turfgrass

thatch buildup–st augustine

thatch buildup–st augustine

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petes – posted 29 August 2003 08:06

My thatch buildup is several layers. Even when cutting the yard on the highest setting it still is cut to low. Can i just lower the blade and cut the excess buildup layers off. If so how low should i cut it and would now be a good time to do it. I live in Vero Beach, Fl

redbird – posted 29 August 2003 08:38

No, lowering your mower to cut thatch will not work – the St. Augustine stolons have been pushed to the surface – you will just hack off all of the growing points, leaving behind a largely dead lawn.

The preferred methods of thatch removal are:1) Verticutting machine (can be rented)2) power rake (can be rented)3) Thatching rake (actually pretty effective if used once every 6 months or so to gradually bring down the thatch, but it is ungodly BACKBREAKING labor for anything but a postage-stamp-sized lawn).

Because of the stolon issue that I have just described, and the fact that St. Augustine does not have below-ground rhizomes, de-thatching often severely damages or kills St. Augustine if done improperly. NUMBER ONE RULE – never dethatch in the fall – the lawn will have no growing period to recover. If you are sure that you need to de-thatch, do it in the spring after the lawn has pretty well greened up (I am assuming that each spring, as the greening begins, you are scalping and collecting the clippings to help deter thatch and promote early greening).

I hesitate to even mention this – because I personally would never assume the associated risk and liability – but I have heard that some people do controlled “burn-offs” of their warm season lawns just before the first sign of spring green-up. They line out the areas to be burned with wet areas and stand by with a hose to control the fire if it escapes. This burns thatch and provides a nutrient-filled bed for the new growth. I THINK THIS IS A DANGEROUSLY BAD IDEA! Liability aside, local ordinances aside, I could never bear to face my neighbors if a fire that I had started burned their home, destroyed every family treasure and photo, or – god forbid – spread into a large area fire or hurt someone. I only mention this idea so you can think it through and “veto” it if soemone in your area proposes it to you.

Mike

redbird – posted 29 August 2003 08:41

No, lowering your mower to cut thatch will not work – the St. Augustine stolons have been pushed to the surface – you will just hack off all of the growing points, leaving behind a largely dead lawn.

The preferred methods of thatch removal are:1) Verticutting machine (can be rented)2) power rake (can be rented)3) Thatching rake (actually pretty effective if used once every 6 months or so to gradually bring down the thatch, but it is ungodly BACKBREAKING labor for anything but a postage-stamp-sized lawn).

Because of the stolon issue that I have just described, and the fact that St. Augustine does not have below-ground rhizomes, de-thatching often severely damages or kills St. Augustine if done improperly. NUMBER ONE RULE – never dethatch in the fall – the lawn will have no growing period to recover. If you are sure that you need to de-thatch, do it in the spring after the lawn has pretty well greened up (I am assuming that each spring, as the greening begins, you are scalping and collecting the clippings to help deter thatch and promote early greening).

I hesitate to even mention this – because I personally would never assume the associated risk and liability – but I have heard that some people do controlled “burn-offs” of their warm season lawns just before the first sign of spring green-up. They line out the areas to be burned with wet areas and stand by with a hose to control the fire if it escapes. This burns thatch and provides a nutrient-filled bed for the new growth. I THINK THIS IS A DANGEROUSLY BAD IDEA! Liability aside, local ordinances aside, I could never bear to face my neighbors if a fire that I had started burned their home, destroyed every family treasure and photo, or – god forbid – spread into a large area fire or hurt someone. I only mention this idea so you can think it through and “veto” it if soemone in your area proposes it to you.

Mike

Dchall_San_Antonio – posted 31 August 2003 00:06

Thatch is not a problem in organic lawns. If you are willing to start using organic fertilizers and forego pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides for a year, the thatch should go away “by itself.” Actually the increased microbial activity will literally eat the thatch up. So it will vaporize but it’s not exactly doing it by itself.

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