Controlling Thatch in the Lawn

Controlling Thatch in the Lawn is not as easy as one thinks it to be. There are several factors that come into play when one tries to control the amount of Thatch in the lawn. Although there are some techniques that people use, these techniques may not be effective all the time. In most cases, one needs to tweak the lawnmower settings and add mulch in order to get rid of the Thatch in the lawn. The following are some of the ways of controlling thatch in the lawn.

1. Check Moisture Level of Soil

The first factor that one needs to check on is the moisture level in the soil. Water helps the plants to grow better. If one does not have enough water in the soil, then the grass will not grow well. This is because the root growth cannot take up the necessary nutrients from the soil. Therefore, more root growth will mean more Thatch in the lawn.

2. Mow the Lawn Regularly

You can mow the lawn regularly. This helps loosen up loose soil that is held in between the rows of grass. A regular mowing will also help prevent the clumps of soil from hardening which causes the grass to grow tighter. If you have quite a thick lawn you can actually cut it down to a lower height and then aerate it more which would encourage the growth of more grass. However if you have a lawn that is only slightly mowed, then just going through a good lawn service as mentioned above will do wonders for reducing the problem.

3. Consider the Fertilizer

The other thing to consider is one’s lawn fertilizer. This is especially important during springtime. One should do this regularly in order to prevent the accumulation of nutrients in the soil. The first thing that one has to do is to add compost to the soil. One should be careful with the type of fertilizer that one uses. Some composts are good for the plants, while others are particularly useful for promoting Thatch in the lawn.

4. Apply Organic Mulches to Ground

One can also apply organic mulches to the ground. These mulches are usually available at hardware stores. However, one should be careful with these mulches as they contain certain chemicals that might be harmful for the plants. One should avoid using fertilizers and chemicals when trying to deal with Thatch in the lawn. It is best to leave fertilizers to the experts.

5. Be Careful with Weeds

One must also be careful with the types of weeds that one encounters on one’s lawn. These weeds can serve as a major help in the promotion of Thatch in the lawn. One should not be scared of weeds, as they are actually beneficial to the soil. One just needs to control them properly. One can do this by using weed killers or by inter-weeding.

6. Aerate the Soil

One must also aerate the soil. This means that one should try to increase the oxygen supply in the soil. Aerating the soil can also help in preventing the development of weed seeds. One can do this by raking the grass and allowing air to circulate around the areas where one wants to plant seeds.

7. Strategies for Limiting the Thatch

If the problem persists then you should take action to isolate the area. If the problem occurs in one section of the lawn then you can divide it into smaller areas. Thatch can be caused by a number of different things. Some of these can be: over-fertilization, low soil fertility, poor irrigation, lack of oxygen and improper aeration. You should therefore first work out what the issues are in the area before attempting to solve the problem in a larger area.

8. Controlling Thatch

8.1 Using Weed Killers

There are several options available for controlling thatch in the lawn. The first and most common is by applying a weed killer. This method works well when there are very few thatches in the lawn. However, this method is not effective if one has a big thorn bush in his lawn. Therefore, one should make use of other methods such as inter-weeding and aeration.

8.2 Using Rotary Vacuum

Another method for controlling thatch in the lawn is by using a rotary vacuum. This works well especially if the thorn bushes are very large. It can also be used to remove stubborn tots that are growing in one’s lawn. The rotary vacuum can be operated by turning a handle. The best part about this method is that one does not have to reach into the soil to pull out thatch. The thatch will be settled in the vacuuming path.

8.3 Using Herbicide

A commercial solution that works well for controlling thatch in the lawn is a herbicide. One can either purchase this herbicide for home use or apply it by hand. Herbicides are good for small to medium sized to bushes. It can also help to kill dandelions that are producing thatch in one’s lawn as well as weeds. A good herbicide should also be able to control other types of weeds like dandelions and crabgrass. However, this type of herbicide is usually toxic to birds and pets so one should take care not to spray it on them.