If you're trying to care for your lawn in the best way possible, then it's important you know the difference between scarifying, raking and dethatching. Each of these processes contributes to overall lawn health, but it's important you do them at the right time and for the right reasons.
Raking your lawn can help remove surface debris while dethatching and scarifying will tackle the thick mats of thatch that will eventually suffocate your lawn and prevent it from absorbing nutrients. In this blog, we'll show you how and when you should use each process.
What's the difference between scarifying and dethatching?
Those of you who have taken a look at our scarifying service before are probably thinking... Isn't scarifying the same as dethatching? No. There is a subtle difference between the two lawn treatments that you should be aware of. It's true that both scarifying and dethatching can be used to remove debris from the surface of the soil, but the key difference between the two methods is the intensity.
Dethatching - a gentle dethatching process
If you've got a very small amount of thatch building up on the surface of your lawn, then a dethatcher is probably all you'll require. Dethatchers don't dig deep into the soil, they actually have a fairly shallow reach. This means they're able to remove thatch gently without disturbing the soil or the lawn too much. Of course, in scenarios where you've got a thicker covering of thatch, you might find a dethatcher isn't able to remove it. That's where a scarifier comes in...
Scarification - a deeper dethatching process
Scarifying is far more efficient at removing thick layers of thatch, but you need to be careful that you're using it correctly in order to see the best results. Scarifiers use rotating blades to strip the thick layer of thatch from the surface of the lawn. This can then be collected so that the thatch doesn't end up suffocating the lawn. With scarifying being the harsher of the two dethatching methods, gardeners tend to leave it up to the professionals.
Here at Lawn and Weed Expert, we have a team of professional lawn care technicians that are equipped with scarifying machines. These make the scarification process much simpler & you'll see results right away.
Our Scarification Service >
Is there a difference between scarifying and raking?
Yes, as we've mentioned above, scarification is a process in which thatch is removed from the top layer of soil in your lawn. In comparison, raking is a gentle process that can be used to remove fallen leaves and other loose debris from the lawn. Generally a rake would not be used to remove thatch because it would take too long, and it would be inefficient. The prongs on a rake do not penetrate deep enough into the soil to be able to remove the thatch. Chances are, a rake would glide right over it!
We recommend using a rake to remove loose leaves and debris first, then choosing either a dethatcher or a scarifier to tackle the thicker build-up of material below. By using a combination of scarification, raking and dethatching, you can keep your lawn thatch free all year round!
Read More: When to Scarify Your Lawn
If you're worried that your lawn is suffering from a build-up of thatch, we highly recommend getting in touch. We can use our scarification machines to bring your lawn back to life!
