If the green meadow is matted, this not only looks unkempt, but also damages the lawn as the soil is poorly aerated. In addition, rainwater cannot penetrate and run off. That’s how easy it is to remove thatch.
What is thatch?
Thatch is organic material that covers the ground over time. The layer consists of moss and dead plant parts of the blades of grass, which are formed during mowing or in the course of the natural vegetation cycle. This leads to the grass getting too little oxygen and light. If the layer is not removed, the lawn will become matted more and more, which not only inhibits the growth of the blades of grass, but also makes the lawn look unkempt.
Remove with scarifier
Scarifying is a tried and tested method of removing thatch from the lawn.
Scarifiers are motorized or hand-held. However, the latter should only be used if the lawn is small or if you have the appropriate muscle strength, because scarifying is a very strenuous job. Within the motorized scarifiers you can choose between devices with an electric motor or petrol drive, whereby petrol devices are mainly used for large areas.
In addition to the type of drive, there are also different blades. For a sensitive ornamental lawn, you should use a scarifier with spring tines, as these work a little more gently. A normal lawn can be worked with flail knives. In both cases it is important that the knives or tines can be adjusted with millimeter precision.
Since the scarified material has to be removed from the lawn after treatment, the question of collecting it arises. For areas over 5,000 square meters, you should opt for a scarifier with a collector. If your lawn is below that, the decision with or without a pick-up is up to you.
time
To prevent the lawn from matting in the first place, you should scarify them once a year. However, the lawn should be two to three years old the first time so that the blades of grass are well rooted. If this requirement is met, you can use the scarifier in autumn or spring, with spring time being preferred.
When the exact time is in the spring, is evaluated differently. In any case, you should not scarify too early, so that the blades of grass, weakened by the winter, can survive the drastic treatment. According to the calendar, April is often recommended. Two weeks after the first fertilization are ideal for orientation in terms of lawn care.
When planning scarifying in autumn, you should consider that the lawn will then have enough time to recover before it goes dormant for the winter. Therefore, the ideal time according to the calendar in many regions will be early September.
manual
Before scarifying the lawn, you should mow it. The length of the blades of grass should then be two to three centimetres. You can also set the lawn mower shorter. Then adjust the scarifier blades to one to two millimeters so that they do not damage grass roots. Now you can start working:
• in the case of heavy thatch (or after a few years): scarify lengthwise and crosswise (checkerboard pattern)
• with light thatch (or in the case of a well-groomed lawn): scarify the lawn in one direction
All scarifiers that are not attached to the lawn mower are pushed. Devices to be attached are attached as front or rear scarifiers, depending on the model.
Post-treatment instructions
When scarifying is complete, follow the steps in the guide below:
- Collect scarified material
- Smooth the surface with the lawnmower
- Fertilize
- Sow grass seeds
- Protect the lawn for a few weeks
Alternatives to scarifying
Eliminate by hand
Removing lawn thatch with a hand rake is only recommended if
• small lawns
• a few matted areas in the lawn
The ideal time of year for mechanical treatment is in early spring, right after the snow has melted. Because at this point the felt can be removed particularly easily.
Entmoosen
Moss removal from the lawn is crowned with success if it is only slightly matted and a few areas are affected. A so-called moss remover, also known as a lawn harrow, is used, in which several spring tines work the lawn surface so that the lawn thatch is removed and the soil is aerated.
With the motorized version, the moss remover is attached to the lawn mower, with the mechanical version it is a long pole that is pulled across the lawn.
