability to express your ideas. I know very little about this stuff, but everything you said makes sense. Love it. Thanks, brotha. Appreciate the knowledge.
your grass has work to do, so dont cut it as short as some of the lawns you see. get the right grass seed and watering its all downhill from there ;)
Don't cut your lawn short. People get wrapped up on looks (short) when longterm it's crap.
Long grass is healthy and resilient
Excellent video. 🎉
Nice job. I learned from this video.
you are a great teacher!
I’ve used my metal rake that I use for my leaves in the fall. I have a small yard so it’s not terrible. But even that makes a difference. I still manage to rake up a lot. Grass is nice and green.
Now that I know this is an actual thing, I might just have to grab a proper tool.
It’s nice when you randomly find useful videos on CZcams. I haven’t been searching for anything grass related, so this was a good recommendation CZcams. Maybe it was just “Dad” related things since it’s almost Father’s Day.
Dethatching is more about surface management than plant health. Remember, turfgrass has been growing for thousands of years before humans ever touched it.
The only reason dethatchimg needs to be done is because of management (mainly that of mowing) intensity, and feel/appearance.
Nice video. You have a very well maintained lawn 👍
I have that electric machine and it works really good but like you said, it takes a little time to clean up. Thanks, good information 👍
Good video, I have the Sunjoe but have never used the scarifier but maybe I will for the mossy areas. Its def a huge time commitment
Thank you.
I bought the sunjoe, and used it just on my front yard. With clean up, which was a lot, took about 3 hours, and 1 tank of gas in the handheld blower. Going to do the backyard soon, but we have a nest of bunnies that I don't want to scare. They're cute and my wife loves them, but they need to get off my lawn!
The sunjoe is one of my favorite tools. But you're right. It is a big task. Go around the bunny nest, they'll be gone in a couple of weeks!
fatherinlaw took his hand push gas mower, bought xtra blade for it and made his own .. cheap and works very well
I’m intrigued, how did he make it. Do tell:)
I bought one of the machines and it’s AMAZING
I've read a lot of papers about this, and unless you have too much thatch, just deep core aerate.
Excellent video!
I have a Greenworks dethatcher, it works well and lifts truly epic amounts of dead grass. I am in Colorado, a fertilizer that works well in my semi arid area is dried poultry waste. From a chicken's ass to my grass! As it should be, "DPW" is cheap if you buy an off brand. I figure DPW is truly a commodity, no need to by the expensive "Revive" version that is popular here. A 40 pound bag of the off brand stuff is about $11.50.
The regimen is to dethatch and then put a good thick layer of DPW on. The beauty of manure type products is they won't burn your lawn or force the grass to grow rapidly like chemical fertilizers do.
It helps to know WHY thatch builds up in lawns as well. One of the leading reasons is over fertilizing. If you're careful about how much you fertilize you typically won't have to worry about thatch buildup at all.
The best thing I did for my lawn was purchase the electric Sun-Joe thatcher that comes with the scarifier. I could not believe how much deadness I brought up on the highest setting. I now do it late winter or early spring and my lawn is the best it looked. Great video LAWN.
I live in Houston, we have St Augustine grass in our yard and people said we don’t need to dethatch this type of grass. Is this true?
I find it intereting that this process is completed once a year. (Disclaimer: I am from Aus, hot states, so types of grass may vary etc) While working in the industry I did "vertimow" work, but generally only every 3-5 years and mostly cared for the lawn in a way to not require it.
That is to say, if you mow the lawn at the proper height, thatch can't develop to any reasonable degree (see disclaimer)
Vertimowing DOES give amazing results, looks like a dead sand patch for a week, then grows back in, better than ever, over the next 2 weeks.
I have a empire Zoysia front yard and princess Bermuda back yard. I always scalp and then burn in early spring… I don’t have an issue with thatch and understand that not everyone has the option of burning…. By late spring early summer, …lawn domination!
Great tips thanks.
I used a greenworks electric dethather years ago. Sure it worked ....but I have a bigggg yard. I ended up buying a lawnmower dethathing blade. Works great and was simple to install on your existing mower. Plus the blade was only $20ish.
This is awesome! Thanks for the explanation in differences.
Thanks for watching Eli! I appreciate it!
Spot on I thacth every season and my lawn has been green and thick. Thacth,overseed,milorganite,water.
How do you know when to start dethatching in spring? You throw down seed as soon as your done dethatching? And then put down Fertilizer immediately after the seed? Just trying to understand your process! Thanks!
Great video, Jesse! Very informative as always.
Thanks bro. You killed your video as well. Obviously dethatching time here in the Midwest 🤣
I’m
Detaching
Once a month
My lawn is beautiful is KGB
Ahhh that’s what that tool is for. I’m convinced my in-store behavior is being monitored because I was literally looking at that
Man o man, I just ordered two rakes, and now I'm going to return them. LOL
Where I live we burn all the dead grass in spring.
Paves the way for a great lawn.
3:28 -- I have one of these... different brand, but identical head and little crescent tines. If you've never used one, it's basically like detangling a little girl's hair, except that hair is the lawn. The thatch doesn't come up easily, you have to tug it out with effort. And because the grass is resisting, it'll jerk the handle in your hand, and even very, very small jobs require you to wear gloves.
Dethatching my small lawn with one of these did three things:
1 - I couldn't believe how much I got up. It just kept coming up.
2 - It made me despise my side-discharge mower.
3 - It made my lawn super healthy and hardy that season, whereas it seemed very, very sluggish for a few years before.
Dude, you're amazing :) Thanks for all the knowledge
THANK YOU sir!
I know about dethacthing, but, I am getting up there in years and was hoping they made something like those electric ones