You need to learn how to scarify a lawn. But what exactly is scarifying, and how does it turn a lacklustre patch into lush green grass? We're here to explain. Not even the smartest of lawn edging ideas can save the day if the turf itself is looking shabby. But, with a little scarification, you'll soon have it looking tip-top again.
The process is really quite simple. It's all about getting rid of the brown, dead-looking material at the base of the grass, otherwise known as thatch, by using a rake or a scarifying machine. The other thing scarifying does is help remove moss — another impediment to having a bowling-green-standard lawn. To help you get started, we've rounded up plenty of top tips on how to scarify a lawn. With our advice, you'll have that beautiful stretch of green back in no time.
It's super simple to scarify a lawn — our advice explains all so you can ensure your lawn is in great shape. Over time, the base of a lawn becomes congested with thatch and moss. Thatch also inhibits airflow around the grass. And moss, if left to flourish, will take hold entirely, making your lawn more moss than grass — a problem that's difficult to rectify.
However, bear in mind that a small amount of thatch is a good thing, and scarifying too deeply can damage your turf, so it's important to keep the balance right.
If you've recently learnt how to plant grass seed and have given it a go in your yard, it's important to leave it to establish before you try to scarify it. This goes for newly-laid turf too: wait at least a year.
After this, established lawns should ideally be scarified once a year, or at least once every couple of years so that you can keep on top of the problem and ensure your carefully planned lawn ideas are always looking their best. We use cookies to help us understand our users and give you the best experience. Continue if you consent to our use of cookies or see our Cookie Policy for more info.
Scarification is the mechanical removal of surface thatch from a lawn. Surface thatch naturally forms on a lawn. However, when it gets too thick it prevents important nutrients such as water, fertiliser and oxygen from getting to the grass roots.
The result is a mossy and spongy lawn. Scarification removes most of the surface thatch and is an essential practice of good annual Lawn Care included in our Standard and Ultimate Treatment Programmes. Our process involves taking core samples from your lawn and assessing the depth or thatch below and above the soil line; excess thatch above the soil line indicates a need for Scarification. Do you find your lawn suffers with moss in the autumn and winter time? Is the lawn spongy under foot?
These are often signs that the lawn needs to be scarified. We also take core samples from the lawn and look at the depth of thatch below and above the soil line. Excess thatch above the soil line indicates a need for Scarification. Read more information about thatch by clicking here. Definitely not. Lawn raking, whether using a spring-tine rake or a raking machine, is the removal of moss on the lawn. Scarification using heavy duty flails like knives removes the cause of the moss, surface thatch.
As you can see, excessive thatch takes a long time and a lot of effort to recover from. So preventing the thatch in the first place is the best method. There are several steps you can take:. So there you go — your ultimate guide to lawn scarification. Part of the expertEasy team in Melbourne. Mark is a keen gardener, a DIY addict and a father of two beautiful girls. He is originally from Perth and is a true Eagles fan. Live in Australia?
Whether you need your lawn mowed, your garden landscaped, your home painted, or you need a photographer, expertEasy is the easy way to find expert help. Search ExpertEasy. The Ultimate Guide to Lawn Scarification Following this guide will lead to a lusher, healthier lawn. What is lawn scarification? What is Thatch? Why is lawn scarification necessary? How can you prevent thatch development? Do all lawns need scarification? How do I know if my lawn needs scarification?
Follow the steps below for successful scarifying: Prepare the lawn for scarification. This involves killing any weeds at least three weeks beforehand, and gradually cutting the grass. A week before, a moss killer should be applied if moss is present, and any moss should be raked up the day before your scarification date.
Scarifying the lawn. Scarification should be carried out with one key aim in mind: to minimize lawn damage. Quantity of coverage should be determined by how much thatch there is.
Equipment for the job is easy to come across, as lawn scarifiers and similar tools like lawn aerators are widely available commercially. Rake and gather up any grass clippings and thatch. This will help to prevent excessive lawn damage. Once again, collect any debris from the lawn.
For maintenance we strongly recommend core aeration as it is less stressful than detaching Choosing the right time of year during which you scarify can help to promote growth and a speedy recovery.
When is raking an alternative to scarification? The following tools will help in the scarification process: Adjustable height Lawnmower — cutting grass to simplify scarification, and to collect thatch instead of raking it up. The moss will become easier to identify and remove.
Weed killer — if there are lots of weeds, prepare the lawn by spraying around three weeks before your planned scarification date. Scarifier — required for removing the thatch from the lawn, this could be a manual, electric, or petrol scarifier. Rake — this will be helpful when gathering up moss and thatch brought to the lawn surface by scarifying.
Grass seed — this is to outweigh the patchiness of the lawn Fertiliser — lawn nutrients are likely to be low and not to have passed into the soil, so a reputable fertilizer will help to restore these. Grass seed and fertilizer spreader — if the lawn is particularly large, this will help distribute both evenly, accurately, and quickly.
Using a manual lawn scarifier The best way to use these is applying a back and forth motion, while adjusting the depth of penetration that the blade makes into the ground.
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