DIY Network

De-Thatch Your Lawn Debris and dead roots stand in the way of a healthy, green turf. From "The Dirt On..." episode DTDO-114

Green up your patch of turf by removing dead roots and debris.

If your lawn is turning brown, fall is the best time to do some repair work. But what to do? There could be several culprits behind its turning brown: Maybe the grass needs more water, a neighborhood pooch could be visiting a little too often, or possibly there's something more serious, such as a fungus like brown patch.

The most likely cause of that brown grass, however, is something you can control with a little work — thatch.

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	Figure A
	Figure B

Thatch is the build-up of dead roots and lawn debris (figure A), caused by over-watering or by using a fertilizer that's heavy in nitrogen. When thatch becomes excessive, your lawn will thin out and lose color. It will also become vulnerable to pests and disease, and it will grow shallow roots that can't survive dry summer weather.

It's best to get rid of thatch in the fall or before your fertilize; don't wait until spring. A thatch rake (figure B) is a tool specially designed to remove thatch from your lawn. It has very sharp tines that rip the thatch out, removing all the dead grass. If you have a really big lawn, you can rent a power de-thatcher to make the job easier. Your lawn will look pretty bad when you're done, but it will grow back much healthier.

Aerating your lawn will also help get rid of thatch. A lawn aerator pulls out small chunks of lawn and soil, allowing air, moisture and fertilizer to get down to the roots, which will then spread out and grow much deeper. This will also help if you have compacted soil or poor drainage.