Pest and Lawn Ginja I live in Oregon, I had a huge problem with Poa Annua this year. Letting it die in the summer, do I have to not water and let it die? Or will the poa did even if I water still?
Pre emergents are your best defense against poa annua. It is classified as an annual grass. There are a few post emerging herbicides that claim to control poa annua. My suggestion is to start with a spring and fall pre emergent.
Pest and Lawn Ginja It is a new lawn as of summer 2017. It appeared for the first time this spring/summer. So will it die off and I can apply pre-emerg in fall? Or will I have to kill it and remove it with herbicide? I heard you can let it die in the summer, but I’m not sure if that means not watering.
Poa annua is an annual grass. IMO letting it dry out is only relevant if it hasn't formed a seed head. Pulling it out is best performed if it doesn't have a seed head. The annual grass will die off late fall and the seeds overwinter and germinate. That's why pre emergents and pulling it out by hand are best control. Post emerging herbicides can impact the poa annua but most are very slow moving and can take up to 21 days before it dies.
Question I have bermuda grass and going to dethatch. Would it be a good idea to dethatch late September and early spring or just scalp in early spring?
I live on a corner lot and have Bermuda. I dethatched my yard for the first time since living here. I’ve lived here 7 years. It was a mess like your first passes. But I could tell afterwards how much better my fertilizer guys products worked.
Old video that popped up on my feed and this is exactly how my lan looked when we did one pass last year w the power rake. Doing it again soon and hopefully, pretty sure it won’t be that bad again. Your grass types and climate are similar to mine but I think our humidity is higher.
Got a crew out doin dethatching on our Kansas lawn right now and wow! Lots of thatching goin on. Glad we're getting it taken care of! Thanks for the explanation!
Just ran a power rake over my yard and had just as much come up. Wanted to do a second pass but of course it started to pour. Now the piles of grass are nice a heavy!!
Pest and Lawn Ginja a week later and I finally cleaned it all up. It started to stink and kill the grass underneath. Plus all the rain pushed a lot of the thatch back down into the thatch layer! I basically need to rent the machine and do it again. Haha definitely sucks. I’ll need to check the weather next time I do this.
Pest and lawn Ginja Your videos are awesome just like the “SunJoe” I’m out here in Texas/Dallas working on a Bermuda!! Going to be dominating my lawn once I’m done with working with our dear friend Mr.SunJoe!! Thank you for your videos Boss.
I bought the exact dethatcher (power rake) in your video and used it on my lawn. A lot came out and it was pretty satisfing. I was very dissatisfied when I went over it with a hand dethather, a metal hand dethatching rake afterwards. The power rake got maybe 50 percent. I tried to go over my lawn again with the power rake in a perpendicular direction to the first time I did it. No more thatch came up, it just tore up the grass. I tried adjusting the height one hole lower but it really tore up the grass then. Now I'm using a hand dethatching rake and still bringing up lots of thatch even though it was already done with a power rake. I have a 1.5 acre lawn. It's going to take me all summer to do it by hand. I saw another video for a mantis dethatcher. I'm curious to know it the mantis dethatcher will pick up what the Bluebird power rake left behind.
I couldn't agree with you more. To answer your question on which power rake is the most effective.....? I haven't found one yet. But I also haven't spent $7,000 to $10,000 on the ones that supposedly do remove most of the thatch / dead grass. I've found through my lawn walkthroughs at customers homes, who have power raked, that 99% of them that didn't complete the final hand rake still have 20% to 30% thatch/dead grass in the mid layers of the lawn. The machine for the most part pulls the dead grass off of the top layers of the soil. I would find a rake attachment or the dethatch spring attachment for your riding mower to remove the rest. Really appreciate the comment. So much truth in what you're saying.
@@@pestandlawnginja - After de-thatching the lawn, why do you rake up the thatch instead of just going over it with a mower and sucking up the thatch via the suction of the mower / bagging?
So, my new VonHaus dethatcher-scarifier-aerator (would love to see your review of it) was delivered yesterday...assembly was a breeze. I got it early because it’s always “out of stock” on Amazon (maybe that’s a good thing?), and I didn’t want to be ready to use it on my lawn but couldn’t get it. My question is: I live in middle TN and my front yard is primarily Tall Fescue (Bermuda is creeping in, however...and the back yard is primarily Bermuda-already took over)...it doesn’t look too bad, until you look down and spread the grass-tons of thatch! I mow at the highest setting, which is just shy of 4 inches....never use the bag...always mulch. Okay, so here’s the question: When the yard is ready for me to scarify and dethatch (I have a professional lawn service doing the aerating afterward), how short should I cut the grass (assuming it’ll be the last cut of the season?) Thanks, and sorry my paragraph reads cryptically. Basically, how short for Tall Fescue? Thanks again!
Pest and Lawn Ginja - Thank you. I’ll need to figure out how to gauge cut height with my Husqvarna HU800AWDH, since I always cut it on the highest setting (one less for the Bermuda). Do I cut a little strip and then measure the blade length?
Pest and Lawn Ginja - I just moved my lawnmower to the driveway, opened the side door and measured the blade height from the concrete for all nine positions. 3.75” at position nine...2 1/8” at position 5...all the way down to 1 1/4” at position 1 (I’ll NEVER use that one-probably). I am stoked to know this information, and will be ready to mow it on position 5 this Fall. Question: Would you recommend that instead of going from position 9 (from the previous cut) straight to position 5 all at once? Or would it be safer and less stressful for the grass to, say, space the adjustments out more? Like one cut on position 9, the next cut on position 7, and the final cut of the season on position 5? Thanks for your advice! I’m stoked now!!
Oh, and can I cut to 2 1/8” and immediately scarify? Followed by a good dethatching? I have a lot of thatch, so should I scarify first and then dethatch? Or dethatch first and then scarify? Thanks again...sorry for being such a pest, but my learning curve is pretty vertical, but I guess this proves that at 61 years old, I’m still highly trainable. 😉
Depends on mow frequency and type of grass. I mow every 3 days with bluegrass at 1" and every 5 days at 3". For mossy areas I would do 2" to let it air out.
Oh my god. I’m a straight dude. But I have a compelling need to just touch your beard. Also, great info. Just got a dethatcher. Amazing difference in my lawn. Thank you.
Thanks for the comment M&lbooth. IMO late summer / early fall time is the best time. It's best to power rake when the lawn is still growing so it has some time to recover. The cooler temps will allow you to cut the bluegrass down to 2" without stressing it out as much and that will make it easier to get the debris off the ground.
My yard 3 summers ago was great, last year 2 attached neighbors went weed crazy. It took over my lawn. Goatheads inc. Now my back yard is almost all dirt. Can I dethatch still? Will this eliminate the goat heads and allow me to replant?
Thanks for the comment. If I understand your question correctly, you're wondering if power raking without a presence of grass can have an impact on Goat Head weeds? That's a tough question. Power raking is more of a process for lawns that are too thick or dense in dead grass or thatch layers. Power raking an already thinned out lawn may not be in your best interest. Here's how I would approach your situation: I would decide weather you will 1. scrape the top and re sod or 2. over seed with a new grass. I would then spot spray weekly and be hyper proactive about it. Goat heads can lay dormant for up to 2 to 3 years before germination occurs. I can tell you first hand that it took me 2 seasons to rid of all the goat heads. Then we worked on my neighbors property "that was all dirt at the time", put in sod and a year later we were goat head free. It can be done with a lot of patience and hard work. Good luck my friend.
wondered why in the bald spots in my grass i had moss. i try to scrape it away but doesnt help. i wish i could just dig up the lawn and start again but im renting so even if they let me i wouldnt bother
Thanks for commenting. Moss is generally a sign of too much moisture buildup in one area. My suggestion would be to overseed the area with a shade mixture of Perennial rye grass and turf type tall fescue. After it takes you'll want to make sure you're not watering more than 2 to 3 days per week. Just remember the old rule of thumb, less days more minutes with your watering cycles. If that fails you'll need to re-sod. Hope that helps.
