Have you ever noticed the dead plant material like leaves and stems that builds up between the soil and the living grass? That is Thatch! Thatch is a natural process and is necessary to help protect the roots, however excessive thatch prevents moisture, oxygen and nutrients from penetrating the soil.
Allowing the thatch to build up can result in an unhealthy lawn. Thatch also increases the chance of problems with pest, fungus and lawn diseases. If your lawn has less than ½ inch of thatch it is fine. If you have a layer of thatch ½ of an inch or more then its time to de-thatch.
To remove a build up of thatch there are a few approaches you can take. You can do the dreaded vigorously raking in two directions. Or, to make the job a little easier you can use a de-thatching machine. The easiest way to get rid of thatch is by using a water soluble thatch remover, such as our “Liquid 
Thatch Remover” product. Just attach the container to your garden hose and spray your lawn.
Using a rake or a de-thatching machine can be hard on the turf, so you only want to de-thatch when the grass is actively growing and has time to recover before the winter weather. Early spring, after the grass has greened up, is good time to de-thatch a lawn. Do not de-thatch your lawn when it is in a dormant state, this can damage your lawn.