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Thatch is a symptom of a poor soil. A thatch condition tells us this: Your soil is not bio active or healthy enough to promote deep rooting of the grass and the decomposition of dead organic matter. Soil compaction, clay soil, poor pH (too acidic or alkaline), soil toxicity or sterility will all discourage bio activity, and earthworms will be rare as well. Under these conditions, the soil's natural dethatcher microbes will not be able to multiply to levels where they can prevent thatch from forming. Eliminating Thatch
If you have true thatch, you are not going to get much improvement by using a machine like a power rake or some version of a mechanical dethatcher. These will barely scratch into the matted layer of thatch. And if you set the blades deep into the thatch they will tear out the whole poorly rooted lawn. If you look at the drawing below you will see that there are barely any roots in the soil.
The real solution to thatch, and the best way to prevent it, is to improve your soil so it is aerated and bio active enough to get the thatch to decompose. Create an environment that will allow dethatcher microbes to flourish. When you do this, the thatch will gradually begin to break down from the bottom (where it is in contact with the soil) up. It will turn into rich, dark humus.
Step 1: Improve your soil.
We know that beneficial soil microbes, including dethatchers, cannot survive in soils that have no air in them. So, if you have a very compacted or clay-like soil, it is critical that you improve the soil aeration right away. Visit our organic product pages for more information on soil aeration and soil improvement.
If you believe your soil may be toxic or nearly sterile due to past chemical lawn care product use, treat it with an organic product containing humic acid and seaweed. Test the pH and adjust as needed, but only if needed. If your soil is Acidic or too Alkaline it could dramatically slow down or even prevent thatch decomposition.
Step 2: Improve your soil bio activity.
The fastest way to get specifically focused thatch-degrading enzymes and microbes into your soil is by applying Bio-enhanced Dethatcher. This product contains carbonic enzymes that break down dead organic matter in thatch. I also contain dethatcher microbes that work to complete the decomposition process. Applications of Bio-enhanced Dethatcher on a well-aerated soil will reduce thatch rapidly (up to 3/8 inch per application) and inoculate your soil with necessary beneficial microbes.
Other Tips on Handling Thatch:
Keep the soil moist underneath the thatch layer. When it dries out, decomposition ceases. Less frequent, heavy watering is best. You want to encourage the roots to go down into the soil for water and not stay in a wet thatch layer.
Your lawn will need regular (salt and chlorine free organic) fertilizing (chemical fertilizers kill off Microorganisms) because dethatcher microorganisms need nitrogen to decompose thatch. Granular organic fertilizers may not be the best choice here because unless they are water soluble, they will sit on top of the thatch layer. After all, a lot of the thatch is already organic matter that is not breaking down fast enough. Liquid fertilizers may be the best idea when thatch exists. They will go right through to the soil when watered in, and would not get stuck in the thatch.
Detrimental aspects of excessive thatch:
Thatch harbors disease-causing fungi and turf insects. Thatch causes shallow root development. Thatch interferes with movement of air, water, and nutrients into the soil. Thatch increases potential for scalp mowing. The primary component of thatch is turfgrass stems and roots. It accumulates as these plant parts buildup faster than they breakdown. Thatch problems are due to a combination of biological, cultural, and environmental factors. Cultural practices can have a big impact on thatch. For example, heavy nitrogen fertilizer applications or overwatering frequently contribute to thatch, because they cause the lawn to grow excessively fast. Avoid over fertilizing and over watering. Despite popular belief, short clippings dropped on the lawn after mowing are not the cause of thatch buildup. Clippings are very high in water content and breakdown rapidly when returned to lawns after mowing, assuming the lawns are mowed on a regular basis (not removing more than one-third of the leaf blade).
As thatch levels accumulate to greater than 1/2 inch, lawn problems may begin, and the thatch needs to be controlled. Thatch may be torn out with a dethatcher or vertical mower. We however have discontinued this practice. It is very messy, the equipment is very expensive and difficult to use and the Bio-enhanced dethatchers are much more effective. The Bio-enhanced dethatchers return all the nutrients contained back into the soil reducing fertilization needs
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