Power Rake Lawn In Fall

Power raking addresses a much more superficial problem in the lawn.

Power rake lawn in fall.

The process of power raking removes a thick layer of dead grass matter or debris sitting right on top of the soil in your lawn. By waiting until late summer or early fall you avoid the possibility of weeds taking over areas that have been damaged by power raking. Once you power rake your lawn in the fall its overall health should begin to improve by spring as light water and air are able to nourish its root system. This layer prevents your lawn from breathing properly.

Power raking untangles dead grass from the living plants around it a process that can bruise and even kill the live plants. Small lawns can be dethatched using a specialized dethatching rake or you can rent a dethatcher also known as a vertical cutter verticutter or power rake to tackle larger lawns mow your lawn to half its normal height before you begin dethatching. Power rake cool season grasses in the early fall. Fine fescue or kentucky bluegrass.

When to schedule lawn maintenance. Using a dethatching rake is similar to using a regular rake. It is hard on your lawn to power rake it so be sure you only do it when the thatch is more than 1 2 thick. Before the days of mulching mowers and leaf blowers raking was one way to keep thatch at bay and remove winter s debris but nowadays machines have replaced muscle power in many lawn grooming.

Power raking should be done either in the spring or fall when grass is growing vigorously but heat stress is not a problem. Fall lawn maintenance is the perfect time for a good power raking. Weeds are vigorous and aggressive in the spring. Power rake zoysia in the early summer and bluegrass in the early fall.

Optimal shoot growth occurs with air temperatures of 55 to 75 f. In the fall months shoots start to grow again and nutrients are stored in the long roots for the winter. Cool season root growth is stimulated by soil temperatures above 32 f and is optimal with soil temperatures between 50 and 65 f. Power raking is the more aggressive approach to taking thatch out of your lawn.

Most homeowners power rake in spring and also in the fall when they want to overseed their lawns. This process involves a machine about the size of a push mower that uses mechanical flails to literally dig the thatch out of your lawn. Cool season grasses grow in the spring and fall and include kentucky. It can pick up 2 4 times more thatch than dethatching.