Complete Guide to Dethatching Your Lawn – Fix This Common Problem Now to Set Up Grass for Lush Growth Next Year

There is nothing like the feel of fresh, green grass between bare toes, but the sensory feeling is transformed to one of puzzlement when the lawn is spongy. Spongy sod is a result of excess thatch in lawns.

Getting rid of lawn thatch takes several steps and a resolute gardener. Learn how to deal with lawn thatch so you can carry on with your regular lawn care and grow a lusher, healthier lawn.

Here's how to identify lawn thatch and what to do if your grass is suffering from this common problem.

What Is Lawn Thatch?

You must know your enemy to win the battle. So what is lawn thatch? Spongy lawns are the result of excess buildup of old and dead grass material. Some types of grass don't produce thatch, but other varieties of turf that have thick stolons will trap their own leaves and stems.

Overly thick thatch not only makes your lawn spongy, but can interfere with the plant's ability to gather air, water, and fertilizer. The roots are forced to grow on top of the thatch and the sponginess increases. Getting rid of lawn thatch increases the health and texture of the grass.

How to Dethatch Your Lawn

Thatch in lawns is most common in acidic or compacted soil. A spongy lawn is a result of many factors such as excess nitrogen, disease and pest problems, as well as improper mowing.

Correct cultural practices will help reduce the amount of thatch that forms. You can also choose a grass variety that is less prone to thatch formation. Grasses that grow slowly, such as tall fescue, zoysia grass, and perennial ryegrass produce relatively little thatch.

Another option is to dethatch your lawn mechanically in late summer or early fall when your lawn has slowed down its growth for the season. You can either hire a professional lawn service to dethatch your lawn or buy or rent a dethatcher or scarifier to fix the issue yourself.

Best Tools for Dethatching

A good old-fashioned rake is one of the best ways to reduce the thatch in the grass. A little thatch is not harmful but anything over one inch (2.5 cm) is damaging to the sod.

Really thick thatch requires a dethatching rake, which is larger and has sharp tines. These cut and grab the thatch to pull it out of the layer of sod. This top-rated dethatching rake from the Home Depot is a good option to try.

Clean up your yard with a regular rake after dethatching. A week after dethatching, apply one pound of nitrogen fertilizer, like this one from Vigoro, per 1,000 square feet of lawn and water in completely.

Rake the lawn annually at the end of the season for cool-season grasses and in spring for warm-season grasses to prevent thatch forming again.

Tips for Dethatching Large Yards

For larger areas, it is a good idea to buy or rent an electric or gas-powered dethatcher. Our team of experts recommend this electric dethatcher and scarifier from Greenworks. You can read our review of it here to decide if it's the right choice for your lawn.

If thatch is excessively thick, the lawn will be damaged by dethatching. In such cases, you will need to top dress the area and reseed.