The heat that the dead grass holds and the amount of water and nutrients that get bound up in the dead grass cause more damages than the potential of "burning" the roots from exposing them. Which IMO is far fetched from reality and goes in the same pile of odd things to say like "you can't water on a hot day for fear of burning the lawn". The truth is, landscapers want to do power rakes late fall and early spring before and after they are finished mowing for the season to drum up more business. Removing matter from the grass that is causing it to choke will not cause more negative consequences. It will only benefit the lawn. You'll want to apply some micro nutrients, Mycorrhizae, and organic fertilizer to stimulate the microbial action and growth of the lawn after you power rake. I would recommend you do this no matter if it was spring, summer, or fall. First and foremost you'll want to make sure you check your sprinkler coverage to make sure the areas your concerned about aren't overly dry. You risk scalping the lawn with a power rake if its too dry or too wet. Thanks for the comment.
My whole lawn has all these horrible hard clumps of dirt or possibly nightcrawler castings. Walking on it is like trying to walk on a bunch of golf balls. Would power raking help break them up & spread them around? Or do you have other suggestions? I am tired of spraining an ankle every time I walk on my lawn, lol. Thanks.
Earth worms are tough to deal with once they are out of control. There are some insecticides on the market that claim they will help control earth worms. I haven't had the best luck with them. I find that regular aeration 2 to 3 times annually and a deep watering plan are your best way to control them. I find they surface due to too much consistent watering. If you get the top layer to dry out the worms will dig deeper. For now if you would like to fix and repair the cheapest way is to water 3" to 4" and rent a roller. You want the top layer soggy but not too soggy to the point where you walk on it and your foot is sinking into the soil. Afterwards you'll want to top dress the areas that have sunk or are uneven throughout the lawn. Best of luck.
I would love to be able to do all the things needed to make it look really nice but I would go broke. On the plus side the dandelions are pretty before they seed out.
You'd be surprised what a bit of extra effort does. Nothing quite like playing barefoot in a nice yard. I've been mulching vs discharging but I came here on an auto play from some other dethatching video and I'm pretty sure I'm switching to bagging after I rent a machine and take care of this mess.
Ok Ginja,got myself and wife to subscribe. Question I have is I am here in jaxville,fl. Lots of heat,humidity and rain in the summertime. We have st Augustine grass,and seeing different types of weed types growing in. Like crabgrass (watches your video to help identify). In that video you said not to use the chemical suggestions on st Augustine. What can I do to help the health and color of my grass to pop
The fastest way to get to the answer you're looking for is to get a soil test. If you don't want to spend the money doing that call around to a. few nursery's in your area and get a base line for what the ph is. Go to google and type in soil ph chart. It will give you a. base line of what people are commonly low in for the ph in your area.
Hello. I like the video very helpful. I have a question I've killed of all my grass due to root weeds. Now wanted to start over realised the ground is full of thatch and moss. New house and never been looked after. My question is can you still use a teacher rake on dirt ground is there is no grass or would it damage the rake. Cheers Guilio.
Hey Guilio! IMO if you have tons of thatch and weed roots It may be better to do a shallow till, level, then overseed or sod. If you choose to use the thatch rake I would use the cultivation side. The rake is fairly sharp and I think if you did it lightly it would be fine. They're only $35, IMO even if you did ruin it by the end of your project it paid for itself.
Pest and Lawn Ginja o that's brilliant Thank you for the info and help. To look at it looks like dirt but treading it you do get the bouncy feeling. Probly seed it november after all the moss and thatch gone. 😀
Another solid video. I'm planning to overseed my lawn in a few weeks Do I have to put top soil down after I dethatch and aerate my lawn? I think the amount of soil I've been putting down over the years is suffocating the lawn.
Great question! I'm going to be making a video about this subject. I tested the old rumor that you shouldn't do a power rake during the hot months because it will potentially scorch the lawn. So, as a ginja does, I power raked my lawn during 105 degree temps mid july. My lawn looked gorgeous 6 weeks later. IMHO you can power rake any time other than winter months. You still want the grass topically to be growing to make sure you don't scalp the lawn. You also don't want too much water in the soil. This can also cause the machine to scalp the lawn. I best time of the year to do it, health wise, would be the fall time. If you don't want to deal with the secondary die out of the lawn do it in the spring time right before you apply your pre emergent. Hope that helps.
Should the lawn be thoroughly dried out and hearty before dethatching? Like, if the soil is really wet still here in early spring, should I hold off until mid-late may until things really dry out? I've used a powerbroom at my parents farm in mid-april to remove plowed sand, twigs, debris, etc, but I've never dethatched. My lawn is about 8 years old and I'm just really wanting to do everything I can to keep it healthy.
Ideally you want the top layer relatively dry. It doesn't have to be bone dry. Definitely don't want it over saturated or the machine will scalp the lawn. If the lower level of the grass is dry it will be fine. I always recommend a test pass.
I used a detach rake removing dead grass and crabgrass. I just removed the spots and not the whole lawn. Do I need to cover those areas before aerating? I left several emails with LCN, but no responses. That's not good. So I am reaching out to u.
Hey Peter. Thanks for reaching out. I'm not sure I'm entirely understanding what happened. Are you saying that you now have bald spots in the lawn? If that's the case I would aerate. After the aeration you can throw some seed down and rebuild those areas. Be sure to water it in well.
Hey Pest and Lawn Ginja I’m located in Texas just south of Houston. Lots of humidity year round for the most part and especially during the warmer months. Is this something that should be done regularly to Bermuda grass based lawns? Someone told me Bermuda grass may not require this bc it’s a different grass than what you show in the video🙄🙄🙄🤔. TIA!!! P.S. I really like your videos💚
You can avoid a lot of maintenance issue by doing a beginning or end of the season short mow on Bermuda. You dont want the runners to get too long, that come directly off the stolons.
Hey Ginja love the videos, many of them have helped my lawn immensely. We are hosting a wedding in our backyard at the end of August. I know I have thatch but I wanted to see if it would be safe to dethatch with the rake here on July 1?
I'm soo sorry this message got burried in the comments. I would recommend you use a dethatcher. far less invasive on the grass and it makes recovery time a moot issue.
Kentucky Blue for the overseeding here. In a Nebraska climate turf with many shade trees, blade runner fescue is what I’ve been told to use. Hybrid with red fescue. What would be best seed for this type of lower light lawn reno?
Really appreciate you watching the video. In answer to your question I feel that a deep root structure is the saving grace. I feel I've had good luck with Barnbrug products and like there rtf (rhizomatous tall fescue). It grows in real thick, tight, and uses less water because the roots shoot 20". I didn't believe the roots could go that deep so we put some in a planter pot and let it grow for a few months. within a few months we had 14" roots in a pot that sat indoors most of the time. Here's a link to the product I like. Keep in mind Barenbrug for some reason is re branding and re bagging constantly. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076WYMZ82/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B076WYMZ82&linkCode=as2&tag=pestandlawngi-20&linkId=51aa41bf37ea376bbd3394f645cf9ee7
Is there a walk behind power rake that simply rakes leaves? I'm getting too old to spend a day raking so I'm looking for powered alternative. Looks to me like that one you are using would be too aggressive for routine use.
Great question. Most of the power rakes are going to be too invasive on the soil IMO. There are a few electric options that aren't as aggressive as a traditional power rake like the one I'm using in the video. The one I listed below may be a good option for you. It sweeps more than it digs. I'm going to order one to do a video review. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030BG1HM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0030BG1HM&linkCode=as2&tag=pestandlawngi-20&linkId=dfdcb916a1076ec16b739a32a3f489bd
@@OldePhart the reason I reco.mend it is due to the spring loaded tines. I believe it will be less invasive as you're looking for. And at $100 it's cheaper by a mile.
good video After dethatching do you mow the lawn with a bagger for cleanup? I have a 36 in Toro Proline with a metal bagger, so should I dethatch first, then cut the lawn with the bagger on to collect all of the thatch? Any order or formation you can advise would be appreciated, thank you.
