Detatching Lawn - how often is ok ?

_Brian

Our garden has been increasing in tatch and moss over the last few years.. So, I gathered up a few bits over the winter and cobbled together a detatcher with spring tines for behind the mower..
Had its first run out yesterday and I was happy with the amount of stuff it pulled up. Plenty of dead grass and some moss.

I plan to feed the lawn now and then in maybe a month detatch again, then light feed again.

I was planning to detatch it a few times over the summer, about every month, to remove as much of the moss as possible..

Once I leave a month in between and give it a light feed each time, do people think it will be too hard on the grass.. ??

PeteFalk78

Detatching can be tough on a lawn and should only be done when the grass has a chance to recover. A month from the previous detatching is too short in my opinion as the lawn is still recovering .

I would recommend detatching once in Apr/May and once in Aug/Sep

magicbastarder

detaching or dethatching?

Man of Aran

_Brian wrote: »

Our garden has been increasing in tatch and moss over the last few years.. So, I gathered up a few bits over the winter and cobbled together a detatcher with spring tines for behind the mower..
Had its first run out yesterday and I was happy with the amount of stuff it pulled up. Plenty of dead grass and some moss.

Fair play Brian, any chance of a few pix of your McGyver home made job. Did you use like a car axle or just dragging the floating tines ... either way, how do you control depth?
I am thinking of doing something similar, using tines from an old PZ haybob or side turner/ baler pickups or perhaps cultivator coulters.
Far from an expert either and trying to read up on advantages of scarifier V aerator spikes on a type of roller.

A few lads told me not to let tines penetrate soil as little as possible, also not to do a cross hatch pattern on lawn as risk of cube shaped clods drying out and turning up in sun, this will do more damage to lawn than good.
Would you consider to broadcast some ryegrass/ clover grassseed afterwards then water and roll the lawn?
Another point is these Weed n Feed products in conjunction with scarifier/ dethatch. Which should go first though?

Just some thoughts.
MofA

_Brian

Man of Aran wrote: »

Fair play Brian, any chance of a few pix of your McGyver home made job. Did you use like a car axle or just dragging the floating tines ... either way, how do you control depth?
I am thinking of doing something similar, using tines from an old PZ haybob or side turner/ baler pickups or perhaps cultivator coulters.
Far from an expert either and trying to read up on advantages of scarifier V aerator spikes on a type of roller.

A few lads told me not to let tines penetrate soil as little as possible, also not to do a cross hatch pattern on lawn as risk of cube shaped clods drying out and turning up in sun, this will do more damage to lawn than good.
Would you consider to broadcast some ryegrass/ clover grassseed afterwards then water and roll the lawn?
Another point is these Weed n Feed products in conjunction with scarifier/ dethatch. Which should go first though?

Just some thoughts.
MofA

I don't control depth as such, I've two fixed wheels that allow the tines "just" touch the soil surface, that's it, no adjustment allowed.
I got the tines and wheels on e-bay. I think ~€35. Tines were a job lot clearout so I only had 10 to work with, so it ideally could have been a bit wider.

On the cross hatch, well I've already done that, but the tines don't penetrate down into the soil so I don't see what you described happening - I hope

My brother took a pic, I'll see if I can get it to throw up later, but be warned, its not pretty, I've some paint to throw on, but that won't improve it much :rolleyes:

_Brian

sorry, I cant resize these..



Pulled up plenty of tatch..

Norfolk Enchants_

Peter's correct twice a year is plenty to detatch your lawn, next time you do it, treat the moss first about 2/3 weeks beforehand and you'll see better results.

Audioslaven

Nice job _Brian. I bought one (80 euro) and its a bit like your one. I cut the lawn and I sprayed the grass with sulphur of iron mixed with water in a sprayer. This killer the moss.

I then cut the grass pretty low and ran the dethatcher on it. It pulled up alot. I gave one spot a really going and it came out really well. It looked brutal after I was finished but 2 weeks later the grass has come alone really well and the moss has been removed.

NIMAN

Where did you get one for €80, wouldn't mind one for my ride-on too.