Spring is dropping off quickly and summer will soon be rushing in, but it is never too late to aerate! You guys know I am a huge advocate of lawn aeration, but what if you think you need to dethatch?

De-thatching the lawn means you use a machine, appropriately called a “dethatcher” that literally combs through the lawn just above the soil line with a spiked roller. These spikes rip and pull the thatch from the lawn. I rarely recommend dethaching unless it is an extreme case.

Recently in my lawn care travels (yep, I see many lawns each week here in the Midwest) I have stepped on several that desperately needed dethatching.

Thatch is the layer of mostly dead grass roots and other organic matter that reside just above the soil line. If the layer of thatch is less than a half inch thick, we’re good, but when it gets thicker, and the lawn feels “spongy” underfoot, then something must be done.

If the thatch layer is around 3/4 inch or less, you can have the lawn aerated in the spring and fall and keep it within an acceptable range. If you are at the top end of this scale, go over the lawn twice with the machine.

However, if you are over that 3/4 inch limit, you need to rent the dethacher and get to work. The good news is that most dethatching machines can be adjusted, height-wise. My advice is to test it out on a small spot first. You don’t want to scrape it down to the bare dirt. In fact, leave that 1/2 or even 1/4 inch in there.

So keep in mind, it is fine to dethatch, but only in extreme cases. If your lawn just won’t green up, even when you fertilize, check the thatch layer and see if this is the problem.

Today is Earth Day and I figure that the very best way to help the environment and strengthen the Earth is to have a green, healthy lawn. Now, I know I am biased, but if you think about it, pretty much everyone in the modern world has a lawn, and if we all made them green, weed free, and healthy, how much better would the world be?

Here are some pretty basic tips on keeping your lawn care “green.”

Recycle Lawn Clippings

This is also called “mulching” the clippings, and it really is the best thing for your lawn. If you have a proper mulching mower and you let the lawn clippings fall back into the turf, you are doing the right thing. Mulching returns moisture and nutrients back into the lawn, meaning you need to use less fertilizer to keep the grass growing healthy.

Sharpen Mower Blades

You probably didn’t think about this as being a green lawn tip, but it is. You see, a dull mower blade rips, shreds, and tears the turf tips when you mow. These ripped and shredded areas allow moisture to more quickly escape the grass plants, and leads to the need for more water to keep the lawn green! I call that “waster water.”

Water Right

The right way to water your lawn is once or twice a week, at most. When you do water, water deeply. One or two deep waterings (about 1 inch throughout) a week can keep the lawn healthy. If you water daily but for only 15 or so minutes, you are just contributing to evaporation and not using resources wisely.

There you go guys: Simple green lawn tips in honor of Earth Day. Simple!