As we head towards March it may be a bit early to think about cutting the lawn especially as it may still be covered with frost. However it’s not too early to think about preparing your lawn to be cut. Over the winter while the grass doesn’t grow particularly long but there does tend to be growth of moss and grass thatch.
This moss and grass thatch growth won’t be removed with a traditional lawn mower. While raking and lawn rakers will remove the growth of moss, the wires used in rakes are not great at dethatching a lawn. Using a lawn scarifier is more effective than a rake as it has steel cutting blades that cut the thatch and prune the lawn as the lawn is cut downwards rather than cross cut that is done in mowing.
While March is the time for lawn scarifying, it shouldn’t be done if your lawn doesn’t need it. Brown grass or spongy grass doesn’t necessarily indicate thatch growth as they can be caused by other issues, the best idea is to take a sample of the lawn, and check for thatching between the grass and the soil anything from half an inch to 2 inches indicates a thatching problem and you will be best using a lawn scarifier to solve the issue.
So why not examine your lawn as we head towards March and buy a lawn scarifier ready to dethatch your lawn when it’s needed.
