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.

How often should you scarify your lawn?

I am often asked by customers how often should you scarify a lawn? The answer is a lot less than you may expect. Scarification is the mechanical process of removing thatch from your lawn. Thatch is the layer of grass leaves and organic matter which can build up in the lawn above the soil surface. How many times you… Read More »

Autumn is the time to scarify your lawn

Weather conditions recently have been very difficult for lawns. Drought and floods have weakened grass and caused ‘Red Thread‘ in many lawns. The effect of this has been to reduce the quality of the lawn’s surface and in many cases created the opportunity for moss to develop! But do not worry, Autumn is the best time of the… Read More »

How to scarify a lawn

Autumn is the best time of year to pull out thatch and dead organic matter from the surface of your lawn (a process called scarification). So, in this post, I am going to go through the basics of how to scarify a lawn. Does my lawn need scarifying? Many lawn owners don’t fully understand why they should be… Read More »