POWER RAKING ~ DETHATCHING
Thatch is a layer of intermingled living and dead organic material made up of shoots, stems, leaves and roots that build up and sit in between the live grass blades and the soil layer.
This layer can prevent grass from absorbing enough water and fertilizer, resulting in dead spots or a patchy, yellow look to your lawn. Heavy thatch buildup is an ideal environment for insects and diseases, fungi, mold and bacteria. Thatch buildup and reduced aeration of the soil also results in shallow root systems.
During the winter months grass goes into a dormant state. Some of the last seasons blades die off from the sub zero temperatures and the accumulation of snow packs them down against the lawn's base.
Once the snow melts we are left with this thick layer of organic matter known as thatch. As the temperatures increase, new grass shoots try to reach the sun but have to struggle through the compact layer of thatch. If it is not removed the new grass will have difficulty growing through it.
During winter it is also common for voles to tunnel and live under the snow where they eat the grass and roots. In the spring you can sometimes see the damaging effects of their tunneling on the surface of the grass. *
How does it Work? The power rake is a commercial piece of equipment that has many rake teeth under it that spin at a very high speed. The teeth slice through the thatch laying on top of the soil. The machine is set to an appropriate height so that the blades just skim the surface of the soil which brings the thatch up to the surface of the grass. After the thatch is brought up it is then raked by hand and disposed of. We then go over the lawn with our commercial mowers to clean up any thatch or debris that is missed by hand raking and to give it a nicely groomed appearance.
When done properly by an experienced lawn care professional, power raking DOES NOT DAMAGE your lawn. It does not pull out healthy grass -- it only removes the thatch that lays on top of the soil. To safely remove thatch it is very important that the thatch and soil is dry. So no watering the lawn prior to a power rake service.
Once the grass starts to green up and is actively growing, power raking is not recommended as it can cause potential damage to the new grass "tillers" that come up and begin to grow and establish themselves in the lawn. This service should be completed early spring while the grass is still in a dormant state.
