What’s Next After Dethatching a Lawn?


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When you notice that you have thatch on your lawn, you need to use a dethatcher to remove it. Thatch is caused by the buildup of dead leaves and other debris under the grass on top of the soil. It forms a thick mat that prevents the roots of the grass from getting the nutrients, water, and air that they need to thrive.

Once you finish dethatching your lawn, you can take steps to help it get back into shape so that it will look great in no time. Continue reading to learn what to do after you dethatch your lawn.

Why It’s Important to Pick up the Thatch

When you finish dethatching, you will have piles of thatch across your lawn. During the dethatching process, the machine slices through the thatch and pulls it up onto the lawn. You need to pick it up because it can settle back in and build up again. 

Thatch can hold bacteria and become a place for insects to nest, and the purpose behind removing it is to restore your lawn to good health. As part of this process, you need to pick up the thatch and remove it once you complete the job.

How Do You Pick up the Thatch After Dethatching?

There are several different ways to pick up thatch after you finish dethatching. You can use a lawn sweeper that attaches to the back of your tractor. They also have push lawn sweepers. This is an easy way to pick up the thatch, and it works well if you have a larger yard. 

Another option is to use a rake and rake up the thatch. Then, you can bag it or place it in your compost pile. You will want to use this method of clean up on small yards when you don’t have a lot to clean up. It can get tiring to rake a large yard by hand. 

If you have a leaf blower, you can use it to pick up the thatch. You will still need to get it to a central location such as your compost pile or bag it to go out. Leaf blowers can be noisy, but they work well if you have one.

No matter which method you use, make sure that you pick up the thatch after you finish dethatching. You need to make sure that the debris isn’t left behind to settle back in and prevent your grass from receiving the nutrients and water it needs.

Should You Seed After Dethatching?

It is a good idea to seed your lawn after you finish dethatching it. The holes left by the dethatcher make it easy to get the seeds into the soil. People often overseed to fill in bare spots and replace sections where grass came up with the dethatching. 

If you plan to seed your lawn, do it after you dethatch. There is plenty of room in the soil for the seeds to take, and they won’t be blocked by piles of debris that create a mat to block the seeds from making their way into the soil.

Should You Water After Dethatching?

Dethatching can be stressful for your lawn, so it is important to encourage the roots of the grass to recover and repair.

You want to use methods that encourage the roots to grow deep into the soil now that they can receive water and nutrients.

Rather than frequent shallow waterings, you can do a deep drench to soak the soil. This allows water to reach the lower levels of the soil and encourages the roots to grow down deep rather than growing toward the moist surface.

After you finish dethatching, drench the grass to encourage the roots to grow deep down below the surface.

Should You Fertilize After Dethatching?

Yes, you should fertilize after dethatching. Your grass has not been able to receive the nutrients and water it needs, and you need to help it recover. Once you finish dethatching and watering your grass, you can fertilize.

You can use either a liquid quick release or a granule slow release fertilizer. Use a fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen in the spring and early summer, but as the winter approaches, you can change to one that is rich in phosphorus to prepare for the winter.

When Should You Dethatch Again?

Your lawn needs to be dethatched once a year or whenever your thatch reaches a thickness of a ½ inch or so.

You can feel into the grass with your fingers to determine the thickness. Dethatching should be a regular part of your annual lawn maintenance to keep your grass lush and green throughout the year. You should plan to dethatch cool weather grasses in the late summer or early fall, and you can dethatch warm weather grasses in the spring after the green comes up.

Final Words

People often want to know what comes next after they finish dethatching. Dethatching is an important part of lawn maintenance. If you want your lawn to stay full, lush, and green throughout the year, it is important to make sure that it can receive the nutrients and water that it needs to grow and thrive. 

Once you finish dethatching, you need to pick up the thatch and remove it from the lawn. Otherwise, it can sink back down to the soil and build up again. You can water the grass by drenching it with water. This allows the water to reach down into the lower parts of the soil, and the moisture will encourage the roots to grow down deeper. They will be stronger. 

You can overseed after you water, and then add fertilizer to encourage the grass to rejuvenate. If it has been lacking water and nutrients, fertilizer can help give it the boost it needs to bounce back. Once you finish, you can let your grass grow and become healthy again. 

You will want to dethatch your grass once a year, unless you notice that there is ½ inch or more of thatch developing. Otherwise, you can maintain your schedule so that your grass is healthy all year around.

Here are some of my favorite lawn care products

Thanks a lot for making it to the end of this post! I hope you found it useful. Here are some lawn care products that I use and that I think you’ll also find helpful. These are affiliate links, so if you do decide to use any of them, I’ll earn a commission.

In all honesty, these are some of the basic products that I use and recommend to everyone.

Broadcast Spreader

This Scotts Elite dual rotary spreader is not a professional grade model but it’s excellent for homeowners.

I really like the edge guard on it. It’s really easy to switch on and off so it’s great for going around my driveway and flower beds.

If you’re not looking to spend hundreds of dollars, I’d definitely recommend this model. It spreads out a wide path and is great quality for the cost.

Backpack Sprayer

This 4-Gallon sprayer is my absolute favorite. It sprays for a really long time. I’ve had this sprayer for quite a while and I’ve never had the battery run out.

The adjustable pressure switch is a really import feature to me.

You can order a lot of accessories for this model but I’ve never really found much of a need for it.

Head Aerator

Hand aerators are great for small spots if you’ve got construction debris or a spot that constantly dries out.

You can also fill these holes with organic matter that will hold a bit more moisture.

This one by Yard Butler is an absolute bargain. It pulls nice long cores. I also use it for taking soil samples around the yard!

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