Scarifying.

Despite the grass looking really good, I bit the bullet this morning and scarified both front and back lawns.
This year I tried something different.
I always mow it first before using my B&D lawnraker.
This time after mowing, I set it on the middle of the three settings (the highest is for picking up leaves) and gave it a good go over, removing a bin-full of thatch and some moss. Then I set it at its lowest setting (the one you're s'posed to use for scarifying) and it removed another bin-full but didn't chew up the grass as much as it did last year when I set it only on the lowest setting.
The lawns I guess will recover in a week rather than the more than two it took last year.

 

Well I managed to scarify my lawn with chickens :hehe: and they did a very thorough job looked like The Battle of the Somme last year by the time they finished, but this year the lawn is comming through a treat (might just add that lawn was as soft as a mattress !!)...now I know that its not practical for everyone!! but does anyone want to rent D&H's scarifying chickens lol!!

 

I want to do this but I have to be honest, I'm a little scared. The lawn doesnt look bad although there are a few bits of clover and stuff in it. How much of a differance will it make.....

 

What it does is remove the compacted thatch in the grass which hinders the growth of new grass, it also removes moss when you've previously applied mosskiller a couple of weeks before. I use a flymo for convenience and this isn't the best machine to prevent the compacting of the grass. You should also aerate the lawn either using a fork, a hollow tiner, or one of these;

http://www.bargainbrands.co.uk/shopping/files/images/lawn_aerator.jpg