IF you want your grass to be ‘healthy and green’ this summer, you’ve come to the right place.
And particularly as the weather heats up and more and more Brits look to get their gardens summer ready, if you’re keen to ensure that your outside space leaves your guests impressed, you’ll need to do this crucial task now.
Thatch is an organic material underneath grass which slowly builds up on lawns over time and is usually made out of dead grass, moss and other foliage which have not been cleaned up properly.
Getting rid of it on lawns needs to be done now, before summer, as thatch prevents water from reaching the root system of your lawn, which can cause grass to dry out, leading to damage of the soil.
Ervin, a lawncare expert from Green Gold Landscaping, said that while it is extremely important to get rid of thatch to keep lawns looking their best, it is a simple job to do.
He explained: “The dethatching process is very crucial for the lawn to be healthy and disease-free.”
The lawncare pro then added: “The thatch does not allow the grass to take the required water and nutrients needed for the average growth.
“Getting rid of the thatch keeps your yard healthy and green.”
If you’ve never de-thatched your lawn before – you’ll know if it needs doing if the ground feels spongy or if the grass looks discoloured or is not growing properly.
To begin the process, you’ll need to clean up the lawn of debris, leaves and twigs and give the grass a mow if it is higher than three inches.
Following this, all you need for most gardens to remove thatch is to use a rake.
Simply use the rake in a criss-cross pattern and push the rake down into the grass so it reaches the thatch underneath the grass.
Ervin continued: “Garden rakes are the best for the thatch removal. It is easy to remove a little thatch by using the garden rake.”
As you rake the lawn you will discover moss and old grass coming up, which needs to be collected to prevent the thatch from becoming a problem again.
The dethatching process is very crucial for the lawn to be healthy and disease-free
Ervin, a lawncare expert from Green Gold Landscaping
To dispose of the thatch, it is best to use a wheelbarrow or bin, but it can also go in a compost bin if you own one.
Next, it is highly recommended that you aerate your lawn after dethatching – doing so will help with water drainage.
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All you’ll need to do is simply poke holes into the ground using a pitchfork or aerating tool.
Once done, you can reseed it if the grass looks patchy, but you are best to water and fertilise the lawn afterwards to help it recover and grow back thicker and healthier.
After the process, the grass might look ragged, but after some days, you will witness the new garden in your house
Ervin, a lawncare expert from Green Gold Landscaping
Ervin concluded: “When the dethatching process is done, the lawn is to be watered, and the new garden is to be fed with the required nutrients and manure.
“After the process, the grass might look ragged, but after some days, you will witness the new garden in your house.”
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