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Dethatch and Aerate a Lawn
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
| A healthy lawn requires that both air and water reach the roots. If excessive thatch (matted dead organic matter) builds up, it can block air. Typically this build-up happens either if grass clippings are not chopped finely with a mulching-type mower, or if excessive clippings are not removed after cutting. Over time, soil can also become too compacted for water and air to penetrate, especially in areas with heavy foot traffic or other heavy weight, such as occasional vehicle traffic or parking. As a general rule:
- Rake to maintain a clean lawn, doing an especially thorough job at the end of the growing season to reduce thatch.
- Dethatch if thatch is more than 1/2 inch thick.
- Aerate only when the soil is compact, using an approach suited to the degree of compaction.
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| Tools and Materials: | | - Garden hose
- Dethatching machine
- Wooden matchstick
- Garden fork
- Iron rake
- Hand or machine aerator
- Thatch rake (scrake)
- Leaf rake
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| 1. Determine Degree of Compaction | | | Foot-worn areas, rapid browning in dry weather, slow drainage, and waterlogging after rain or watering are signs of soil compaction. To test for compaction, apply water to your lawn (or wait for a good rain) and observe how quickly it is absorbed in various areas. If the water does not soak in quickly the soil is compacted. You should also be able to easily press a wooden matchstick fully into the soil with your thumb without any pain. |
| 2. Dethatch and Scarify | | | If dethatching is required, use an iron rake or a thatch rake (also known as a scrake) to cut through and rake off thatch, and to scarify the surface. For large lawns, rent a walk-behind dethatching machine. |
| |  Tip: | | | | Contrary to common homeowner practice, this process should never be done in mid- to late spring or during the active growing season because it exposes the soil, which tends to quickly fill with weeds. Do it in the fall, either by itself or in conjunction with aerating.
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| 3. Prick or Spike Lawn | | | For moderately compacted soil and a limited area (or if you have lots of time), enthusiastically and systematically prick holes in the soil with a garden fork. Holes should be 2-3 inches apart and 1-2 inches deep. For larger areas or to make the task easier, use one of several types of aerators available for purchase or rent. They look a little like a push mower with spikes or star-shaped wheels instead of blades. Others are designed as attachments that fit behind a power mower. |
| | Tip: | | | | Aerating is generally easier to do when the soil is moist (neither dry nor wet). For medium-to-large areas, rent a gas-powered spiking aerator. Although aerating can be done any time of year (unless the soil is frozen, of course), it's typically done in the early spring prior to lawn feeding or in the fall after dethatching or after a thorough raking.
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| 4. Create Larger Holes | | | For severely compacted soil you need to open up deeper and larger holes. In sandy soil and limited areas a garden fork will work. Use the same systematic approach as for pricking, but drive the fork into the ground about 3-4 inches and wiggle it back and forth to open the holes. A hollow-tine fork, another hand tool available for purchase or rent, is similarly stepped on to drive it in but when removed it pops out multiple cores (plugs) of sod and soil. For medium-to-large areas, rent a gas-powered plugging aerator. |
| | Tip: | | | | You can prick or spike the soil annually, but don't cut plugs more than once every three years. Leave the plugs on the lawn for the "I've-just-aerated-my-lawn" look. They will break down quickly or you can rake them up for your compost pile.
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