Garden scarifiers can help with three problems that might affect your lawn: grass thatching, moss, and lack of aeration. A scarifier, like the Stihl RL 540, works by digging up debris and dead matter, bringing air and water flow back to the roots of your lawn so that it can flourish. You’ll be amazed by the amount of dead matter that a garden scarifier will bring to the surface. It picks up moss and thatch but leaves the grass intact.
Garden Scarifiers: What is Lawn Thatch
Lawn thatch is commonly believed to be the discolouring on the surface of the grass. In fact, it’s a layer of dead grass which clumps and solidifies an area of turn. When rain falls, thatch acts like a sponge and soaks up water without the water getting to the roots. If you use fertilisers, thatching will also prevent nutrients from getting to the roots. As a result, grass suffers, and by summer, the grass will discolour and eventually die when the thatching becomes too thick.
De-thatching and aerating
We’ve all had the experience of leaving a garden unattended for a few months only to find it develops thick clumps of moss and thatch. Moss has very similar effects to your lawn, so keeping it under control is essential for maintaining a great looking yard. Aside from using a scarifier, if you have a tractor mower you can also aerate your lawn using a Lawn Aerator.
A garden lawn might look okay other than some areas that look slightly matted or discoloured. These indicate where thatching or moss is causing a problem. These are areas where, under the surface, lie large masses of thick, dead grass. This will build up over time, cutting off oxygen and water from the soil and roots and eventually killing the grass.
After you’ve passed over the area with the scarifier, you’ll have a substantial volume of matter which you can rake up. You should find your grass otherwise healthy and unscathed, and once it heals up, you’ll find the garden begins to flourish once again.
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