As the snow melts, you begin thinking about what to do to improve your lawn this spring. Ok, you probably don’t think about your lawn until you can actually see it, but if you are thinking ahead, good for you!

Power raking is a great first step in the spring, but what is it? Power raking removes thatch from your lawn. Thatch is a layer of dead grass clippings, dead roots, and other debris located in between the top of the grass plant and the roots of the grass plant. Thatch simply builds up overtime, especially if you are mulching, watering, and fertilizing your lawn on a consistent basis. All lawns have thatch in them and they should have a healthy layer of thatch, however too much thatch is a bad thing. Thatch protects the root system, but too much thatch starves nutrients and moisture from reaching the roots where it is needed the most. Too much thatch can also trap moisture and lead to fungal diseases. We don’t want that! This is why most Alberta lawns should be professionally power raked every spring.

A good test to find out if you have too much thatch in your lawn is to take a knife and cut out a core from your lawn. If the layer of thatch is three quarters of an inch or more, we would recommend power raking. When you do this test, you will be looking for the spongy brown/reddish layer between the roots and the blades of grass. Of course, you can always have us look at your lawn.

We will not power rake a lawn that we believe does not need power raking, unless you absolutely insist on having it done. Power raking can be done too aggressively which we take measures to avoid. Our professional lawn techs will determine how much thatch to remove when they arrive at your property. Power raking, if done improperly can harm the root system. This is why we suggest having us do things for you. Get that extra layer of thatch removed so your lawn can thrive!