Dethatcher Rake
A dethatcher rake is a gardening tool used to manually break and remove the thatch. Thatch is a layer of dead grass and rots that is between grass and soil. There is the risk of the grass roots growing in this thatch, if it is not removed at the right time. After thatch builds up, the water and the nutrients get absorbed by this layer that stops them from their way to the ground. Roots are hard to be reached by natural pesticides and fertilizers as well.
Dethatching should normally be done a couple of times a year, in the growing seasons. That’s usually during the spring or the fall season.
A lawn dethatching rake has two sides of sharp blades, instead of regular tines. The blades are curved in order to cut the intertwined layer in a gentle action, without harming the fresh grass. Once cut, the dead pieces are taken to the surface and easy to be removed after with a normal rake.
Use the dethatching rake just like you would with any regular rake. Once you feel it reaches the soil through the thatch, pull back to raise it in an upward angle. If you do the job correctly, you will see the thatch breaking from the soil and separating from the fresh grass.
Before dethatching with a rake, set up a good plan. Divide your lawn in more areas and do each of them at a time. Don’t go random, or you’ll end up running from one spot to another in order to cover the whole yard. This action shouldn’t take more than an hour or two for a normal sized yard. If you choose to do this action through the cheap manual method and not hiring a professional, then at least do it right.
Once the dethatching is over, get a bucket or a few trash sacks and collect the resulted debris, then proudly enjoy your new lawn!
