Is the grass in your garden looking patchy or mossy? You need to learn how to scarify a lawn. But what exactly is scarifying, and how does it turn a lacklustre patch into lush green grass? We're here to explain.
Not even the smartest of lawn edging ideas can save the day if the turf itself is looking shabby. But, with a little scarification, you'll soon have it looking tip-top again. The process is really quite simple. It's all about getting rid of the brown, dead-looking material at the base of the grass, otherwise known as thatch, by using a rake or a scarifying machine. The other thing scarifying does is help remove moss – another impediment to having a bowling-green-standard lawn.
To help you get started, we've rounded up plenty of top tips on how to scarify a lawn. With our advice, you'll have that beautiful stretch of green back in no time.
Practical tips on how to scarify a lawn to get your garden looking gorgeous again
It's super simple to scarify a lawn – our advice explains all so you can ensure your lawn is in great shape.
What are the main benefits to scarifying a lawn?
Over time, the base of a lawn becomes congested with thatch and moss. 'Scarifying is a process that removes this "undergrowth" from lawns which, if left, can prevent water and fertilizers from reaching the roots and soil,' explains the team at Cobra (opens in new tab).
Thatch also inhibits airflow around the grass. And moss, if left to flourish, will take hold entirely, making your lawn more moss than grass – a problem that's difficult to rectify.
So, aim to keep thatch levels below 1cm (3/8in) deep, as advises the RHS (opens in new tab) – any greater and water and fertilizer will have difficulty getting down to the grass' roots. However, bear in mind that a small amount of thatch is a good thing, and scarifying too deeply can damage your turf, so it's important to keep the balance right.
(Image credit: Graham Corney/Alamy Stock Photo)
How often should you scarify a lawn?
If you've recently learnt how to plant grass seed and have given it a go in your yard, it's important to leave it to establish before you try to scarify it. This goes for newly-laid turf too: wait at least a year.
After this, established lawns should ideally be scarified once a year, or at least once every couple of years so that you can keep on top of the problem and ensure your carefully planned lawn ideas are always looking their best.
What time of year is best to scarify a lawn?
Strictly speaking, spring is the best time to scarify. However, there is a danger that you will have to endure beautiful summer weather with a lawn that's not looking its best and is still growing back.
For practical reasons then, it's often best to scarify in early fall (typically September or October in the US or UK). Just be sure to go gently and work well ahead of any frosts. There are lots more autumn lawn care tips in our guide.
(Image credit: Paul Biris/Moment/Getty Images)
How to scarify a lawn using a rake in three simple steps
Scarifying by hand is simple when you know how – just follow these three steps:
A few weeks before you intend to scarify, you should treat your lawn with moss killer so that you don't spread moss spores with your rake.
Start by mowing the lawn with the mower set low – about 2cm (0.8in) – and attach a grass box on the mower to collect the clippings.
Use a spring tine rake to scarify the lawn. Start gently and be careful not to be too brutal. Be sure to leave some thatch – a small amount helps to protect the plant.
'If done by hand, scarifying can be a backbreaking process, particularly if you have a large lawn or if it is particularly affected by moss and thatch,' says Cobra. 'In these circ*mstances, a scarifier would be a much better choice of tool than a rake.'
There are several options, from simple wheeled ones available for less than £50 (around $68), right up to petrol-driven models, which at £350 (around $475) upwards, are much more of an investment.
Still, bear in mind that if you have the right tools it's far easier to do a good job, and you'll be more likely to make lawn care a regular thing.
The approach is more-or-less the same, no matter what tool you're using:
Prepare the lawn as above.
When it comes to scarifying, work your way over the lawn in one direction to lift around a centimeter or so of loose thatch, using a garden rake or a leaf blower to remove the debris.
Then, change directions, working at right angles to your first pass. The thatch will be looser on this second attempt and you can lower the machine blades slightly.
In autumn, two passes are enough. In spring you can do three or four passes, particularly if the lawn is in a really bad state.
Looking for more spring lawn care tips? Our guide has you covered.
(Image credit: Hyundai)
Which is the best scarifier or lawn rake to use?
When you come to choose between a lawn rake, push scarifier and scarifying machine, it will largely come down to how much space and budget you have. If you are on the lookout for cheap garden ideas and only have a small lawn, a lawn rake will do the job perfectly well – it just demands more work on your part.
You can find a selection of affordable lawn rakes below.
If you want to make a really easy job of scarifying your lawn, we recommend opting for a lawn scarifying machine. Simple push scarifiers are cheaper than petrol or electric machines, which are basically the same size and price point as lawn mowers.
