Lawn scarification
Over time, a layer of material such as dead grass and leaves can build up in the base of grass plants which reduces the flow of gases, such as oxygen and nitrogen.
It also prevents water penetration which also means that fertilisers and important nutrition cannot reach the roots. This has a detrimental effect on the grass plants and prevents good healthy growth and leads to issues such as moss and weeds.
This layer of thatch can become very compact over the years and often needs to be removed physically by scarifying.
Scarifying lawns to remove this troublesome thatch is a simple exercise which involves using a grass scarifier to loosen and lift the unwanted material before raking to remove it. We will then physically remove from your property so that you do not have to worry about it.
Our grass scarification service involves a detailed inspection of your lawn, so that we can prepare it and time the activities to get the best results, we will advise on the best timing for the work and whether the lawn would benefit from any treatments before the scarification such as reducing moss levels if there is any present.
Colin Peters using a scarifying machine to lift turf from a grass surface
So, what exactly is lawn scarification?
Lawn or grass scarifiers are simply mechanical rakes designed to remove troublesome “thatch” from the base of grass plants. The picture shows that even where grass is cut very short, there can still be a significant amount of rubbish in the lawn.
Overseeding is often carried out after scarifying, as this allows the introduction of more fresh, vibrant grass types. Carrying out this exercise immediately after scarifying is ideal as we will expose the soil surface during the process. If we are overseeding, timing is important and we can guide you through the process as to how and when to carry out this activity, to get the best result from the scarification and overseeding.
Generally, we will aim to carry out this type of activity in the latter part of the summer and into the early autumn so that the weather is likely to be assisting us. Generally, we will be seeing less hot temperatures and more moisture in the form of rain or heavy dew which will help the lawn recover quickly.