I like to do my mow first. Little shorter than normal. Then I'll use my mower to pickup the debris after the power rake. I'll repeat that 2 times then move onto a hand rake. Checkout episode 2 of this is my lawn in my playlist.
@@Twister051 the bagger doesnt get it all unfortunately. Some of the mulch is sticky and doesnt want to come up with the machine. Needs a little extra help.
Hey Timjs, yes you can mow over the materials with the right mower. The final rake IMO is very important to get the rest of the dead debris off the top of the soil. There's commonly another 30% left over that isn't pulled up by the power raking machine.
great comment. You make an excellent point. In my local area I have never seen them for rent and that's why I haven't mentioned it in the past. Those machines are about 4 X's the cost and they do a decent job too. Thanks for mentioning it.
My recommendation is to go as low as you can without cutting off more than 1/3rd of the plant. We are going to put the lawn into a little bit of stress by performing the power rake so its important not to over shock the lawn with to short of a mow.
I need to know more about my enemy... Is it just old grass? Half grown grass? Can i Use in in much or silage? does it contain seed? Thank you for all the Information thus far brother keep up the good work.
Thanks for for the comment! Questions are always welcome. From what I understand your question is what is thatch? Thatch is the compost material that is directly in and above the top soil layer. The answer to "what thatch is" has become somewhat debatable and depends on where you feel the thatch layer begins. My opinion stands that the thatch we speak of (the overall term people use) is the dead grass layer that sits above the soil. The problem is that people aren't mulching correctly to form a proper thatch layer (decomposing ground up grass blades). Properly mulched grass blades will be ground into a dust like substance and will not appear as dead grass blades. Unfortunately, just like slang terms, the term thatch layer understanding is changing because people misunderstand what it really is. Lawns are supposed to be mowed when the blades grow 1/4" above the desired height e.g. Kentucky bluegrass desired summer height is 3" I should cut it when it reaches 3.25". If I cut it when its longer than that, meaning 1/2" or more, it becomes harder for the lawn mower to properly mulch. mulch in my opinion should be ground down to what appears to be a dust like compound, not leftover cut grass blades. If you are seeing blades longer than 1/8" after you mulch you are not mulching you're just leaving dead grass. I feel overall people plant and want to have a nice lawn classified as rhizomatous grass. Here in Utah we find most people want Kentucky Bluegrass because its most inviting on there feet and the rhizomes grow the closest together out of any other available grass we have. If you are not mulching properly and leave dead grass on top of the soil it chokes out the rhizomes therefore disallowing the new blades that emerge from the rhizomes to properly emerge and eventually the lawn thins out. It also doesn't allow the nutrients from the fertilizers to pass through the dead grass to the soil. Here is a link to a video I've done about the mulching subject: th-cam.com/video/_a2ThORNURQ/w-d-xo.html To answer your question "Can i Use in in much or silage?" - I wouldn't use normal yard grass clippings or mulch to convert to silage. From my understanding, I could be wrong, silage is made from feed grade grasses specific to the animal you're feeding. rotting or old cut grasses can harm horses, cows and other grass fed animals so please be careful. "does it contain seed?" - Mulch can contain seeds. It would depend on the lawn and where it was cut from. It is not uncommon for grass to have a seed head depending on time of year and types of fertilizer used. Really appreciate the questions and the feed back. Don't hesitate to ask questions. I will do my best to provide good content.
How many passes can you do with the dethatcher? I did a test run with my new greeneorks dethacher and I can tell there's sti a lot of debris/thatch in the lawn.
Hey Ginja, I've got a bermuda lawn and we'll be entering dormant temps in about a month to a month and a half. I've got a serious thatch layer, would I be ok dethatching this late in the season? I only started caring about my lawn about 3 weeks ago after watching some of your and others videos they've inspired me that I can have a great lawn even though it looks terrible at the moment. I've got weeds that are out of control (planning to treat once they grow back up) and have some fungus growth that's killing off the grass in spots.
Hey ImalTman. It's best to power rake creeping grasses during their growing stages. I recommend power raking bermuda in the spring time so it can repair itself. If you wanted to lightly rake through the lawn that would be fine. We don't want to cause too much stress to stoloniferous grass types this late in the game. I would spot spray the weeds and identify the fungus and then take it from there.
power raking is very different than lawn aeration. I have a video that explains the difference. there are some cheap dethatchers like the sun joe dethatcher that I highly recommned. You can dethatch anytime the grass is in a growth state. you're really not removing thatch but you do remove a ton of debris. links in the description of the video.
That was my mouth talking sooner than my brain. in all reality it spins quickly. I believe the math is a 50:1 ratio. What I was trying to say is the accumalitive scours of the tines themselves would add up to 200 per second. but even that is questionable. it is far more effective than using a thatch rake by comparison to time spent on the job. with that said both tools are very efficient and the power rake is more invasive on the grass and requires about 4 to 6 weeks to recover where the thatch rake is about 1 week to 2 weeks to recover when done properly.
Great question! I like to do the entire power rake and clean up first and aerate after. You can do the entire process the same day without a problem. I feel like if you aerate the lawn after the power rake you'll get a better core and dethatch from the aerator. It also makes for less debris going back into the aeration core holes.
Pest and Lawn Ginja Thanks! I pinged Scotts with the same question. They said doing both at the same time would be hard on a lawn. Perhaps they were speaking specifically about a lawn like mine (in need of TLC). Thoughts?
I don't believe much of what the "experts say". I always error on the side of trying worst case scenario. I've power raked and aerated my own lawn the same day on the hottest time during the summer and still received great results. If you're concerned I would adjust the power rake and only do two passes, clean it up, and a final hand rake. As long as you don't lower the machine too low and scalp the lawn I don't mind. I found for our climate perennial rye grass struggled the most after a power rake. If your worried, order a bag of revive and humates to perk it up.
Pest and Lawn Ginja haha awesome!! I look like a mummy when I'm out there I cut like 35 40 a day down here in the south and am covered head to toe long sleeve huk shirts and sao face mask. earned a sub here 👍
Is it ok to rake/power rake in July? My lawn is looking pretty good and green however, I've noticed a lot of thatch beneath the green along with being mixed in with healthy blades of grass. Thanks! Happy 4th! 🍻
If you're overall health of the lawn is good you're good to go. but i personally would use a dethatcher like the sun joe instead so you don't stress the soil and grass out as much. you can use dethatchers weekly if you wanted that lawn to pop
Gonna, I've been thinking about a Sunjoe or Greenworks dethatcher ( debris removal tool), besides dragging a cord around, would I have over heating problems ? Thanks, John
Sun joe hands down no questions asked. took me .01 milliseconds to make that descision. if you get the right extension cord it will last. I will be doing an updated video soon.
How does the dethatcher do when it comes to sprinkler heads? When I aerated, I used a spring loaded aerator so it skips over hard objects and doesn’t hurt anything.
Hey rymaster4385 . Thanks for the comment. To answer your question, it all depends on the model and type of power rake. This particular one I used was not one that would crush a sprinkler head. It can if the sprinkler head is really old and brittle but in the 7 years we've used it we haven't had a single instance of damages that were reported. Aeration on the other hand.... SMH.... We've fixed a lot of heads hahaha.
That my friend is why they make de-thatching rakes. Utterly worthless for the full yard, but addresses odd corners, getting around sprinkler heads, and the odd statue of John Paul Jones [if you have that sort of thing laying about].
Mike Stevens that's a great question. The short answer is yes, waiting until after you complete power rake is better. The reason is the fertilizer and seed can get bound up in the dead grass. However I wouldn't suggest putting off fertilizing or over seeding if you're not going to complete the power rake within the next 3 to 4 weeks
That's a tough question. If you had a machine that would do a good enough job to mulch it into a proper "dust" I'm afraid it may go down too thick on top of the real thatch layer and cause some issues. It would all depend on how much comes up. If there's half as much dead grass that comes up as in this video it may work.
