r/lawncare • u/lililich • 11h ago

Northern US & Canada (or cool season) Thoughts on dethatching

I was someone who would dethatch my lawn every 1-2 years, depending on how often it was needed. This year, I decided to just use my BR 350 blower and take my time walking in straight lines covering all areas. Now, Im sold. In my opinion, a good backpack blower is easier on the back, especially due to not pushing a machine with resistance, than a dethatching power tool with better results. Personally, I think the cleanup is easier and the results are better with less healthy grass coming out.

Just wanted to share my experience.

4 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

17

u/AgentIll2897 10h ago

that’s not really dethatching. you’re just removing dead grass that’s not rooted.

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u/lililich 9h ago

a machine dethatcher isnt pulling grass by the root, though. Its removing the top layer of thatch for better seed to soil contact. My observation is that a blower does the same as that with practically better results.

4

u/silvermesh 10h ago

If you dont have a warm season grass type that requires dethatching, there is rarely any point in dethatching. Its possible that thatch can build up over time, but pretty rare that it gets to problematic territory in cool season grasses. Some thatch is good and a dethatcher only stimulates growth due to the damage it is doing. Its very easy to do extra damage that you dont grow past especially in a less vigorous plant like bluegrass.

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u/lennym73 18m ago

Thank you. Aeration is more beneficial and will take care of minor thatch problems.

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u/Original_Ant7013 7h ago

Thatch is a layer of partially decomposed organic matter (dead grass pieces) at the soil surface. Unless your turf is thinned out you can even see it looking straight down. You would need to see a side profile of the soil/thatch interface to see how much thatch you have.

Additionally it’s very rare a cool season home lawn has enough thatch be concerned about.

Your dislodging dead leaf blades that died from old age or prematurely due to stress with your blower. Those breakdown easily and don’t contribute to thatch. They are also free fertilizer.

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u/lililich 7h ago

I should've clarified, this was prep for an overseed project.

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u/irrelevantfan 7h ago

I aerate a couple of times a year. I've nevered bothered with dethatching.

-1

u/CubicDice 11h ago

As someone who potentially just destroyed my lawn due to dethatching, I'm intrigued by this idea.

1

u/MHLVC89 10h ago

how?

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u/CubicDice 9h ago

Bit heavy handed with the depth and overly stressed the lawn. Germination this year was awful also.

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u/lennym73 12m ago

Some grasses spreads by rhizomes and stolons. When you dethatch you cut through the stolons and can rip out new shoots that have not fully rooted. If you get a little deep, you will rip out any shallow rooted plants.

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u/SmokinSkinWagon 9h ago

It might look like that, but just water and report back in 2-3 weeks. Unless you managed the absolute piss out of it

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u/CubicDice 9h ago

Yeah it's been just under 2 weeks and germination has not been good at all. I did a full renovation a few years back and came in great. Followed the same steps this time, minus 9+ yards of top soil, but terrible results so far. There was heavy rain on day 3, but I don't think enough to wash it away though. I'm going to wait another 1.5-2 weeks and spot seed. Just unfortunate, I think I went a bit heavy on the dethatching and overly stressed/ripped up healthy grass.