Hey all, Decided to give the lawn a going over with the lawn rake to get some of the thatch out.. Managed to get about 1/3 of the lawn done, and filled a black sack with what was pulled out, there was a combination of dead grass and living grass that mush have had very shallow roots. It does look a bit thin now so I threw seed over the area and gave it a light watering. I eventually I decided I had enough of a workout for one day. While it feels good to get some exercise I am now considering getting http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garden-power-tools/lawnrakes-scarifiers-cultivators/lawnrake/Tertiary-400W-Lawn-Raker-10787622?skuId=11278330 Based on the reviews it seems to be up to the job, Can you over-overseed? some areas ended up with quite a high concentration of seed, I assume that not all of it will germinate, but if too many seeds in one area do germinate will it have any impact on how well it grows? I didn't use any top soil I just sprinkled it on. Thanks
Lawn raking is not equal to scarifying. I wrote a detailed post about the whole process back in the autumn, but the same can usually be applied in mid-spring: http://www.lawnsciencesouthmanchester.co.uk/blog/how-to-scarify-a-lawn/ Hope this helps. Kris
Thanks Kris, The lawn rake had a label on it mentioning de thatching and scarifying. Will I have caused damage to the lawn by using it? I'm guessing the B&Q machine linked will also be no good? The only areas that really have thatch are the areas that have been in shade over the winter, I guess this is where the grass started dying off due to lack of sun. Shame you don't live down south, I would have certainly been a customer
I bought one of those scarifiers for work, they're great although beware the tines can break reasonably easily! Unless the grass is very very thin you shouldn't have to re-seed it, but it can't cause any damage, and in six months time you can scarify your re-sewn lawn and it will get rid of any weak-rooted grass (like you said it has done already)! Hope this helps, Elliott
Not necessarily, but too much raking just rips the grass to bits without achieving anything. Get down on your knees and have a good look at the grass, you'll easily be able to see what's going on. If the thatch isn't terrible, you maybe better off just aerating and putting down a seaweed feed for now to get the microbes working to decompose the thatch naturally, and leave any major scarification until autumn.
I continued over seeding the scarified area today using the evergreen general purpose seed and then, covered over with http://www.gardenhealth.com/products/garden-essentials/surestart-lawn-seeding-soil I then brushed it in with my fingers, it took forever but there were a few stones and other bits I was able to feel and pickup. as expected some of the healthy grass got covered with the soil, I assume this will just grow through rather than die? Managed to knock the seed box over on the pavement, and a load of seed fell between the cracks and Cotswold chippings. What's the bet that seed germinates perfectly while the seed being treated as it should just laughs at me. Gave the rest of the lawn a treatment of Maxicrop Seaweed extract.
If you are thinking of buying a scarifier, and not sure if it will be "man enough", maybe consider hiring a beefy machine instead? You'll probably only need it for one day a year, or every other year.