The push versions are great for small to medium lawns and you probably only need to invest in a powered scarifier if you have a lot of lawn to cover or want to make the job faster and less effort. Just make sure you have the space to store this as well as your mower – our shed ideas feature has plenty of inspiration.
(Image credit: Harrod Horticultural)
What should you do after scarifying your lawn?
'You may have also noticed that your lawn is suffering from compaction, with the ground feeling very hard and rainwater running off it easily,' says Cobra. This is not uncommon after a long, hot summer.
'Aerating your lawn will allow better movement of air and water throughout the soil, creating a healthier root system so that it will manage better in periods of drought or waterlogging,' they continue.
Aeration can be done after scarifying. You can use a simple garden fork to do this by pushing it into the ground and gently wiggling it back and forth, working your way up and down your garden. Alternatively, you can invest in a tool – there are some which can both scarify and aerate which are especially convenient. You can find plenty of expert guidance on how to aerate a lawn in our dedicated feature.
'Once you’ve scarified and aerated, you may notice that your lawn looks worse than it did before you started,' says Cobra. 'Don't worry, this is totally normal!' For that reason, it's a good idea to add a fertilizer to your lawn after scarifying and aerating to boost its growth and aid recovery. Use a specific lawn food for the time of year, and follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully. 'After several weeks of strong growth the look of your lawn will improve and it will, in time, be much healthier than before,' adds Cobra.
'To help with recovery it may be necessary to overseed, particularly where there are bare patches,' Cobra continues. This is easy to do and will improve the appearance of your lawn – our guide on how to repair lawn patches with seed has everything you need to know.
(Image credit: Robin Gentry/Alamy Stock Photo)
When should you mow your lawn after scarifying?
Regular mowing will encourage strong regrowth, and a flat, healthy lawn. However, after scarifying, you'll want to give the turf time to recover. According to the UK Lawn Care Association (opens in new tab), it's best to wait until the regrowth has reached about 60mm (around 2.5in) in height before you start mowing again.
Keep the blades relatively high to start with, and as always, avoid mowing in wet or frosty weather, or straight after rain.You can find out how to mow a lawn in our guide, whilst our buying guide to the best lawn mower will come in handy if you need an update.
When is the best time to scarify a lawn? Light scarification or removing the thatch can be done in spring, around the month of April, when it's getting warmer. In spring the growth and recovery rate of your lawn, and all your plants, is the highest.
Scarifying means scoring the soil about three millimeters deep with a scarifier. This is also the difference to aerification, because aerification loosens the soil, i.e. aerates the lawn roots. Scarifying in turn ensures that the lawn plants are aerated.
There are two times of year that tend to оffеr the perfect conditions for scarifying a lawn. The first is during late March/ Aрrіl, whеn spring is in the air and your grass will have all the moisture and warmth іt needs.
If you have scarified your lawn in the spring, then a spring time fertiliser is probably best to help encourage rapid grass growth. When doing this, ensure that the lawn has plenty of water. Also continue to water your lawn regularly for the next few weeks if it has not been raining.
When considering both aerating and scarifying, it's better to scarify first, then aerate- but leave a few days in between the two exercises to allow your lawn to recover before you put it through all that work again.
If conditions are mild and dry in late February to early spring you can scarify the lawn now to remove moss or thatch. Use a scarifier attachment with your garden tractor, an electric/powered scarifier or simply a rake.
Lawns should typically be scarified once a year, with the best times either in spring or in autumn. You should seek to scarify at times when your grass is growing strongly, as scarifying in periods like winter or the height of summer can cause issues due to either excess cold or dry heat.
If you've not already done so, April is the ideal time to tackle scarification. Scarifying pulls moss and dead matter out of the base of your lawn. It lets the air flow around the plant and helps with drainage. Just like a good spring clean.
Finally aerate to break up densely packed soil. Scarify twice in slightly different directions to remove more dead growth, detritus and debris, but avoid going at right angles in order to minimise damage to healthy grass growth.
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.
There are actually many benefits to manually scarifying. It's much gentler on your lawn - which makes recovery much quicker for grass plants. In the first step, use your rake to go up and down your lawn in rows. As you go, gently remove moss and thatch.
Fertiliser will encourage the healthy and consistent growth of your lawn, giving it a dose of nutrients. Depending on whether you are scarifying in the spring or the autumn you will need to use a different lawn feed (either spring/summer or autumn/winter).
You should scarify your established lawn once a year, but some lawn owners prefer to do the job once every two or three years. However, as with all things in lawn care, little and often works best.
