Y’all need some thatch in your lawn to keep it healthy and green, but too much of the stuff can really start to create problems — making the grass vulnerable to disease.

This thatch is simply dead and living grass that is forming a layer between the grass and the soil. All well and good in moderation, but when it gets thick prevents the penetration of nutrients to the soil

By scarifying and removing the thatch, you let the lawn breathe again.

How To Scarify A Lawn

Firstly, pick the right time to scarify.

Try once at the start of the mowing season in spring, and again at the end of autumn. If you are going to prioritise one time during the year to scarify your lawn, it should be during autumn, just before the winter months arrive. This will reduce any unnecessary water retention which could otherwise harm your lawn.

Before you get started, make sure you have been cutting regularly for a couple of weeks so that the grass is a reasonable length. This minimises stress. Like mowing, avoid scarifying in overly dry or damp conditions. If you want to get rid of maximum moss, use moss killer a week before you start work.

1. Water the lawn a couple of days before so that grass is still moist.
2. Take your lawn rake or scarifier and get to work removing that thatch!

Once you have finished, you can add fertiliser to encourage growth, and you may need to reseed certain balding areas where there was more thatch than grass!

To find the best push scarifier, or even the best petrol scarifier, check out my scarifier buying guide.