Thanks for the knowledge- I'll give it a try. Coming up on the first full year here, for the fall I mulched all my leaves into the lawn and it seems to be coming back nicely (a shitload of big trees on premises). I wanted to avoid buying a monster bagger unless absolutely necessary..
lol, while I'm stealing your experience, do you recommend a large manufacturers bagger (like 14 bushel, running off existing pulley system) or a tow behind with it's own motor?
that's a great question. I'm kind of old school. I would use the biggest bagger that would allow the least amount of work and effort. the tow behind imho would give the least amount of work if it had a hydraulic dump to it.
Pest and Lawn Ginja total newbie here, can i just apply the seed? Birds wont eat it? How bout those ‘all in one’ w/dirt and fertilizers? Any better than just overseeding? Thnx
Hey Ginja! Does the term 'power rake' and 'de-thatch' have the same meaning? I'm looking for a tool I can attach to my small riding-lawnmower to help with this. Thanks.
from what I've seen and watched, just my opinion, it doesn't need additional weight to be put on it to get into the soil. It also is adjustable without having to get off of the mower.
Hey there Gabe. The company I work for doesn't offer power raking. Most companies that offer a power rake and cleanup in my area charge between $150 to $250 per .25acre lot including the cleanup.
depends on your goals. I would overseed with St Augustine if you want it to match. However get the blend thats roundup resistant. Makes cleaning up weeds a breeze.
I would keep it the same and use the st augustine. I know there's a few suppliers of st augustine that is resistant to round up but I can't remember if they sell the seed or if it only comes from sod farms.
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You neglected to mention what makes the hand rake superior to the power rake, it's much easier to swing at unwelcome animals and the neighbor's children, though I repeat myself...
Thanks for watching today's video. Check out the description to see the products I used today. If you're looking for the best treatments for your lawn, check out my favorite products:
Fertilizer
🛒 Propeat Fertilizer
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Yard Equipment
🛒 Sun Joe Scarifier and dethatcher (REQUIRES 12Gaugae Extension Cord)
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🛒 12gauge 100ft extension cord
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🛒 Thatch Rake
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🛒 Spyker hand held spreader
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🛒 Levelawn
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🛒 Rain Gauge 10 pack
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🛒 Thermometer (Taylor digital thermometer)
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Pest and Lawn Ginja
I live in Oregon, I had a huge problem with Poa Annua this year. Letting it die in the summer, do I have to not water and let it die? Or will the poa did even if I water still?
Pre emergents are your best defense against poa annua. It is classified as an annual grass. There are a few post emerging herbicides that claim to control poa annua. My suggestion is to start with a spring and fall pre emergent.
Pest and Lawn Ginja
It is a new lawn as of summer 2017. It appeared for the first time this spring/summer.
So will it die off and I can apply pre-emerg in fall? Or will I have to kill it and remove it with herbicide? I heard you can let it die in the summer, but I’m not sure if that means not watering.
Poa annua is an annual grass. IMO letting it dry out is only relevant if it hasn't formed a seed head. Pulling it out is best performed if it doesn't have a seed head. The annual grass will die off late fall and the seeds overwinter and germinate. That's why pre emergents and pulling it out by hand are best control. Post emerging herbicides can impact the poa annua but most are very slow moving and can take up to 21 days before it dies.
Question I have bermuda grass and going to dethatch. Would it be a good idea to dethatch late September and early spring or just scalp in early spring?
I use my walk behind blower to gather up all the thatch after its all lifted. Seems to work well.
Totally agree! I have since moved to that strategy and its marvelous
Power raking is a job, but worth the reward, AWSOME knowledge and videos
Very true!
I live on a corner lot and have Bermuda. I dethatched my yard for the first time since living here. I’ve lived here 7 years. It was a mess like your first passes. But I could tell afterwards how much better my fertilizer guys products worked.
Great to hear Jared! Hopefully you won't have to do that anytime soon!
Old video that popped up on my feed and this is exactly how my lan looked when we did one pass last year w the power rake. Doing it again soon and hopefully, pretty sure it won’t be that bad again. Your grass types and climate are similar to mine but I think our humidity is higher.
That lawn was wicked!!! So much dead grass and debris it was insane
These videos make me feel like I can be bob Ross to a yard and then when I’m done I don’t get any results near what you get lol
😂😂😂😂
Got a crew out doin dethatching on our Kansas lawn right now and wow! Lots of thatching goin on. Glad we're getting it taken care of! Thanks for the explanation!
That is awesome!
Just got the greenworks power rake for $99 on amazon after i saw your review, That thing kicks ass!! Thank you!
Glad you love it! Congrats. great price
Just ran a power rake over my yard and had just as much come up. Wanted to do a second pass but of course it started to pour. Now the piles of grass are nice a heavy!!
OH SHOOT. Nothing worse hahaha.
Pest and Lawn Ginja a week later and I finally cleaned it all up. It started to stink and kill the grass underneath. Plus all the rain pushed a lot of the thatch back down into the thatch layer! I basically need to rent the machine and do it again. Haha definitely sucks. I’ll need to check the weather next time I do this.
wowza. I can only imagine. that would suck! hahaha
Pest and lawn Ginja
Your videos are awesome just like the “SunJoe”
I’m out here in Texas/Dallas working on a Bermuda!!
Going to be dominating my lawn once I’m done with working with our dear friend Mr.SunJoe!!
Thank you for your videos Boss.
Nice! Just be sure to adjust those levels properly so they dont get stuck in the stolons! Also consider verticutting
Love the way you explain things nice and clear, very cool
Huge complement!! Thanks!!! appreciate the support
Can no one else hear that he's secretly a robot?
sssshhhhhh, It's a secret
I was about to say the same thing.
yea i hear it and its fucking annoying. thats why im gonna dislike
I bought the exact dethatcher (power rake) in your video and used it on my lawn. A lot came out and it was pretty satisfing. I was very dissatisfied when I went over it with a hand dethather, a metal hand dethatching rake afterwards. The power rake got maybe 50 percent. I tried to go over my lawn again with the power rake in a perpendicular direction to the first time I did it. No more thatch came up, it just tore up the grass. I tried adjusting the height one hole lower but it really tore up the grass then. Now I'm using a hand dethatching rake and still bringing up lots of thatch even though it was already done with a power rake. I have a 1.5 acre lawn. It's going to take me all summer to do it by hand. I saw another video for a mantis dethatcher. I'm curious to know it the mantis dethatcher will pick up what the Bluebird power rake left behind.
I couldn't agree with you more. To answer your question on which power rake is the most effective.....? I haven't found one yet. But I also haven't spent $7,000 to $10,000 on the ones that supposedly do remove most of the thatch / dead grass.
I've found through my lawn walkthroughs at customers homes, who have power raked, that 99% of them that didn't complete the final hand rake still have 20% to 30% thatch/dead grass in the mid layers of the lawn. The machine for the most part pulls the dead grass off of the top layers of the soil.
I would find a rake attachment or the dethatch spring attachment for your riding mower to remove the rest. Really appreciate the comment. So much truth in what you're saying.
Nice video. I dethatch my TTTF every Spring as my “wake up” for air flow and I would never skip. Cleans out all the dead 💀 winter stuff too. 🤙🏼
I dont blame you. Makes it pop!
Exactly. 👍🏼
@@LawnDad it's also the worst job ever hahaha
The rake up! Lol 🤦🏻♂️
@@@pestandlawnginja - After de-thatching the lawn, why do you rake up the thatch instead of just going over it with a mower and sucking up the thatch via the suction of the mower / bagging?
What a beautiful big house damn
It is a pretty rad house
This machine is great for preparation for sod!
Ginja : Thatch is The Enemy.
Thatch : Who Said I Was Your Friend ;)
@@joshSmacknMouths 😆
So, my new VonHaus dethatcher-scarifier-aerator (would love to see your review of it) was delivered yesterday...assembly was a breeze. I got it early because it’s always “out of stock” on Amazon (maybe that’s a good thing?), and I didn’t want to be ready to use it on my lawn but couldn’t get it. My question is: I live in middle TN and my front yard is primarily Tall Fescue (Bermuda is creeping in, however...and the back yard is primarily Bermuda-already took over)...it doesn’t look too bad, until you look down and spread the grass-tons of thatch! I mow at the highest setting, which is just shy of 4 inches....never use the bag...always mulch. Okay, so here’s the question: When the yard is ready for me to scarify and dethatch (I have a professional lawn service doing the aerating afterward), how short should I cut the grass (assuming it’ll be the last cut of the season?) Thanks, and sorry my paragraph reads cryptically. Basically, how short for Tall Fescue? Thanks again!
