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I am trying to line up someone to dethatch and aerate my lawn come spring but I can't find anyone that dethatches. In fact, when I ask about it with some companies, communication stops from them.
Is dethatching not needed/done here?
I do have some thatch and when walking barefoot on the lawn it feels like walking on marbles. I'd like to start fresh on maintaining the lawn.
I don't want to rent a dethatcher as I don't want to rake up and dispose of the debris.
Personally I would save both of those for the fall so the lawn can recover as both stress the lawn. You should easily be able to find someone who can rent both machines and do it for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by olds1
Just moved to Ohio recently from California.
I am trying to line up someone to dethatch and aerate my lawn come spring but I can't find anyone that dethatches. In fact, when I ask about it with some companies, communication stops from them.
Is dethatching not needed/done here?
I do have some thatch and when walking barefoot on the lawn it feels like walking on marbles. I'd like to start fresh on maintaining the lawn.
I don't want to rent a dethatcher as I don't want to rake up and dispose of the debris.
The whole dethatching thing is unnecessary BS. Mulch the clippings back into the yard, stop poisoning your soil, and nature will take care of the rest.
I am trying to line up someone to dethatch and aerate my lawn come spring but I can't find anyone that dethatches. In fact, when I ask about it with some companies, communication stops from them.
Is dethatching not needed/done here?
I do have some thatch and when walking barefoot on the lawn it feels like walking on marbles. I'd like to start fresh on maintaining the lawn.
I don't want to rent a dethatcher as I don't want to rake up and dispose of the debris.
We lived in Ohio for 40 years and never dethatched the lawn. What kind of grass did you have in CA and what kind do you have now?
A little thatch is good and can be beneficial. However, if too much thatch (an inch or more) has accumulated, it won't allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate to the roots, weakens the grass, and contribute to compacted soil. If the soil is already compacted, it contributes to poor conditions. The lawn should be cut to half its normal height, and the soil moist. A lawn needn't be thatched every year, nor aerated every year.
Aerating should be done during peak growing season when the lawn is strongest to it can recover more easily. It should be done the same time of year as dethatching.
One point a lot of homeowners don't realize is that they over-cut their lawns. During peak growing season (early Spring and early Fall) the lawn can be cut to 2.5 inches. However, during hot Summer weather, it should be kept no shorter than 3 inches. It grows more slowly. Also, most grasses will go dormant in exceedingly hot weather and turn pale or wheat colored. That doesn't mean it's dead.
The whole dethatching thing is unnecessary BS. Mulch the clippings back into the yard, stop poisoning your soil, and nature will take care of the rest.
Not (necessarily) true. I have always mulched my clippings....yet...I have thatch. My theory is that the soil is so poor in nutrients that it can't break down all that mulch quickly enough so it adds up on the surface.
I do have a fair amount of clay and that doesn't help either. Just last year I've started using a "liquid aerator" monthly and it does seem to be helping rainwater soak in more quickly and I've had less cracking and bare spots in the driest part of the summer. This next year will give me a better idea of how effective the aerator is.
I've usually also done (physical) core aeration - and that is definitely a fall activity. It does make a mess of the lawn and you don't want to spend your usually wet spring with the mud - save that for fall.
Not (necessarily) true. I have always mulched my clippings....yet...I have thatch. My theory is that the soil is so poor in nutrients that it can't break down all that mulch quickly enough so it adds up on the surface.
I do have a fair amount of clay and that doesn't help either. Just last year I've started using a "liquid aerator" monthly and it does seem to be helping rainwater soak in more quickly and I've had less cracking and bare spots in the driest part of the summer. This next year will give me a better idea of how effective the aerator is.
I've usually also done (physical) core aeration - and that is definitely a fall activity. It does make a mess of the lawn and you don't want to spend your usually wet spring with the mud - save that for fall.
We have clay soil as well, and it has been amended. But we had to do the deep core aeration, and it leaves you lawn looking like hell until it recovers - but well worth it in the long-run! The lawn will recover quickly.
I am trying to line up someone to dethatch and aerate my lawn come spring but I can't find anyone that dethatches. In fact, when I ask about it with some companies, communication stops from them.
Is dethatching not needed/done here?
I do have some thatch and when walking barefoot on the lawn it feels like walking on marbles. I'd like to start fresh on maintaining the lawn.
I don't want to rent a dethatcher as I don't want to rake up and dispose of the debris.
Aeration is what you want to ask them for. Ask them to aerate your lawn. The process will accomplish the same thing and do a little dethatching in the process.
We lived in Ohio for 40 years and never dethatched the lawn. What kind of grass did you have in CA and what kind do you have now?
If you are using a push mower, wear golf spikes.
Wearing golf spikes is an attempt to aerate the soil - but only COMPACTS it. You need to do CORE aeration. Seriously, a few 1/2" deep punctures every 3 feet from you wearing while mowing won't do a danged thing - you're lucky because it would only do damage.
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