Thatch refers to the layer of dead or live organic material that builds up, made up of plants including roots, shoots, or stems. A thatch layer of a ½ inch is beneficial for grass to grow quicker, greener, and more durable, but a thatch layer of 1 inch or more needs dethatching to ensure the proper airflow for your grass.
In order to maintain a healthy lawn, you will have to occasionally remove the thatch layer, otherwise known as dethatching or thatching. This is done so that water and air can reach the soil much better, and in turn, growing thicker, greener grass.
Dethatching is a vital part of long-term lawn maintenance. Even in smaller yards, too much thatch beneath the grass can cause it to stop growing altogether, leaving yellow patches and bald spots on your lawn. Keep reading to learn all about how our lawn thatching services can benefit your grass this season.
Finishing Touches Landscape Experts
Thatching your lawn can do wonders for the grass all over your property. But, it’s definitely not a DIY job. In order to protect your property’s grass, you’ll want to hire a professional landscape team to maintain it.
At Finishing Touches, we take our client’s lawn care concerns to heart. Not only do we provide customized solutions, but we also offer top-notch customer service. Check out some of the reasons why we’re 100% recommended by our clients.
Customer Service-Oriented Staff
Having been around for over two decades, the team at Finishing Touches has become experts in their field and in customer service. We’re top-recommended on-site like HomeAdvisor and we’re rated 5 stars by our customers.
Our contact form is designed to make it easy for you to request a free quote, simply fill in all your important information, and we’ll get right back to you to book your appointment and a free estimate. You can also call us today to find out what we can do for your garden!
Customized Lawn Care Solution
At finishing Touches Landscaping & Maintenance, we don’t look at your property and simply see grass that needs mowing. We take your whole property and look at it as a whole ecosystem.
We also create custom solutions that are depicted by your needs and what your soil can do. Whether your lawn needs thatching, adjustments to the pH level, or a new sprinkler system for better irrigation, Finishing Touches is here for you to help you grow a healthier lawn.
More Than Lawn Care:
Finishing Touches Landscaping covers more than just lawn care like thatching and maintenance. Here are some of the other services we provide to Snohomish and all of the surrounding areas:
- Fall clean up
- Irrigation installment and winterization
- Flower bed design
- Ornamental pruning
Whether you need a new garden or a brand-new lawn to fall in love with, Finishing Touches has the solution! Contact us today to see what we can do to create the landscape you’ve always wanted for your home.
Benefits of Lawn Dethatching
The biggest benefit of thatching is that it improves your lawn’s grass growth. This is because the excessive thatch blocks water from penetrating the ground properly, which also hinders the nutrients which should be transported to the roots.
When the upper layer of thatch is removed, roots receive more oxygen and aeration. In turn, the growth of grasses is enhanced, and it leads to thicker and greener grass all over your lawn.
Thicker Lawn
When you find bald spots and patchy grass all over your lawn, it’s not always because of the amount of sun or water that your property is getting. When there’s too much thatch beneath the layers of your grassroots, there won’t be enough airflow or moisture to grow thick, green grass.
Thatch removal works to pull the thatch layer out of the soil. It also works to break up the compacted and hardened soil. When we do this, there’s better nutrient distribution down to the grassroots and the soil is healthier too. The end result is healthy grass growth to make a thick, lush lawn.
Healthier Soil
As we’ve mentioned, a layer of thatch blocks out the nutrients that your soil needs in order to grow a beautiful, green lawn. While thatch lays below the soil’s surface, it blocks the nutrients like air, sun, and water that the soil all need for anything to grow.
By dethatching, you open up the soil, exposing it to air, and then when the thatch layer is removed, the soil is more properly irrigated and aerated. This boosts soil health, moisture retention, and of course, better plant growth.
Protection From Disease And Infestation
Having a thick thatch layer doesn’t just affect the health of the soil and grass. Soil that has a large layer of thatch will also play host to many insects and other pests that come to eat the insects. And, of course, if your grass isn’t growing properly, then it’s not properly crowding out weeds which can take hold and cause further problems with your lawn.
By dethatching, you are also helping your lawn flush out insect pests and prevent their return!
We look forward to the opportunity to help you with your upcoming project in these local areas:
Choose Finishing Touches Landscaping for your Lawn Aeration Needs
Finishing Touches Landscaping Inc. offers the best landscape maintenance services in the area. Our thatching services are sure to get your lawn growing greener and thicker in no time.
If you don’t have the time to do your lawn maintenance, let us put in the effort for you. That way, you can enjoy all the results, without any of the work. Whether you’re aiming to satisfy your local HOA’s standards or you want your lawn to be the envy of the neighborhood, Finishing Touches & Landscaping is here to help!
Let’s reclaim your lawn and turn it from a barren landscape into an oasis! Call us today to book your quote for thatching or one of our other services.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the Difference Between Dethatching or Core Aeration?
Both the dethatching and core aeration involve the removal of thatch from lawns. But both vary in terms of how dense the thatch is and how it is removed.
Dethatching is for a mild thatch buildup and can be performed by a power rake, or vertical mower. However, core aeration is for the removal of a more extreme case of a thick layer of thatch that is suffocating the ground, it removes plugs of soil as it perforates the ground, allowing water and air to penetrate the ground and restore nutrients in the soil.
For lawn aeration or dethatching services, it is best to hire a professional for aeration. Finishing Touches Landscaping is an excellent choice for lawn aeration services because we have the tools and the knowledge of proper core aeration and dethatching.
When You Should Dethatch Your Lawn
When the thatch layer is 1 inch or more, then you will need to dethatch your lawn. For the removal of thick layers of thatch, there will be more than one session to avoid damage to roots.
Excessive thatch hinders the growth of grass and will spoil the overall look of the lawn.
Severe thatch needs lawn aeration in order to prevent soil erosion from lack of oxygen to the soil. Dethatching usually works best during the late summer or early autumn.
However, this can differ for different types of grass. For warm-season grasses (i.e. Bermudagrass), thatching must be in late spring or early summer for the best results. But, for cool-season grasses (i.e. Kentucky Bluegrass), it is much more effective when it’s done in early spring or fall.