Hey Danny. Great to hear from you. I'd take it down to 2"
Pest and Lawn Ginja - Thank you. I’ll need to figure out how to gauge cut height with my Husqvarna HU800AWDH, since I always cut it on the highest setting (one less for the Bermuda). Do I cut a little strip and then measure the blade length?
@@dannymcneal put it on the concrete, open the back shoot and take a stick and measure the height from the ground to the blade.
Pest and Lawn Ginja - I just moved my lawnmower to the driveway, opened the side door and measured the blade height from the concrete for all nine positions. 3.75” at position nine...2 1/8” at position 5...all the way down to 1 1/4” at position 1 (I’ll NEVER use that one-probably). I am stoked to know this information, and will be ready to mow it on position 5 this Fall. Question: Would you recommend that instead of going from position 9 (from the previous cut) straight to position 5 all at once? Or would it be safer and less stressful for the grass to, say, space the adjustments out more? Like one cut on position 9, the next cut on position 7, and the final cut of the season on position 5? Thanks for your advice! I’m stoked now!!
Oh, and can I cut to 2 1/8” and immediately scarify? Followed by a good dethatching? I have a lot of thatch, so should I scarify first and then dethatch? Or dethatch first and then scarify? Thanks again...sorry for being such a pest, but my learning curve is pretty vertical, but I guess this proves that at 61 years old, I’m still highly trainable. 😉
That's a fine fine beard. Everything you say will be true.
hahahaha, good point! tune in for more ;)
Indeed
First thing I noticed. lol
A well groomed beard implies a well groomed lawn.
I have no idea what you did, I was too busy looking at that BEAUTIFUL scenery- those mountains!
ahahahaha . touche'. sometimes I forget how awesome those mountains are.
Excellent video and your crew does a great clean up.
Thank you very much! They did a fantastic job
Can you recommend the optimal cut height? I have two lawns. Both in the shade. One is full of moss. I recently bought a lawn mower robot.
Depends on mow frequency and type of grass. I mow every 3 days with bluegrass at 1" and every 5 days at 3". For mossy areas I would do 2" to let it air out.
Oh my god. I’m a straight dude. But I have a compelling need to just touch your beard. Also, great info. Just got a dethatcher. Amazing difference in my lawn. Thank you.
👊🤩 love it bro hahaha and you're welcome.
After 18 years of grass growing strong every year I've never dethatch before I never owned a lawn mower that mulch either
Nice! Must be doing something right!
Love the videos! You know your stuff. Thank you!
Keith Applewhite thanks for the feedback!
When is the best time to dethatch my Kentucky bluegrass here in Colorado ? (great instructional videos!)
Thanks for the comment M&lbooth. IMO late summer / early fall time is the best time. It's best to power rake when the lawn is still growing so it has some time to recover. The cooler temps will allow you to cut the bluegrass down to 2" without stressing it out as much and that will make it easier to get the debris off the ground.
Best thatcher ever
It’s a great machine
My yard 3 summers ago was great, last year 2 attached neighbors went weed crazy. It took over my lawn. Goatheads inc. Now my back yard is almost all dirt. Can I dethatch still? Will this eliminate the goat heads and allow me to replant?
Thanks for the comment. If I understand your question correctly, you're wondering if power raking without a presence of grass can have an impact on Goat Head weeds? That's a tough question. Power raking is more of a process for lawns that are too thick or dense in dead grass or thatch layers. Power raking an already thinned out lawn may not be in your best interest.
Here's how I would approach your situation:
I would decide weather you will 1. scrape the top and re sod or 2. over seed with a new grass.
I would then spot spray weekly and be hyper proactive about it. Goat heads can lay dormant for up to 2 to 3 years before germination occurs.
I can tell you first hand that it took me 2 seasons to rid of all the goat heads. Then we worked on my neighbors property "that was all dirt at the time", put in sod and a year later we were goat head free. It can be done with a lot of patience and hard work. Good luck my friend.
Nice work man...learning alot from your channel
Glad to hear it!
Thank you for your efforts, very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
wondered why in the bald spots in my grass i had moss. i try to scrape it away but doesnt help. i wish i could just dig up the lawn and start again but im renting so even if they let me i wouldnt bother
Thanks for commenting. Moss is generally a sign of too much moisture buildup in one area. My suggestion would be to overseed the area with a shade mixture of Perennial rye grass and turf type tall fescue. After it takes you'll want to make sure you're not watering more than 2 to 3 days per week. Just remember the old rule of thumb, less days more minutes with your watering cycles. If that fails you'll need to re-sod. Hope that helps.
Iron kills moss too. Moss is also a sign of acidic soil. I’d recommend pulling a soil sample and adjusting the pH with Dolomitic lime
Great comment!
Can I dethatch in Summer? I think our thatch is killing our grass. Our sprinklers can keep our grass alive with the heat. TIA
The heat that the dead grass holds and the amount of water and nutrients that get bound up in the dead grass cause more damages than the potential of "burning" the roots from exposing them. Which IMO is far fetched from reality and goes in the same pile of odd things to say like "you can't water on a hot day for fear of burning the lawn".
The truth is, landscapers want to do power rakes late fall and early spring before and after they are finished mowing for the season to drum up more business.
Removing matter from the grass that is causing it to choke will not cause more negative consequences. It will only benefit the lawn. You'll want to apply some micro nutrients, Mycorrhizae, and organic fertilizer to stimulate the microbial action and growth of the lawn after you power rake. I would recommend you do this no matter if it was spring, summer, or fall.
First and foremost you'll want to make sure you check your sprinkler coverage to make sure the areas your concerned about aren't overly dry. You risk scalping the lawn with a power rake if its too dry or too wet.
Thanks for the comment.
My whole lawn has all these horrible hard clumps of dirt or possibly nightcrawler castings. Walking on it is like trying to walk on a bunch of golf balls. Would power raking help break them up & spread them around? Or do you have other suggestions? I am tired of spraining an ankle every time I walk on my lawn, lol. Thanks.
Earth worms are tough to deal with once they are out of control. There are some insecticides on the market that claim they will help control earth worms. I haven't had the best luck with them. I find that regular aeration 2 to 3 times annually and a deep watering plan are your best way to control them. I find they surface due to too much consistent watering. If you get the top layer to dry out the worms will dig deeper.
For now if you would like to fix and repair the cheapest way is to water 3" to 4" and rent a roller. You want the top layer soggy but not too soggy to the point where you walk on it and your foot is sinking into the soil. Afterwards you'll want to top dress the areas that have sunk or are uneven throughout the lawn. Best of luck.
When you live in the country with a huge yard you just mow when you have time and it shoots out the side.
Hi heather! I hear yah, it would be difficult to bag a couple acres of grass every week.
I would love to be able to do all the things needed to make it look really nice but I would go broke. On the plus side the dandelions are pretty before they seed out.
You'd be surprised what a bit of extra effort does. Nothing quite like playing barefoot in a nice yard. I've been mulching vs discharging but I came here on an auto play from some other dethatching video and I'm pretty sure I'm switching to bagging after I rent a machine and take care of this mess.
I hear yah. It's hard to maintain color when dead grass is in the way. Thanks for the comment. Hope it works out well for you.
just buy a real tractor and shredder lol
Ok Ginja,got myself and wife to subscribe. Question I have is I am here in jaxville,fl. Lots of heat,humidity and rain in the summertime. We have st Augustine grass,and seeing different types of weed types growing in. Like crabgrass (watches your video to help identify). In that video you said not to use the chemical suggestions on st Augustine. What can I do to help the health and color of my grass to pop
The fastest way to get to the answer you're looking for is to get a soil test. If you don't want to spend the money doing that call around to a. few nursery's in your area and get a base line for what the ph is. Go to google and type in soil ph chart. It will give you a. base line of what people are commonly low in for the ph in your area.
