Attacking Thatch

Thatch can be an interesting problem for lawns, but fortunately with a little bit of knowledge about what it is and how to control it, the task of getting rid of thatch can be easier than pronouncing the word.

Thatch is a layer of both dead and living plants that tangles together atop your lawn and forms a sort of blanket over the soil.  It description makes it sound like a particularly nasty resource hogging alien life form, but thatch is part of a healthy lawn.  The problem comes when thatch becomes too much a part of the lawn.

If this layer becomes deeper than 1/2″, it will begin to cause problems.  Rather than draw water in and spreading it around the various grasses beneath, it will repel that water.  It becomes like a roof, keeping the grass dry.  Insects and disease feel right at home in thatch, and they may quickly spread throughout your lawn.

Thatch can be controlled by aeration.  The favoured approach is Core Aeration, in which an aerator removes many small sections of the lawn, breaking up the impenetrable barrier of thatch and allowing water and air into the soil again.  Even better, the small sections or “cores” which have been removed and left on the surface of the lawn will then decompose, feeding the soil valuable nutrients.

Knowing about your lawn and about thatch is one more step towards a healthy lawn!