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How to Scarify Your Lawn
Index
- Why Scarify Your Lawn
- Choice of Scarifier
- When to Scarify Your Lawn
- After Care of Lawn
Lawn scarification should be done every 2 or 3 years to achieve a well-manicured lawn. It should also be done on a one off basis on neglected or problem lawns where moss build up occurs.
The process of lawn scarification involves raking or scraping the lawn at just below the soil surface. The aim here is to remove excess thatch and moss and therefore free up space for better grass growth.
Why Scarify Your Lawn
With the removal of thatch and moss the lawn will perform better for the following reasons
- More air getting to the grass
- More light penetrating down to soil level
- More moisture being absorbed into the soil
- More space for grass tiller & stolons to grow – giving a more dense & hardy lawn
Choice of Lawn Scarifier
There are a number of options
- Spring rake
- Manual lawn scarifier
- Mechanical lawn scarifier
The size of your lawn and depth of your moss problem will influence your choice of scarifier. While rake is a good option, it doesn’t root prune like a scarifier can.
If your lawn is 100m2 or more then a mechanical scarifier would be recommended.
When to Scarify Your Lawn
This should be done when the grass is able to quickly recover
- Late March into April is ideal
- Avoid Winter & Summer
- August is again a good time to scarify
- Avoid wet conditions & frost
- Best to apply Sulphate of Iron 2 weeks before to kill moss
After Care of Lawn
With all the raking and messing about on your lawn, it can really look the worse for wear. After care is important to achieve the best results. There are a number of things that you can do.
- Aerate your lawn. This will remove compaction, improve drainage & improve soil airflow
- Top dress your lawn. You can apply 70g/m2 of grit to the surface of your lawn to improve drainage
- Re-seed your lawn to encourage denser growth and remove bare patches. This is essential after scarification.
- After sowing lawn seed you should always soak the soil, don’t rely on the rain
