What is Scarifying your lawns?
Scarifying your lawn sounds scarier than it really is. So what is Scarifying, and what does it do to your lawn? A Scarifier rake is essentially an oversized sharp comb for your lawn.
During the course of a season dead grass and stems begin to build up, restricting light and air reaching the roots. As this thatch begins to build it restricts the good grass from growing through and allows for moss and weeds to take over leading to the downward spiral of you luscious lawn.
To use a Scarifier Rake on your lawn, it is advised to cut your grass at least 3 days before using the scarifier, this will clean the surface of any debris. Then cut the grass the day of Scarifying to help remove any excessive grass growth, this also ensures the grass is trim and you don't have to work through the normal vertical grass growth as well as penetrate the thatch and lateral grass.
Early Autumn is the best time to do a deep scarify, the grass is enjoying a little more moisture and will begin to grow stronger. If you start this too early or while it is still warm you may shock the plants, causing it stress which means it will take longer to recover. Start lightly, pulling the Scarifier rake along the grass, as you get to the end of your run you will have to collect the grass and thatch. Continue until the whole lawn has had an initial run.
Repeat this process but now run at 90 degrees to the previous one, this ensure the grass is lifted each time and it maximises the efficiency of the rake. You can continue this process repetitively until no more thatch or rubbish is surfacing.
As a result of removing the thatch you may find bare patches in your lawn, these need to be aerated, seeded and dressed to promote fresh new grass.