Scarification across the nation…
Autumn is by far the best time of year to carry out scarification to your lawn as prompt recovery is the key to success. Ideally the soil should be warm and moist, and autumn is pretty much the only time of year we have these optimum conditions. These conditions are necessary as when we carry out scarification it removes a large volume of thatch and your lawn can look very bare afterwards until it recovers. Although it can be a bit of a shock at first, your lawn will recover amazingly quickly and look all the better for it – try to be patient (and brave) as it will be worth it in the end.
Scarification is a mechanical process which aggressively removes excessive thatch from the lawn sward. For most lawns, scarification is an extremely important part of keeping your lawn in good condition, as a build-up up thatch, dead grass, grass clippings and moss can accumulate over time. Some lawns are more prone to thatch build-up than others and might need scarifying every year, whereas others may not need it for up to five years or more.
If your lawn is relatively small, you might be able to control thatch by regularly raking it aggressively with a spring tine rake or domestic Scarifier. It should be said that if your aim is to indulge in a serious cardiovascular workout then by all means do it by hand, but unless you are extremely fit this can be a real challenge. Mind you if gardening in Lycra is your thing then don’t let us stop you…
Most good quality professional scarifying machines are extremely expensive and because the task is often very labour intensive, it is usually much better value to ask a specialist company such as Lawntech to carry out the work, weuse the very best golf course type turf care machines that are available on today’s market – no expense spared and often have a wide selection of professional pedestrian Scarifiers for small and medium size lawns and bigger ride-on Scarifiers for large lawns, estates and sports grounds.
It is advisable to carry out aeration and over-seeding immediately after scarification which will give the lawn everything it needs to recover quickly.
Here are our top ten reasons to scarify your lawn:
- Too much thatch will cause deterioration in the quality of your lawn because it forms a spongy layer which chokes the lawn and prevents nutrient, air and water from being efficient in the lawn sward and root zone.
- Removing the build-up of unwanted thatch debris encourages fresh, more resilient grass growth resulting in a much healthier lawn.
- Fine lawns containing fescues and bents always require regular scarification because the root system contains rhizomes which readily build up thatch and need to be scarified to stay healthy.
- Lawns which have been over fertilised with too much nitrogen creating excessive top-growth will require regular scarification.
- Inappropriate mowing regime, wrong type of mower, blunt mower or incorrect mower settings are likely to make your grass lie flat causing thatch problems.
- Lawns grown on an inert soil type which does not contain enough naturally occurring bacteria to digest thatch often have thatch problems
- Scarifying removes moss and will make future moss ingression easier to control.
- Scarifying can rejuvenate a tired lawn and create enough space in the sward for over-seeding as part of the renovation process.
- Reducing thatch makes mowing much easier because the sward of the lawn is less spongy.
- Scarifying removes dead weeds which have been previously treated with selective herbicide.
You can see how Lawntech do it by clicking here to watch this video.
*Please note that none of the lawn care technicians are dressed in Lycra in the video so don’t be disappointed…
