Lawn Dethatching


Flat Top Lawn Care is a professional at lawn dethatching or as some call thatching, Please read on to understand what thatch is and the benefits of dethatching your lawn. This process is usually done in spring when you have a spring cleanup service.

Thatch is a tightly intermingled layer of living and dead stems, leavesand roots which accumulates between the layer of actively-growing grass and the soil underneath. Thatch is a normal component of an actively growing turfgrass. As long as the thatch is not too thick, it can increase the resilience of the turf to heavy traffic. Thatch develops more readily on high-maintenance lawns than on low-maintenance lawns.

How does thatch affect turf quality?

An excessive thatch layer (more than 1 inch) can restrict the movement of air, water, fertilizer and other materials to the roots. This air- and water-impervious layer causes the grass to restrict rooting to the thatch layer to get air and water and, hence, reduces drought resistance in the turf. Furthermore, if the thatch dries out, it cannot be re-wetted easily. Even if the thatch stays moist, it can harbor fungi which can cause turf diseases. When temperature and moisture conditions are right, a disease infestation can kill the already weakened turf. The overall effect of a thick thatch layer is an unthrifty lawn which does not respond well to management practices and is easily injured by adverse weather conditions and pests.

How do you dethatch a lawn?

When thatch has accumulated to an excessive thickness, it is best reduced by mechanical means. Dethatcher machines known as vertical mowers, verticutters, dethatchers or power rakes have vertically spinning blades which pull some of the material to the surface as they slice the thatch layer. The best method of dethatching is by using a jrco dethatcher which we utilize with our service. dethatching should be done in either spring or fall when cool weather prevails. In addition to dethatching, the lawn should be aerated and limed if necessary. Lime and aeration stimulate bacterial decomposition by improving air, water and nutrient relationships.

Your lawn should also be mowed at 2.5 – 3 inches weekly do help eliminate an abundance of thatch.

Please feel free to ask us any questions or receive a FREE ESTIMATE by filling out the form below.

Your Name (required)

Your Email (required)

Your Address (required)

Your City (required)

Please Select a Service or Select Multiple Services By Holding ctrl and left clicking on the services you want.

Questions Or Concerns

We service the following areas:
Hugo, Forest Lake, Scandia, North oaks, Lino lakes, centerville, circle pines, lexington, Blaine, Roseville, St.Paul, Minneapolis, Lake Elmo, Maplewood, Dellwood, Marine, Stillwater, White Bear, Minnesota, Mn, 55033 55055 55077 55089 55024 55001 55065 55075 55043 55123 55125 55071 55119 55188 55129 55121 55118 54022 55107 55106 55150 55102 55133 55144 55145 55146 55155 55161 55164 55165 55166 55168 55169 55170 55171 55175 55177 55187 55191 55101 55042 55172 55128 55010 55116 54016 55130 55105 55903 55904 55905 55906 55901 55085 55016 54021 55031 55076 55068 55120 55009 55066 54723 55027 54014 55089 55041 55026 54750 54011 54769 54010 54021 55956 55992 54003 55991