***Official gardening, landscape and yardwork thread***

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by NJChiefsFan

Anybody have any strong feelings about dethatching?

I take care of a few lawns on the side and I usually just aerate and overseed. I don't really think dethatching is necessary unless it's really built up. Aerating kind of helps the thatch break down anyway.

Thinking of maybe using a slice seeder after aerating to kind of get work on thatch without actually dethatching.

It's hugly awesome.. In fact, when I was better able to do so, we pulled the machine backwards and it pulled up about 5 times the thatch. Not easy, but we had 35 bags of thatch. The neighbor had 42. But the lawns, THE LAWNS... After adding aeration (THAT job done by the robotics team) and over-seeding, the lawn was fargin beautiful.

So yeah, try pulling it backwards for a strip, or two, and see how much more thatch it'll pull up..

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

It's hugly awesome.. In fact, when I was better able to do so, we pulled the machine backwards and it pulled up about 5 times the thatch. Not easy, but we had 35 bags of thatch. The neighbor had 42. But the lawns, THE LAWNS... After adding aeration (THAT job done by the robotics team) and over-seeding, the lawn was fargin beautiful.

So yeah, try pulling it backwards for a strip, or two, and see how much more thatch it'll pull up..

Are you referring to the thatcher or slit seeder? Some thatch is good and I only think one of the lawns I do possibly needs some removed. I just wonder if it's worth the hassle of renting both machines when aeration can in itself help with thatch.

The one time I dethatched it created a crazy amount to pick up.

[GloryDayz]

Originally Posted by NJChiefsFan

Are you referring to the thatcher or slit seeder? Some thatch is good and I only think one of the lawns I do possibly needs some removed. I just wonder if it's worth the hassle of renting both machines when aeration can in itself help with thatch.

The one time I dethatched it created a crazy amount to pick up.

Power rake. And pull it backwards.. Yes, it pulls up a crazy amount of thatch. And I bag pretty-much every time...

And it's well worth it. Verticutting and aeration just aren't power raking. They are important, but they just aren't the same thing. Perhaps power rake then verticut. Make a weekend of it.. if you pull it backwards for the whole lawn, then rake/bag, if you can get out of bed on Sunday you'll be good to go to verticut. You can take M-W off from the gym!

[NJChiefsFan]

Originally Posted by GloryDayz

Power rake. And pull it backwards.. Yes, it pulls up a crazy amount of thatch. And I bag pretty-much every time...

And it's well worth it. Verticutting and aeration just aren't power raking. They are important, but they just aren't the same thing. Perhaps power rake then verticut. Make a weekend of it.. if you pull it backwards for the whole lawn, then rake/bag, if you can get out of bed on Sunday you'll be good to go to verticut. You can take M-W off from the gym!

Yeah turning those things isn't fun after a while.