With the upcoming autumn, there are a couple things you need to take care of in order to prepare your lawn for the cold season. Removing thatch is one of these jobs, and it's an important one. Thatch can be a challenging aspect of your yard that can, though it may appear harmless, dramatically affect your lawn in the coming months. Consider dethatching. But is dethatching always the best option for removing thatch from your Burlington turf? It depends on the yard. There are other Nutri-Lawn Burlington services that may do the job just as well.
Nutri-Lawn Burlington wants to see your lawn at its healthiest. We've compiled a little information for you about dethatching so that you know the ins and outs before deciding on any one process.
What is thatch?
Before moving on, you'll need to know exactly why thatch isn't benign. Thatch is the layer of built up debris at the surface of your lawn. This debris is anything organic – and sometimes inorganic if you have litter that hasn't been able to decompose quickly enough. Thatch suffocates your grass, preventing important fall turf care from getting through to the soil, such as fertilization and irrigation.
Finally, thatch is the perfect breeding ground for insects and diseases over the winter months. Chinch bugs, for instance, will hide within this layer to protect themselves from the cold. These are little foes that you certainly don't want to discover when spring comes back!
Deciding on your dethatching approach
There are three Nutri-Lawn Burlington approaches that will remove thatch: dethatching; power raking; and core aeration.
Because dethatching can stress out your lawn, it is usually best to use this option only if your lawn has a hefty layer of thatch. A layer that is 3 inches or larger will require dethatching.
For a slightly lighter thatch layer, power raking will do. Depending on your yard, you may also want a core aeration service. Core aeration is a Burlington lawn care process that should happen every fall in any case, in order to loosen compacted soil and offer your lawn breathing space.
When should you dethatch?
If you're going to dethatch in the fall, make your dethatching appointment with Nutri-Lawn Burlington approximately 30 days prior to the end of mowing season.
Some homeowners choose to dethatch in early spring. This works also, as the grass will be able to recover from the process before the heat of summer. However, dethatching in the fall will still allow enough time for recovery, and as an added bonus, you won't be competing with weeds.
The Nutri-Lawn Burlington process
The first thing you'll want to do on the day of dethatching is to water your lawn. A wet lawn will prevent any areas from being torn up with the razor-sharp blades used in dethatching. Once you've done that, walk through your lawn and mark obstacles. These include sprinkler heads, irrigation pipes that are close to the surface, and so on.
After that, Nutri-Lawn Burlington will start the process of scoring and removing the thatch layer. This may take a couple days if your thatch layer is thick. Quick removal of a thick layer in a single day could result in damage to your lawn, so it's best done over a couple of treatments.
Once the process is complete, treat your lawn with fertilization or an application of topsoil, followed by adequate irrigation in order to keep the area healthy.
Fight thatch today with Nutri-Lawn Burlington. Contact us to receive your complimentary quote for expert lawn care services to get a head start on your autumn lawn care.