It's patchy, uneven in colour and quite dull. On the right, you can see the lawn after it's been scarified. The lawn is much healtier and the colour is brighter and more even! It's true that your scarified lawn might look terrible for a period, but once it's recovered you'll be grateful that you got it done.
2. Make sure your lawn is moist. Water your lawn a couple of days before scarification and avoid scarifying your lawn if it is wet. Scarifying your lawn when it is wet may result in your scarifier pulling the grass up by its roots instead of removing just the unwanted layer of thatch or moss.
Late spring and early autumn are considered to be the two best times to scarify your lawn, capitalising on both the weather and the conditions of the ground. Most garden experts agree that the ideal time to scarify your lawn is when your grass is growing strongly.
The usual recommendation is to apply a moss killer before you scarify or rake your lawn to remove the moss; theoretically this prevents it from spreading.
The best time to scarify your lawn is mid-spring. The wet weather and warm temperatures will promote root growth. It's also the best time to overseed, which is important after scarifying.
Grass seed doesn't need any fertiliser in the first few weeks of growth. It has enough food in the seed shell to put up a leaf and make a root. The scarified grass will certainly benefit from feeding though as it will be stressed and try to recover damage.
Prior to aeration and seeding, a lawn should be mowed at a height of 1.5 to 2 inches. Any clippings left on the lawn after this close cut, should be bagged, blown or raked off the lawn. This is necessary to maximize seed to soil contact as the seed is spread. This is a key factor in successful germination.
Excess thatch blocks out air, light and water from reaching root zones. Dethatching and aeration services go hand in hand. Dethatch first, then aerate.
After aerating, it's time for top dressing: spread either pulverized top soil or a good quality humus compost across the lawn. You don't need much—about a quarter inch or so is adequate. Then, go ahead and reseed. Be sure to invest some money in the seed and get good quality, weed-free seed.
Regular scarifying can keep down annual weeds too as well as helping to reduce the perennial ones. Weeding your lawn is something you can do either with a weed killing chemical which you put on the lawn, or manually. If you've only got a few weeds then it's not a huge chore to manually remove them.
The moss killer will work exceptionally well after the scarifying process, and this is why many people suggest scarifying as a way to deal with excessive moss problems.
Scarification: Remove loose moss in autumn (September/October), by scarification (vigorous raking). On small lawns this can be done by hand, raking out the moss with a spring-tine rake, but on larger lawns mechanical scarifiers can be hired.
Can you just sprinkle grass seed on top of your existing lawn? While it's possible to simply sow the new grass seed over your existing lawn, taking the time to prepare your lawn beforehand will increase the likelihood of seed germination and improve your end result.
A lawn scarifier. or sometimes called 'dethatcher', cuts through the soil. It helps to remove dead moss and grass cuttings. It also helps to aerate the soil and making it healthier.
Scarifying can be done from about October through to February for Kikuyu and Couch but the very best time of year to do it is October and November. Scaryfying is a multi staged process. It involves removing the thatch, then thinning out the rootzone. Sometimes, just removing the thatch is enough.
Planning ahead is important. You need short dry grass for raking or scarifying so bring the grass height down gradually over a week or two before hand. This doesn't shock the grass whilst also allowing air deeper into the turf helping dry the grass.
Scarification is best carried out in two or three passes in different directions, corner to corner and lengthways. For the first pass, do not set the blades too deep (approximately 5mm is ideal).
It's too hot and dry during the summer months. Grass growth slows down so it won't recover. Not only that, a treatment as invasive as scarification will open up the soil and cause it to dry out in the heat. As a result, your lawn will look sparse, dry and you risk killing the grass.
We recommend using a rake to remove loose leaves and debris first, then choosing either a dethatcher or a scarifier to tackle the thicker build-up of material below. By using a combination of scarification, raking and dethatching, you can keep your lawn thatch free all year round!
2. Make sure your lawn is moist. Water your lawn a couple of days before scarification and avoid scarifying your lawn if it is wet. Scarifying your lawn when it is wet may result in your scarifier pulling the grass up by its roots instead of removing just the unwanted layer of thatch or moss.
If you have scarified your lawn in the spring, then a spring time fertiliser is probably best to help encourage rapid grass growth. When doing this, ensure that the lawn has plenty of water. Also continue to water your lawn regularly for the next few weeks if it has not been raining.
A scarified lawn can take anywhere between 4 - 6 weeks to recover from a scarification treatment fully. There are a few additional treatments that you can do after your lawn is scarified to help it recover in the quickest possible time. For example: Top Dressing.
If you're going to be using iron sulphate or an iron fertiliser AND over seeding put the seed in at least a couple of days afterwards. Other fertilisers can be applied at the time of seeding or within a few weeks of seeding.
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