When Should You Power Rake Your Lawn?
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There are many different methods to maintain a healthy lawn, and power raking is one of them. It might sound like something only professionals would do, but this technique can be done by homeowners and it’s actually not complicated. But the biggest question is, “When should you power rake your lawn?” Let’s take a look at the answer.
There are numerous processes and techniques that you can apply to your garden. Some of them are dethatching, aerating, and power raking, to name a few. These terms might sound daunting at the moment but are pretty simple to understand, and you will use one or more of them at some point while working on your farm.
In this article, we will primarily be focusing on power raking. Power raking your lawn is a great way to remove leaves and debris before they have a chance to decompose. It also helps loosen the soil for easier mowing and aerates the soil, which promotes healthy grass growth. We will learn how power raking differs from dethatching and how to determine whether your lawn needs power raking.
| Image | Product | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Maxpower 330100 16" Universal Power Rake/Dethatcher Lawn Mower Blade,
| 9.7 | Check Price on Amazon |
 | Cutter Force # 370-019 Power Rake De-Thatcher for Universal Blade
| 9.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
 | Arnold 490-100-0083 Power Rake
| 9.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
What is Power Raking?
Power raking helps remove unwanted thatch, debris, stems, and roots built up under a yard’s surface. It’s not vital to remove all the thatch from your lawn because some of it is needed for your plants’ healthy growth. However, if the thatch layer is too thick, it may block the supply of water, air, and valuable nutrients and minerals from coming in contact with the soil.
The thatch layer should ideally not be thicker than 0.5 inches in depth, otherwise, the roots of the newer plants and grass will grow inside the thatch instead of the soil. This may lead to improper nourishment of the new plants and may take away the beauty of your lawn.
If the roots of the new plants and grass are made to grow in thatch, the yard may not withstand the warmth and dryness of the summer.
Related: Reviews of the Best Lawn Fertilizers for Thick Green Grass
If the thatch layer is too thick, it may cause several problems, including:
- Infestation of insects (it becomes a comfy home for them).
- An uneven and bumpy yard surface.
- Difficulty in mowing.
- Creates a high humidity environment for the new plants and their roots, leading to various fungal and bacterial diseases.
Thick thatch especially causes a problem in lawns that are heavily fertilized or grow in soil that is not properly aerated or without adequate drainage. The thickness of the thatch layer is also increased by pesticides that may have been added to the soil to combat earthworms and other insects.
When Should You Power Rake Your Lawn?
The process of power raking can be a bit harsh for your lawn, so you should do it only when needed. Generally, power raking is the solution when the layer of thatch is more than 0.5 inches deep.
You will not be able to see the accurate thickness of the thatch layer by examining just the top layer of it. Instead, you need to cut several plugs that are at least two to three inches deep and try to look for a reddish-brown and spongy mat between the soil and the grass. This is the actual thatch layer that you want to work on.
Related: Reviews of the Best Weed Killers for Lawns
A very common question asked by most homeowners is, “What is the ideal time to power rake your lawn?” Most grass types need to be power raked in their growing season. It more or less depends upon the type of grass. For example, some kinds of grasses are required to be power raked in the months of early summer, and other types, like bluegrass, are best power raked in the early fall.
Cold season grasses are the best when power raked in early fall. Some kinds of grasses such as Zoysiagrass or Bermuda grass are supposed to be power raked in the late spring as that is the time when the grass is swiftly growing.
How to Power Rake Your Lawn
Deep power raking requires vertical tines on a revolving reel that helps remove thatch and can damage the yard by removing the living turf. The core aeration process helps remove minuscule plugs of soil from the yard to reduce soil compaction. Aeration causes much less damage compared to the rough process of power raking. The plants that are growing on clay or have a lot of use may benefit significantly from the process of aeration when done once every year or every other year. Aeration helps improve the efficiency of irrigation and leads to increased penetration of pesticides that are added to the soil.
The machine that is used for the process of power raking is (not surprisingly) called a power rake. You will attach the power rake to your mower in place of the standard blade. It consists of blades that dig into the ground and are used to remove the extra thatch layer and debris that gets built up in the yard. The process of power raking is a bit rough but is still gentler on the lawn compared to dethatching because it only works at the soil level and does not pull or remove plant roots.
If you’re uncertain about whether you should aerate, dethatch, or power rake, you can go ahead and hire a professional. They will look at your lawn and examine the dry patches to see what kind of treatment is needed to rejuvenate the grass. Professionals also bring the necessary equipment with them, which may actually wind up saving you money since you won’t need to buy or rent anything.
However, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the service you want and are paying for. The processes of dethatching and power raking may sound similar but are actually quite different. So, it would be good to ask them about the kind of process they’re going to implement in your yard.
It’s also important to keep pricing in mind. Power raking often costs twice the price of dethatching.
Remember that power raking is just for fixing a problem that your lawn has, and dethatching is just preventative maintenance. Hence, you should pay only for what your lawn needs. There’s no need to power rake unless there is a problem that needs to be dealt with.
Related: How to Prevent Birds from Eating Grass Seeds
| Image | Product | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxpower 330100 16" Universal Power Rake/Dethatcher Lawn Mower Blade,
| 9.7 | Check Price on Amazon |
| Cutter Force # 370-019 Power Rake De-Thatcher for Universal Blade
| 9.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
| Arnold 490-100-0083 Power Rake
| 9.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you power rake your yard?
If you’re having issues with your grass or the thatch is more than 0.5 inches thick, you should power rake your lawn once per year, no more. This will help to remove dead grass and debris from the surface of your yard, which can inhibit water penetration into the ground as well as clog up drainage systems. If you’re not having issues with your lawn, you don’t need to power rake.
Does power raking damage the lawn?
Yes, it’s possible to damage your lawn by power raking. You don’t want to remove all of the thatch because a thin layer of thatch is needed for a healthy lawn. It’s also possible that the rough process of power raking will pull out some of the good grass by the roots.
Does raking dead grass help it to grow?
No, power raking won’t help the dead grass grow. However, the dead grass should be removed so it doesn’t prevent new grass from growing in.
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