Power Dethatcher

This is a great question that was posed to me, and I don’t know that there is a textbook answer.  Dethatching can be extremely important if the turf has been poorly maintained.  I want to highlight when and how to dethatch and let you determine what method and time is right for your yard.

Pull Behind Dethatcher

Several methods that I have used in the past have worked extremely well.  Some caused more work than necessary, but were very effective.  The first method is getting (renting) a power rake.  This is an oversized push mower type machine that has vertical tines that spin backwards and rip up the ground around the grass, loosening up the thatch.  Most of the time, it comes with a bagger to catch the thatch, but I will have to say that it does not work very well.  I always have to have a bagging mower run behind and vacuum up the thatch.  The dethatching effect is very effective though.  They also make a small trailer to drag behind your mower that has tines hanging down that drag through the grass that can be very effective.  If you don’t want to rent anything, and don’t have a large yard, you can just use a leaf rake and rake out all the thatch.  It will be time consuming, but everything usually is when it comes to yard work.  My favorite method, but is the most dangerous for small yards is FIRE!  I love burning off a yard and the thatch and watching it grow back.  Several years ago, I was burning some tree trash I had brought home and a spark set my neighbors back yard on fire.  He had not mowed it for about a year and burned incredibly fast.  I was so embarrassed, until it grew back in two weeks and he was so impressed with how it looked that he started mowing it every week…Then I was glad I burned it.

When to dethatch Bermuda grass?  I have done it just about every month of the year and had success.  I even researched a textbook answer and did not find one.  Here is my opinion…If you do it the month before it greens up, coming out of dormancy, than your helping to encourage a healthy start of the season.  If you do it in the middle of the growing season, there is little recovery time, but the grass is thicker to try and get the thatch out of.  If you do it in the fall, as it is going dormant, you can cut it real short, get the thatch out real good, and plant an annual rye grass and have a luscious green yard all winter.  In my opinion there is no ‘bad’ time of the year to do it, just know what to do, when you decide to do it.  Do not forget to fertilize immediately following tearing up the grass to help it recover from the damage.

Happy Bermuda