Post by Sato Koda on May 11, 2020 21:21:32 GMT -5
Raking the lawn each spring is one of those tasks done by habit by homeowners. Before the days of mulching mowers and leaf blowers, raking was one way to keep thatch at bay and remove winter’s debris, but nowadays, machines have replaced muscle power in many lawn-grooming tasks. Spring raking can still be helpful in maintaining a neat lawn -- if you know how to use your rake to best effect.
The Thatch Factor
Mulching lawn mowers break down grass into compost-ready pieces, but when you’re not mowing the lawn weekly, leaves and other organic matter accumulate on the lawn and work down between the blades, adding to the thatch layer. Many grasses welcome a bit of thatch to protect grass crowns and roots against cold, wind or hot sunshine. Several turf grasses, however, develop enough thatch to cut off air and light due to their fine texture, dense growth or both. Common Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), warm-season grasses hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 or 8 through 10, and the cool-season Colonial bentgrass (Agrostis tenuis), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 10, all produce more thatch faster than the grass can break down into compost.
How Raking Hurts
Raking with sharp tines on a metal or bamboo rake can remove thatch. You can also damage shallow grass roots and stolons in spring when cool-season grasses are actively growing, and warm-season grasses are emerging from their cool-season dormancy. Strenuous raking might remove thatch, but it also removes the layer that holds down weed seeds that need warmth and light to germinate. Energetic raking scarifies the soil, delaying the turf’s growing start -- and removing your weeds’ competition.
Easy Does It
No amount of raking will take the place of caring for your soil, so test it in the spring for basic nutrients -- say, every three years -- to determine what it needs to support a lush lawn. Don’t fertilize your lawn with nutrients it doesn’t need because fertilizing with excessive nitrogen in the spring just encourages excessive top growth instead of balanced root and top growth. If your mower mulches, you’re adding nitrogen every time you mow. Instead, give the soil only what it needs -- including plenty of water to fuel root growth -- and add grass seed to thin spots.
Twenty-First Century Raking
Unless your lawn has excessive thatch or needs renewal, both of which call for aeration, power raking and re-seeding, your spring raking should be cosmetic, not therapeutic. Remove piles of leaves that compact and cut off water and light. Use a plastic rake -- its tines are softer than metal or bamboo -- and less likely to scarify the soil. If you have a thatch-building type of turf, rake away, but if the thatch layer is thin and loose, pick up sticks and rake lightly to remove leftover leaves and twigs.
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References (4)
University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Turfgrass Species
Better Lawn Care: Spring Lawn Care
California Department of Pesticide Registration: How to Have a Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment
Weed Man: Preparing Your Lawn for Spring
About the Author
Laura Reynolds
An avid perennial gardener and old house owner, Laura Reynolds has had careers in teaching and juvenile justice. A retired municipal judgem Reynolds holds a degree in communications from Northern Illinois University. Her six children and stepchildren served as subjects of editorials during her tenure as a local newspaper editor.
Photo Credits
Nick Daly/Photodisc/Getty Images
The Thatch Factor
Mulching lawn mowers break down grass into compost-ready pieces, but when you’re not mowing the lawn weekly, leaves and other organic matter accumulate on the lawn and work down between the blades, adding to the thatch layer. Many grasses welcome a bit of thatch to protect grass crowns and roots against cold, wind or hot sunshine. Several turf grasses, however, develop enough thatch to cut off air and light due to their fine texture, dense growth or both. Common Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), warm-season grasses hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 or 8 through 10, and the cool-season Colonial bentgrass (Agrostis tenuis), hardy in USDA zones 3 through 10, all produce more thatch faster than the grass can break down into compost.
How Raking Hurts
Raking with sharp tines on a metal or bamboo rake can remove thatch. You can also damage shallow grass roots and stolons in spring when cool-season grasses are actively growing, and warm-season grasses are emerging from their cool-season dormancy. Strenuous raking might remove thatch, but it also removes the layer that holds down weed seeds that need warmth and light to germinate. Energetic raking scarifies the soil, delaying the turf’s growing start -- and removing your weeds’ competition.
Easy Does It
No amount of raking will take the place of caring for your soil, so test it in the spring for basic nutrients -- say, every three years -- to determine what it needs to support a lush lawn. Don’t fertilize your lawn with nutrients it doesn’t need because fertilizing with excessive nitrogen in the spring just encourages excessive top growth instead of balanced root and top growth. If your mower mulches, you’re adding nitrogen every time you mow. Instead, give the soil only what it needs -- including plenty of water to fuel root growth -- and add grass seed to thin spots.
Twenty-First Century Raking
Unless your lawn has excessive thatch or needs renewal, both of which call for aeration, power raking and re-seeding, your spring raking should be cosmetic, not therapeutic. Remove piles of leaves that compact and cut off water and light. Use a plastic rake -- its tines are softer than metal or bamboo -- and less likely to scarify the soil. If you have a thatch-building type of turf, rake away, but if the thatch layer is thin and loose, pick up sticks and rake lightly to remove leftover leaves and twigs.
by TaboolaSponsored LinksFrom The Web
These are the Cloth Masks with Filters
Brave New Look
This Is What Vikings Were Actually Like. The Photos Are Strikingly Scary
StandardNews
Brilliant Homeowner Hacks for Pool Noodles
YourBump
Top Outdoor Furniture You'll Love
Wayfair
References (4)
University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program: Turfgrass Species
Better Lawn Care: Spring Lawn Care
California Department of Pesticide Registration: How to Have a Healthy Lawn, Healthy Environment
Weed Man: Preparing Your Lawn for Spring
About the Author
Laura Reynolds
An avid perennial gardener and old house owner, Laura Reynolds has had careers in teaching and juvenile justice. A retired municipal judgem Reynolds holds a degree in communications from Northern Illinois University. Her six children and stepchildren served as subjects of editorials during her tenure as a local newspaper editor.
Photo Credits
Nick Daly/Photodisc/Getty Images
