The snow is (slowly) melting, and in another month or so, spring will truly arrive. While May Long is always a bit hit and miss in Calgary, we’re sure many of our fellow Calgarians are itching to get out in their gardens. One of the first chores topping many homeowners’ Spring Yard Clean Up List is dethatching. But what does dethatching do? And should you really be hiring a Calgary landscaping team to come dethatch your yard each year?

What is Dethatching?

The name dethatching is actually quite self explanatory in this case; it refers to the physical removal of the thatch layer. Thatch is made up of old, dead, partially decomposed grass roots and plant stems. Things like grass clippings when you mow the lawn shouldn’t affect the thickness of the thatch layer. During dethatching, your Calgary landscaping team will use a power rake to remove excess thatch, decreasing soil compaction and allowing more air and water to reach the roots of your lawn. Research has shown that proper dethatching requires the use of either power dethatchers or power rakes. The feeble lawn mower attachments that are available for consumers injure your grass without accomplishing any real dethatching.

Should You Dethatch?

Our team of expert Calgary landscapers at Five Star Landscaping offers dethatching services for homeowners and commercial properties, but we want to be clear: not every yard needs to be dethatched annually.

A small amount of thatch is actually good for your lawn. Some thatch helps to insulate the roots and the growing tips (crowns) of your grass from extreme temperature changes (important in Calgary’s climate!) and from people trampling over the lawn. However, when thatch exceeds 130mm or a ½ inch, it starts to cause problems.

The thatch can provide a home for pests, and the heat from decaying plant matter allows bacteria to thrive. Add a layer of dead leaves on top, and you’ve created the perfect habitat for bugs to survive the winter. Talk to your local landscaping team to evaluate how much thatch has collected and whether it’s time to have it removed.

When to Schedule a Dethatching.

Even if you decide your lawn will benefit from a dethatching, you shouldn’t schedule our team to arrive the moment the snow thaws. Dethatching is hard on your lawn, so it’s important to wait until the growing season has started. By the end of May or the beginning of June, your grass should be reestablished and able to cope with the stress of dethatching.

Is your yard in need of a Spring Cleanup? Calgary’s landscape experts at Five Star Landscaping are ready to help! Our professionals provide all the key services for setting your yard up for success this summer. We’ll blow out your beds and hedges, clean up and haul away debris, give everything a cut and trim, and run the power rake and aerator over turf as necessary. Our full-service treatment will help your lawn to thrive and look beautiful until the snow returns in Fall. Call us today!