Hello.
I like the video very helpful.
I have a question I've killed of all my grass due to root weeds.
Now wanted to start over realised the ground is full of thatch and moss.
New house and never been looked after.
My question is can you still use a teacher rake on dirt ground is there is no grass or would it damage the rake.
Cheers
Guilio.
Hey Guilio! IMO if you have tons of thatch and weed roots It may be better to do a shallow till, level, then overseed or sod. If you choose to use the thatch rake I would use the cultivation side. The rake is fairly sharp and I think if you did it lightly it would be fine. They're only $35, IMO even if you did ruin it by the end of your project it paid for itself.
Pest and Lawn Ginja
o that's brilliant Thank you for the info and help.
To look at it looks like dirt but treading it you do get the bouncy feeling.
Probly seed it november after all the moss and thatch gone.
😀
cool guilio, best of luck.
Love the bread.
Thanks Angie! and thanks for watching my video!
How do you de thatch a bread??
It starts when forming the dough. You want to make sure you don't go too deep or it won't rise. kind of a big deal.
Pest and Lawn Ginja lmao okay
Thanks for being a good sport. I believe Alan was making poking fun of an individual that said "this man needs to dethatch that furball on his face"
so do you just overseed now after powerrake ? no other thing to be done , just the seed ?
I used the scarifier or slit slice seeder before i put the seed down.
Another solid video. I'm planning to overseed my lawn in a few weeks Do I have to put top soil down after I dethatch and aerate my lawn? I think the amount of soil I've been putting down over the years is suffocating the lawn.
You dont have to top dress with soil. It does help but not necessary
What's the best time of year to dethatch? And is there a time of year to absolutely NOT dethatch? In Southeast Wyoming...
Great question! I'm going to be making a video about this subject. I tested the old rumor that you shouldn't do a power rake during the hot months because it will potentially scorch the lawn. So, as a ginja does, I power raked my lawn during 105 degree temps mid july. My lawn looked gorgeous 6 weeks later.
IMHO you can power rake any time other than winter months. You still want the grass topically to be growing to make sure you don't scalp the lawn. You also don't want too much water in the soil. This can also cause the machine to scalp the lawn. I best time of the year to do it, health wise, would be the fall time. If you don't want to deal with the secondary die out of the lawn do it in the spring time right before you apply your pre emergent. Hope that helps.
Pest and Lawn Ginja that's helpful, thanks for the reply! Looking forward to your upcoming video on this.
Anytime!!!
Should the lawn be thoroughly dried out and hearty before dethatching? Like, if the soil is really wet still here in early spring, should I hold off until mid-late may until things really dry out? I've used a powerbroom at my parents farm in mid-april to remove plowed sand, twigs, debris, etc, but I've never dethatched. My lawn is about 8 years old and I'm just really wanting to do everything I can to keep it healthy.
Ideally you want the top layer relatively dry. It doesn't have to be bone dry. Definitely don't want it over saturated or the machine will scalp the lawn. If the lower level of the grass is dry it will be fine. I always recommend a test pass.
Is it a must to overseed after dethaching? Thank you!
Depends on the grass type. if you have kbg it repairs very nicely. if you don't have kbg or a warm season grass I recommend overseeding for sure.
Pest and Lawn Ginja Thank you but we have el toro zoysia grass, which I guess is a warm season grass. Should we reseed? Tnx!!!
I used a detach rake removing dead grass and crabgrass. I just removed the spots and not the whole lawn. Do I need to cover those areas before aerating? I left several emails with LCN, but no responses. That's not good. So I am reaching out to u.
Hey Peter. Thanks for reaching out. I'm not sure I'm entirely understanding what happened. Are you saying that you now have bald spots in the lawn? If that's the case I would aerate. After the aeration you can throw some seed down and rebuild those areas. Be sure to water it in well.
GREAT BEARD
Hey Pest and Lawn Ginja
I’m located in Texas just south of Houston. Lots of humidity year round for the most part and especially during the warmer months.
Is this something that should be done regularly to Bermuda grass based lawns? Someone told me Bermuda grass may not require this bc it’s a different grass than what you show in the video🙄🙄🙄🤔.
TIA!!!
P.S. I really like your videos💚
You can avoid a lot of maintenance issue by doing a beginning or end of the season short mow on Bermuda. You dont want the runners to get too long, that come directly off the stolons.
Hey Ginja love the videos, many of them have helped my lawn immensely. We are hosting a wedding in our backyard at the end of August. I know I have thatch but I wanted to see if it would be safe to dethatch with the rake here on July 1?
I'm soo sorry this message got burried in the comments. I would recommend you use a dethatcher. far less invasive on the grass and it makes recovery time a moot issue.
Great content, as a home owner what would you rather do rent a power rake or why a detacher to pull with my riding lawn mower?
anytime you can DIY its a good day. I would be tempted to find a front end dethatcher. they work pretty awesome.
Kentucky Blue for the overseeding here. In a Nebraska climate turf with many shade trees, blade runner fescue is what I’ve been told to use. Hybrid with red fescue. What would be best seed for this type of lower light lawn reno?
Really appreciate you watching the video. In answer to your question I feel that a deep root structure is the saving grace. I feel I've had good luck with Barnbrug products and like there rtf (rhizomatous tall fescue). It grows in real thick, tight, and uses less water because the roots shoot 20". I didn't believe the roots could go that deep so we put some in a planter pot and let it grow for a few months. within a few months we had 14" roots in a pot that sat indoors most of the time. Here's a link to the product I like. Keep in mind Barenbrug for some reason is re branding and re bagging constantly.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076WYMZ82/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B076WYMZ82&linkCode=as2&tag=pestandlawngi-20&linkId=51aa41bf37ea376bbd3394f645cf9ee7
Thanks much, I appreciate the info!
Nice video man!
Thanks!
Is there a walk behind power rake that simply rakes leaves? I'm getting too old to spend a day raking so I'm looking for powered alternative. Looks to me like that one you are using would be too aggressive for routine use.
Great question. Most of the power rakes are going to be too invasive on the soil IMO. There are a few electric options that aren't as aggressive as a traditional power rake like the one I'm using in the video.
The one I listed below may be a good option for you. It sweeps more than it digs. I'm going to order one to do a video review.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030BG1HM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0030BG1HM&linkCode=as2&tag=pestandlawngi-20&linkId=dfdcb916a1076ec16b739a32a3f489bd
@@pestandlawnginja I was actually looking at the same one. Little flimsy looking but might work out. I'll look forward to your review.
@@OldePhart the reason I reco.mend it is due to the spring loaded tines. I believe it will be less invasive as you're looking for. And at $100 it's cheaper by a mile.
I had chinch bugs last year. Would dethatch help keep them away? Thanks.
it'll help a bit for sure. getting rid of there food source and hiding areas is a great start.
What time of year do you typically dethatch & overseed?
best time is fall but spring works great to
good video
After dethatching do you mow the lawn with a bagger for cleanup? I have a 36 in Toro Proline with a metal bagger, so should I dethatch first, then cut the lawn with the bagger on to collect all of the thatch? Any order or formation you can advise would be appreciated, thank you.
I like to do my mow first. Little shorter than normal. Then I'll use my mower to pickup the debris after the power rake. I'll repeat that 2 times then move onto a hand rake. Checkout episode 2 of this is my lawn in my playlist.
@ @@pestandlawnginja- Why is raking by hand needed? Won't the mower/bagging get all the removed thatch?
@@Twister051 the bagger doesnt get it all unfortunately. Some of the mulch is sticky and doesnt want to come up with the machine. Needs a little extra help.
Rather than rake up all that loose material, could you just run over it with a bagger mower with the height set higher than the grass?
Hey Timjs, yes you can mow over the materials with the right mower. The final rake IMO is very important to get the rest of the dead debris off the top of the soil. There's commonly another 30% left over that isn't pulled up by the power raking machine.
