Category Archives: Thick Lawns and Thatch Problems

Thatch is the term given to the layer of organic matter on the soil surface of the lawn between the roots and the grass leaves.

A thick lawn is often caused by over feeding. Too much leaf growth causes it to build up uncontrollably. It can also come from lack of maintenance over a very long period of time or an infrequent mowing regime.

A thatch layer or organic matter will smother a lawn. Water and nutrients will not be able to get to the roots. New growth cannot come through and the thatchy layer is a great incubator for damaging fungal diseases such as red thread and fusarium.

Thick thatch in a lawn

The best and quickest way to solve a thick lawn problem is a heavy scarification. However, this can produce a huge amount of material and be a very difficult job for a DIY lawn enthusiast.

Read more about thick lawn problems in these pages.

What is lawn thatch?

I am often asked about lawn thatch. A lot of customers don’t realise what it is or why it is bad. This article explains what thatch is in a lawn, why it can be bad and the basics of when to look at reducing the thatch layer in your lawn.

Question: Restoring a very long lawn

I received this question about restoring a very long lawn in Autumn 2020 by a reader of my Website. They were not able to mow their meadow during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and a local farmer then chopped down very roughly. Grass is very hardy and can put up with a lot of damage. Find out how best to restore a long meadow into a decent lawn.

Question: Scarifier advice?

I received this question many times from an eager reader in March 2018 about a scarifier. She writes: I have a lawn approximately the size of a bowling green. It is not well looked after and has loads of moss. Please could you advise me on a scarifier. I’d prefer something that you don’t have to push, and… Read More »