Zoysia De-thatch

aleicgrant – posted 25 September 2011 01:23

so I am due to have my entire lawn de-thatched on Monday. I am in Orlando FL and we still have at least another two months + of warmish weather before I suspect we even see cooler weather (and thats talking low 80’s

So I was reading a lot of articles about the process and the best time to do it. This one article I found says pretty much any time but then goes on to say that warm weather grass (which is what I assume I have) is best done right before the start of the season.

I am confused. Should I go through with this now or wait until the spring. The article says several of the characteristics of my lawn warrant it but that pretty much any lawn is a good candidate… HELP

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/222090.html

aleicgrant – posted 25 September 2011 02:03

think I answered my own question with further research. Early spring

jugheadfla – posted 26 September 2011 06:38

quote:Originally posted by aleicgrant:think I answered my own question with further research. Early spring

You can do it early spring or late fall. Really anytime the grass is still in growing season.

mrmumbels – posted 26 September 2011 20:44

Do you really have thatch? I’ve had my empire in for 5 years and I have none.

jod788 – posted 27 September 2011 08:34

I want a little thatch. When it’s 110 degrees everday, that small amount of thatch is what helps protect the roots and prevent moisture from evaporating so quickly. The key is – a little thatch. A healthy lawn will have a small amount of thatch and I think you should leave it.

jugheadfla – posted 27 September 2011 10:59

quote:Originally posted by mrmumbels:Do you really have thatch? I’ve had my empire in for 5 years and I have none.

Like I said in a previous post, I took a thatching rake to my lawn and was able to pull up a ton! I’ve only had my Jamur for a year, but I mow with a reel and no bagging.

ClarkWS756 – posted 09 August 2012 07:47

My six year old Myer Zoysia lawn has never been dethathed. I use Alligator mulching blades (they really cut the clippings into a very very fine mulch). I cut as low as I can without scalping the first mowing in the spring. I think dethatching is over-rated.

Next year I am going to introduce earthworms. They will love the little thatch I have, and in return will fertilize and aireate for me!

DrewP – posted 23 August 2012 13:37

I just de thatch’d my Empire Zoysia in Fort Lauderdale, FL this last weekend (08/21st). I originally installed this lawn in March of this year. The lawn looked perfect prior to de thatching, I only did it cause another nieghbor had the rental machine for the weekend and offered it to me. Hehas had Zoysia for 3 years and de thatch’s twice a year, and his lawn is perfect.

After thatching, I raked up and filled three large landscape containers the city provides for recycling, guessing they are 75-100 gallons each, with the thatched material. I sprayed liquid fertilizer that night and watered the next two mornings. I’m only 4 days after thatching, and the lawn does not appear to have suffered any stress – still looks perfect. I love this lawn!

aleicgrant – posted 26 August 2012 23:05

Any pics you can share of your recent de-thatch. what machine specifically did you use and where did they rent it?

DrewP – posted 27 August 2012 16:22

Hi aleicgrant,http://s1050.photobucket.com/albums/s401/drewp954/

The first two are what it looked like after going over the entire lawn, just like I was mowing it. The last picture was after I raked up all the debris, then mowed with the bagger on. I’m not sure of the make & model I used but it was a very simple machine with only 1 adjustment to raise & lower the entire vertical cutting blade assembly.

aleicgrant – posted 28 August 2012 09:04

If you can find out where they rented it from that would help. Also, make sure you post up pictures in a few weeks when it recovers (or however long that takes)

thanks

aleicgrant – posted 12 September 2012 07:29

how is your lawn doing since the dethatch. any more pics you can post

aleicgrant – posted 20 September 2012 17:47

ok I tried my dethatch today.

Got a Greenworks electric dethatcher and it works pretty well. Lawn is two years old this October and this is the first time. It really needs it because it has gotten so thick its literally choking itself.

first pic is from todaysecond pic is from about a year ago

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/aleicgrant/IMG_20120920_153117_zpsb0fa5cbe.jpg

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o82/aleicgrant/20120523_195004_zps45f9e2ec.jpg

DrewP – posted 10 October 2012 15:28

7 weeks later and the lawn is as thick & fluffy as ever. The dethatching did wonders for the small areas of crab grass I had in a few locations.

http://s1050.beta.photobucket.com/user/drewp954/library/

pyro – posted 10 October 2012 16:41

i was debating stopping by taylor rental in tampa and picking one up to give it a shot. my zoysia has been unimpressive as of late. nothing like last year. hopefully a dethatch here in a few weeks will help it out come spring time.

mrmumbels – posted 10 October 2012 19:02

It didn’t really seem like much grew too well this year. I definately didn’t have to trim my shrubs and bushes every week like I always had to.

jod788 – posted 11 October 2012 08:26

I bought a de-thatching rake at Lowe’s for $30 this past spring. Surprisingly effective. Yeah it’s a pretty decent workout, but it’s easy to use and pulls up a lot of thatch. Good to have on hand. You can dethatch in sections – a little one day, a little the next…