Do you know that there is more to fall lawn maintenance than raking up the leaves? Getting the leaves off the lawn before winter is very important, but it’s not the only thing to think about. Once the leaves are gone, your lawn will benefit from a good dose of oxygen to the roots. You can achieve this by either power raking or aerating. But which should you do–power rake or aerate? That’s the topic of today’s post. Stick around while I show you all you need to know.

Fall Lawn Maintenance: What Is Thatch?

Thatch is the tight mat of dead grass, roots, and rhizomes that builds up underneath every lawn. Some thatch is protective and helpful for the growth of your lawn, but too much can stifle it. Too much thatch build-up blocks light, air and water from penetrating the soil and nourishing the roots of your lawn. To check for thatch, cut a few plugs from your lawn about 3″ deep. Thatch is the reddish-brown mat you see between the grass and the soil. If the thatch underneath the grass is thicker than 1/2″, it’s time to remove it by power raking or break through it with aerating.

What Is A Power Rake?

You could use a heavy-duty hand rake to help remove thatch, but it’s time-consuming and often back-breaking work. That’s where the power rake {or dethatcher} comes in!  A power rake is the most efficient tool for removing unwanted thatch from your lawn. 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. Fall lawn maintenance is the perfect time for a good 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.

What Is Aerating?

An alternative to a power rake is to aerate your lawn. Aeration of your lawn involves penetrating the thatch layer with slender plugs. These plugs are removed, leaving small, deep holes all over the lawn. Water, air and sunlight more readily reach the roots through the holes created by aerating the lawn. Aerating is a viable alternative to power raking, especially when the lawn is already suffering and could be further damaged by power raking.

You can aerate your lawn yourself by hand as seen above, or by renting an aerator.

Should You Power Rake or Aerate?

Once you have measured the depth of thatch in your lawn and it is thicker than 1/2″, it is time to do something for the future health of your lawn. If your lawn is in good condition and you’d like to remove the thatch, consider power raking. But if the health of your lawn is already suffering, improve it by aerating without risking the damage a power rake can cause.