Pest and Lawn Ginja There is a machine you can rent that dethatches and sucks all the thatch up as you go..
great comment. You make an excellent point. In my local area I have never seen them for rent and that's why I haven't mentioned it in the past. Those machines are about 4 X's the cost and they do a decent job too. Thanks for mentioning it.
Would you recommend cutting your lawn at the lowest setting prior to using the de thatcher? Planning on doing this tomorrow
My recommendation is to go as low as you can without cutting off more than 1/3rd of the plant. We are going to put the lawn into a little bit of stress by performing the power rake so its important not to over shock the lawn with to short of a mow.
Thanks ginja! My roommate in college was just like you, best dude I ever knew. Red heads for life!!
That's the nicest thing I've heard all day!
Thatch is the ENEMY.....got it!
lisa gordon thanks for the comment! Merry Christmas.
I need to know more about my enemy... Is it just old grass? Half grown grass? Can i Use in in much or silage? does it contain seed? Thank you for all the Information thus far brother keep up the good work.
Thanks for for the comment! Questions are always welcome. From what I understand your question is what is thatch? Thatch is the compost material that is directly in and above the top soil layer. The answer to "what thatch is" has become somewhat debatable and depends on where you feel the thatch layer begins. My opinion stands that the thatch we speak of (the overall term people use) is the dead grass layer that sits above the soil. The problem is that people aren't mulching correctly to form a proper thatch layer (decomposing ground up grass blades). Properly mulched grass blades will be ground into a dust like substance and will not appear as dead grass blades. Unfortunately, just like slang terms, the term thatch layer understanding is changing because people misunderstand what it really is. Lawns are supposed to be mowed when the blades grow 1/4" above the desired height e.g. Kentucky bluegrass desired summer height is 3" I should cut it when it reaches 3.25". If I cut it when its longer than that, meaning 1/2" or more, it becomes harder for the lawn mower to properly mulch. mulch in my opinion should be ground down to what appears to be a dust like compound, not leftover cut grass blades. If you are seeing blades longer than 1/8" after you mulch you are not mulching you're just leaving dead grass.
I feel overall people plant and want to have a nice lawn classified as rhizomatous grass. Here in Utah we find most people want Kentucky Bluegrass because its most inviting on there feet and the rhizomes grow the closest together out of any other available grass we have. If you are not mulching properly and leave dead grass on top of the soil it chokes out the rhizomes therefore disallowing the new blades that emerge from the rhizomes to properly emerge and eventually the lawn thins out. It also doesn't allow the nutrients from the fertilizers to pass through the dead grass to the soil. Here is a link to a video I've done about the mulching subject:
th-cam.com/video/_a2ThORNURQ/w-d-xo.html To answer your question "Can i Use in in much or silage?"
- I wouldn't use normal yard grass clippings or mulch to convert to silage. From my understanding, I could be wrong, silage is made from feed grade grasses specific to the animal you're feeding. rotting or old cut grasses can harm horses, cows and other grass fed animals so please be careful.
"does it contain seed?"
- Mulch can contain seeds. It would depend on the lawn and where it was cut from. It is not uncommon for grass to have a seed head depending on time of year and types of fertilizer used.
Really appreciate the questions and the feed back. Don't hesitate to ask questions. I will do my best to provide good content.
Pest and Lawn Ginja ... Great detailed answer to "What is thatch?" Glad I stumbled upon your page. Keep it up, please and thank you!
Thanks for the compliment! I'm doing my best to provide good quality information. if you catch me slippin let me know!
can you do the 2nd pass without raking in between? the power rake should have enough power, right?
Not on a lawn like this. if the debris wasn't this bad you can totally do that.
Thanks for the nice video man!
You're welcome samuel
How many passes can you do with the dethatcher? I did a test run with my new greeneorks dethacher and I can tell there's sti a lot of debris/thatch in the lawn.
You can do as many as it takes with the greenworks
Thanks Lawn Ginja!!
@@popeyeyankee5477 You're welcome
Hey Ginja, I've got a bermuda lawn and we'll be entering dormant temps in about a month to a month and a half. I've got a serious thatch layer, would I be ok dethatching this late in the season? I only started caring about my lawn about 3 weeks ago after watching some of your and others videos they've inspired me that I can have a great lawn even though it looks terrible at the moment. I've got weeds that are out of control (planning to treat once they grow back up) and have some fungus growth that's killing off the grass in spots.
Hey ImalTman. It's best to power rake creeping grasses during their growing stages. I recommend power raking bermuda in the spring time so it can repair itself. If you wanted to lightly rake through the lawn that would be fine. We don't want to cause too much stress to stoloniferous grass types this late in the game. I would spot spray the weeds and identify the fungus and then take it from there.
Sounds like a plan, how much do I owe you for the expert advice? lol
two views on the next 5 videos hahaha
@@pestandlawnginja I got you bro, thanks again
You're welcome!
We just bought a house and the whole yard had moss. Should I dethatch it? I want grass and not majority moss with grass growing through.
man o man. sorry to hear. it does help to dethatch it. after your done hit it with some ferrous sulfate.
When/what time of year do you dethatch? How is this different from aeration?
power raking is very different than lawn aeration. I have a video that explains the difference. there are some cheap dethatchers like the sun joe dethatcher that I highly recommned. You can dethatch anytime the grass is in a growth state. you're really not removing thatch but you do remove a ton of debris. links in the description of the video.
What do you use to pick up all the thatch? I can't hang rake.
I used a landscaper hahaha. In my other videos I use a backpack leaf blower and it saves my back.
Great stuff! But did you say the power rig rotates 200 times PER SECOND? If true, I guess using a manual thatching rake makes zero sense...?!?
That was my mouth talking sooner than my brain. in all reality it spins quickly. I believe the math is a 50:1 ratio. What I was trying to say is the accumalitive scours of the tines themselves would add up to 200 per second. but even that is questionable. it is far more effective than using a thatch rake by comparison to time spent on the job. with that said both tools are very efficient and the power rake is more invasive on the grass and requires about 4 to 6 weeks to recover where the thatch rake is about 1 week to 2 weeks to recover when done properly.
@@pestandlawnginja ok thanks for the added input - didn’t think about recovery time!
@@kevinhorne2646 you're welcome! Slay that lawn!
Good info dude
Thanks for the comment!
My Ginja!
👊😀
Great video, how much would does the bluebird cost? Thanks
they range between $1200 and $1500
Would a power rake also pick up acorns in addition to thatch? Or would the acorns cause a problem with the machine?
a tine based dethatcher would. much less invasive on the lawn. checkout my sunjoe videos. It's a great machine for not a lot of price
Do you do power raking and vacuum prior to aeration? Or should it be the other way around first? Thank you! 😀
Yes we do. lawn dethatching first, then aeration
Before Anything! You have a fantastic Beard
Thanks!!!!
You're welcome man
Quick question tho, what's the best process to have a great lawn?
What the cost of doing that to about 3/4 acre. Just approximate. Trying to decide to buy some equipment or hire. Thanks
The guys in my area would charge upwards of $1200 or more
Please tell me where you purchased Kentucky blue grass for northern states.
barenbrug turf blue pro from domyown.com or amazon
Can you aerate and dethatch at the same time (in the same weekend)? If so, I assume you dethatch first?
Great question! I like to do the entire power rake and clean up first and aerate after. You can do the entire process the same day without a problem. I feel like if you aerate the lawn after the power rake you'll get a better core and dethatch from the aerator. It also makes for less debris going back into the aeration core holes.
Pest and Lawn Ginja Thanks! I pinged Scotts with the same question. They said doing both at the same time would be hard on a lawn. Perhaps they were speaking specifically about a lawn like mine (in need of TLC). Thoughts?
I don't believe much of what the "experts say". I always error on the side of trying worst case scenario. I've power raked and aerated my own lawn the same day on the hottest time during the summer and still received great results. If you're concerned I would adjust the power rake and only do two passes, clean it up, and a final hand rake. As long as you don't lower the machine too low and scalp the lawn I don't mind. I found for our climate perennial rye grass struggled the most after a power rake. If your worried, order a bag of revive and humates to perk it up.
