Thatch is a tightly intermingled layer of living and dead stems, roots, and leaves. It accumulates around the layer of actively growing grass and the soil. Though some thatch is great, an excessive thatch layer can restrict the movement of air, water, nutrients, and fertilizer from getting deep down into the roots. In severe cases, it will make the turf prone to drought and heat stress.

At least once a year. Thatch is a challenge for everyone living in Calgary. It makes it nearly impossible for your lawn to access what it needs. It gently removes dead thatch so that the good can grow! We generally recommend this service in late winter or early spring to allow for healthy growth in your lawn over the subsequent months. Although, you can still do a power rake in late spring or even into summer as long as your grass is good enough to recover rapidly. Power raking outside these times can potentially damage your lawn by cutting off the living stem and roots.

Power raking is great for removing dead grass and aeration because only the thatch layer is targeted! Waste is removed without damaging the healthy grass allowing faster recovery. Removing this thatch layer will enable your lawn to breath easier and root deeper.

The Lawnfather does not power rake if the ground is wet. Power raking while the soil is wet will pull out or tear the grass plants during the raking because live grass plants do not hold well in wet soil.