Liquid dethatching

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Chemical dethatching will NEVER replace mechanical.

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100% which is why I mentioned taking down my mechanical power rake. In reality it is hard to truly mechnically dethatch a yard. You are primarily removing debris. It you actually mechanically remove the majority of the real thatch layer (the brown fibrous material) you will remove a ton of the grass and roots in the process. I have a ton of debris built up that I need to get out to start promoting the actual biological breakdown of the thatch which is going to take a long time.

I have never had a thatch layer this thick, so I want to stimulate the microbiome to accelerate the natural breakdown of the actual thatch layer. I am just looking for the best thing to feed those critters.

Your 2 cents are worth a dollar. Spot on approach. Core aerate and put down some carbon/

I must have glanced over the St Aug part. Thatch is not typically an issue with St Aug unless excessive thatch is contributing fungal "brown patch" issues. You're going to be better off aerating than dethatching

Generally its not recommended but dethatching can still be done on St Aug, if very careful. Time of year and after care becomes super important, but using a verti-cut with 3" spacing, and only in a single direction rather than a power rake with 1" spacing

Find a core aerator

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your definition of “camp” is obviously different from mine LOL

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My definition would have probably matched with yours prior to meeting my wife and spending a bunch of time in SELA over the last 25 years but I have come to understand that people consider anything a camp if it is a second home, Running the gamut from a surplus FEMA trailer pulled up to a river to a 7,000 sq ft luxury home. IE every house on False River is a camp if it is used seasonally or sporadically. I see the same thing up here when people talk about their mountain cabin.



OK lets see if we can avoid me making a mistake, especially when it involves manual labor to make the mistake.

I don't want to write a book so I will try to keep it breif but hit the high points.

I don't know how thick the actual thatch layer is, I have not plugged it but I guarantee it is well over an inch. I also know that doesn't choke St Aug due to the stolens but my real issue is that it has a TON of debris in it.

It is spongy and not in the normal establish St Aug lawn, it is like walking on a Temper-Pedic matress. I have always loved the softness of a St Aug yard cut at 4 inches. It is my favorite look and foot feel for truf grass. I did the scalping and treatments this year and when I was scalping it was physical WORK to push the mower, it felt similar to pushing a mower with no wheels.

My plan is not to technically dethatch, I don't think my Sun Joe can even get to the thatch layer. I would probably have to rent a machine to get there but that is not what I am interested in and wouldn't do it on St Aug unless there was a real problem. Stolens aren't fussed pushing through thatch. I know what caused the thick debris layer and I will revisit it with my lawn guy but ne is the fourth one in the 17 years this lawn has been in and they all do what they want vs what I want. I know, I know but I am tired of trying.

My plan is to get debris out on the lowest setting. Follow up with a light power raking as often as I feel the grass can take it until I have the debris out.

The lawn has been in for ~17 years and always looked good to excellent. The debris is just becoming a problem. The grass looked good the last time I was there, a little slow coming out of dormancy but I chalked that up to the snow. It is getting some weed pressure on one side because a neighbor recontoured his lawn with some dirt that was "20% weed seeds" but other than that it is really the spongyness.

I understand the chemical dethatchers alone will likely do very little especially in the short term but for $40 for a years worth of applications it will at least make me feel like I am trying even if it is wasted money.

So the idea is to feed the critters that munch on debris and thatch, if I scratch their back maybe they will scratch mine.

So two questions:

1. Does anyone think I am going to ruin my lawn with shallow debris removal

2. best product to accelerate the micro-biome that helps break down the thatch/debris

TIY