You own a lawn company that's crazy I thought gingers were allergic to the sun make sure you buy stock in spf 1000
BAHAHAHA! I lube up with a paint roller every day! #gingerlife . Thanks for the stock tip
Pest and Lawn Ginja haha awesome!! I look like a mummy when I'm out there I cut like 35 40 a day down here in the south and am covered head to toe long sleeve huk shirts and sao face mask. earned a sub here 👍
🤣🤣🤣
Is it ok to rake/power rake in July? My lawn is looking pretty good and green however, I've noticed a lot of thatch beneath the green along with being mixed in with healthy blades of grass. Thanks! Happy 4th! 🍻
If you're overall health of the lawn is good you're good to go. but i personally would use a dethatcher like the sun joe instead so you don't stress the soil and grass out as much. you can use dethatchers weekly if you wanted that lawn to pop
@@pestandlawnginja Awesome, will do! Thanx for responding!
Thanks! Nice video.
Thanks for watching!
Gonna, I've been thinking about a Sunjoe or Greenworks dethatcher ( debris removal tool), besides dragging a cord around, would I have over heating problems ? Thanks, John
Sun joe hands down no questions asked. took me .01 milliseconds to make that descision. if you get the right extension cord it will last. I will be doing an updated video soon.
Does this remove all of the grass I need to get down to dirt to level
it is the most agressive way to remove the dead debris from the grass
South florida. Floratam type grass. Worth power racking? Great video btw
depends on the area of the lawn. If it's got a ton of topical debris that is affecting the color have it vertimowed
How does the dethatcher do when it comes to sprinkler heads?
When I aerated, I used a spring loaded aerator so it skips over hard objects and doesn’t hurt anything.
Hey rymaster4385 . Thanks for the comment. To answer your question, it all depends on the model and type of power rake. This particular one I used was not one that would crush a sprinkler head. It can if the sprinkler head is really old and brittle but in the 7 years we've used it we haven't had a single instance of damages that were reported. Aeration on the other hand.... SMH.... We've fixed a lot of heads hahaha.
That my friend is why they make de-thatching rakes. Utterly worthless for the full yard, but addresses odd corners, getting around sprinkler heads, and the odd statue of John Paul Jones [if you have that sort of thing laying about].
Should you wait after power raking to over seed and fertilize?
Mike Stevens that's a great question. The short answer is yes, waiting until after you complete power rake is better.
The reason is the fertilizer and seed can get bound up in the dead grass. However I wouldn't suggest putting off fertilizing or over seeding if you're not going to complete the power rake within the next 3 to 4 weeks
How many passes do you need?
with these machines I recommend 2 max. if you have a dethatcher like the sun joe you do an many as it takes to get the job done.
Can you mulch the thatch back in? I want to get a dethatcher for my tractor but I don't have anything to suck it up, 1.5 acres.
That's a tough question. If you had a machine that would do a good enough job to mulch it into a proper "dust" I'm afraid it may go down too thick on top of the real thatch layer and cause some issues. It would all depend on how much comes up. If there's half as much dead grass that comes up as in this video it may work.
Thanks for the knowledge- I'll give it a try. Coming up on the first full year here, for the fall I mulched all my leaves into the lawn and it seems to be coming back nicely (a shitload of big trees on premises). I wanted to avoid buying a monster bagger unless absolutely necessary..
You're welcome. I don't blame you for attempting. going against the grain has taught me a lot. LOL
lol, while I'm stealing your experience, do you recommend a large manufacturers bagger (like 14 bushel, running off existing pulley system) or a tow behind with it's own motor?
that's a great question. I'm kind of old school. I would use the biggest bagger that would allow the least amount of work and effort. the tow behind imho would give the least amount of work if it had a hydraulic dump to it.
Can you aerate after doing this?
Absolutely
Do you recommend the same process for St. Augustine here in Florida?
its called verticutting. best to do it when the lawn is in full growing mode. its not often that it needs to be done but highly beneficial.
Bozos here in PA just wanna aerate. Any tips on your overseeding? Thnx
I love barenbrug turf blue
Pest and Lawn Ginja total newbie here, can i just apply the seed? Birds wont eat it? How bout those ‘all in one’ w/dirt and fertilizers? Any better than just overseeding? Thnx
why hand-rake up the thatch instead of just using lawn tractor to go over it and suck it up into bag?
Occasionally I will use a ride on mower to do the initial cleanup. The last pass needs a hand rake to get the sticky stuff out.
ok, thanks. I was curious. what do you think about using a combo dethatcher & Aerator machine?
@@mwin86 I've never had the pleasure
how do you prevent tearing grass? raise the mower?
yes! and sharpening the blades every 15 to 20 mows
Hey Ginja! Does the term 'power rake' and 'de-thatch' have the same meaning? I'm looking for a tool I can attach to my small riding-lawnmower to help with this. Thanks.
essentially yes. both terms hold similar meanings. try searching for a front end tine dethatcher for your mower. They do a good job.
@@pestandlawnginja Why front vs rear dethatcher attachments? Suggestions?
from what I've seen and watched, just my opinion, it doesn't need additional weight to be put on it to get into the soil. It also is adjustable without having to get off of the mower.
Do you cut the yard first? Or do you just rake it?
Cut first down to 2"
Did you just say the tines spin a couple hundred times a second?
I did, horrible information hahaha. I got a little excited. what I meant to say was there are 20 of them spinning and scoring the ground
How much of this thatch was from leaving long clippings on?
probably most of the issue would be my guess!
What do you charge for something like that and how long did it take?
Thanks.
Hey there Gabe. The company I work for doesn't offer power raking. Most companies that offer a power rake and cleanup in my area charge between $150 to $250 per .25acre lot including the cleanup.
You can rent a dethatcher at home depot for $53 for 4 hours or $75 for 24hrs
What can I overseed a unsettled st. Augustine lawn with? Got any tips?
depends on your goals. I would overseed with St Augustine if you want it to match. However get the blend thats roundup resistant. Makes cleaning up weeds a breeze.
@@pestandlawnginja my goal is to establish more grass then weeds. Just wasn't sure what kind of seeds I can use
I would keep it the same and use the st augustine. I know there's a few suppliers of st augustine that is resistant to round up but I can't remember if they sell the seed or if it only comes from sod farms.
How low do you set your sunjoeusually?
0 on the dethatcher -10 on the scarifier
@@pestandlawnginja thank you!
dude! youre in Utah?! You got a sub in me!
jordub yes. Utah 4 life ;)
You've got a sub in me
You've got a sub in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a sub in me
Yeah, you've got a sub in me
You've got a sub in me
You've got a sub in me
You got troubles, I've got 'em too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and see it through
Cause you've got a sub in me
You've got a sub in me
Some other folks might be
A little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too
Maybe
But none of them will ever love you
The way I do
It's me and you, boy
And as the years go by
Our subship will never die
You're gonna see it's our destiny
You've got a sub in me
You've got a sub in me
You've got a sub in me
Haha I noticed the mountain on the background and thought he is in UT as well!
Does this work for St. Augustine lawns in the south?
yes! springtime is best. If you can find a vertical mower even better
What do you use to clean up the thatch?
A backpack blower and rake
You neglected to mention what makes the hand rake superior to the power rake, it's much easier to swing at unwelcome animals and the neighbor's children, though I repeat myself...
The hand rake is superior because it pulls more at one time. However it's hard on the body. Not a fun job at all!
@@pestandlawnginja no sir it isn't, and soon I'll have to stop kicking that can...
I'll tell you what that sun joe works great. and using it with a backpack blower to help pick up the mess makes the job much easier.
I started to dethatch my lawn and it’s starting to look bald. Am I doing something wrong?
Sounds like it's scalping a bit. I would check to see if the soil or grass is too wet or too dry. You may also need to raise the machine a notch or 2
LOVE the beard!!
Thanks!!!