I know that de-thatching a lawn is not exactly the popular topic of the day, but we’ve recently received some customer inquiries about this process, so I thought I’d clarify a bit.

Thatch is a layer of dead grass underneath a healthy lawn layer. Thatch is present in all lawns, and some thatch is necessary for a healthy, golf-course green lawn by providing a “mulch layer’ for efficient water use and a barrier to common lawn pests. Paradoxically over time, though, too much thatch creates a barrier to your lawn getting any water AND creates a haven for pests like lawn grubs. In Contra Costa County, your local water district likely recommends de-thatching once per year or at least once every other year.

You can hand de-thatch a small lawn with a sturdy rake, but it’s back-breaking work for any lawn of normal size. Our company uses a power de-thatcher with hundreds of strong metal “tines” to make this work more efficient. The following video can give you an idea of how it works:

De-thatching, especially if it’s been a while or never been done, can be a bit like open-heart surgery for your lawn at first. However, with proper care your lawn will come back healthier and green than ever!

Remember, we can help!

(925) 709-LAWN (5296)