What is a Lawn Dethatcher

• A lawn dethatcher is a mechanical gardening tool that has rotating blades, which rolls over grass and pulls up thatch. The height can be adjusted according to how much thatch you want to pull up.
  
  

What is Thatch?

• Thatch is dead and living organic matter that is sandwiched between the grass blades and soil.
  
  

What Does Thatch Do?

• Thatch can help insulate a lawn during the winter and retain moisture. However, it can become a breeding ground for pests or make fertilizing difficult when it is overgrown.
  
  

When to Dethatch

• Dethatch your lawn when the thatch layer is over 1/2 inch deep. To judge how deep you thatch is, stick a screwdriver down into the grass and into the soil. Measure the how much the screwdriver went in.
  
  

How to Get a Dethatcher

• You can rent a dethatcher from a local gardening supply store for the day. If price is an issue, you can rake thatch up by hand.