What is Thatch?

Thatch is a combination of grass stems, roots, clippings, and debris that lies between green vegetation and the soil surface. Thatch becomes a problem if it reaches over ½ to ¾  inch in thickness.  The thick layer of thatch keeps air, water and nutrients from breaking through.  This means your water is wasted since it runs off and doesn’t reach the roots, helping weeds to thrive.  Fertilizer is also wasted since it only reaches the top layer and doesn’t penetrate to the roots.

Thatch is most common in warm weather climates and is most commonly found in lawns where grass has grown tall, mulch is frequently left and lawns that haven’t been aerated.  It is extremely common in creeping grasses such as Bermuda and Zoysia.  If you have these grasses, you will usually have to de-thatch more often than with other grasses.  De-thatching is the process of removing the thatch from your lawn.

Prevent lawn thatch by keeping leaves raked and remove some of the grass clippings after mowing.  Although, they don’t directly contribute to the thatch it does add a layer of material on the lawn.  If this material accumulates faster than it decays, it will cause thatch to build up.

Sunbelt Farms recommends performing the tests listed below to determine if your lawn needs de-thatching.

Touch Test-feel your lawn, if it is spongy or bouncy underfoot, it often has a thick thatch layer. Push your finger through the grass, is it impenetrable?  A thatch layer that is difficult to push your finger through needs to be thinned.

Sight Test-visually examine your lawn.  Can you see soil between turf crowns? If you can’t see the soil, you are most likely looking through a thatch layer.

Yardstick Test-Remove a wedge-shaped layer of grass that is about 3 inches thick using a trowel or spade, or simply pry up a small section of the turf.  Measure the thickness and if the result is more than ¾ of an inch you need to de-thatch.

To remove thatch from your lawn doesn’t have to be a complicated task.  You can use a power rake if it is a small job, a larger job may require a vertical mower.  If this is the first time you have de-thatched, you will likely rake up a lot of material.  Keep in mind that you may be removing live turf grass also.  Be mindful to not de-thatch if the turf is weak or under stress or in a drought situation.  De-thatch cool season grass in the fall and warm season grass in the spring.

If your lawn measures less than ¾ inch of thatch, there isn’t a need to de-thatch at this time, just aerate and keep on eye on the thickness.  Keep your lawn healthy, happy and thatch free!

Sunbelt Turf Farm began in St. Clair County. Over 30 years have perfected the art of growing, selling and the delivery of quality turf grass. Customer satisfaction is paramount and we stand behind our turf grass. Expansions into Shelby and Talladega Counties successfully turned cotton fields and pasture land into beautiful green turf. Commercial and retail opportunities, pick-up or delivery, free estimates, fast turnaround and remaining environmentally friendly separate us from the rest.