Scarifying Lawns – A Scarifier, Rake And Aerator Aren’t The Same
What is a scarifier? First let’s put the story straight on what scarifying lawns involves and dispel the notion, believed by some, that a scarifier, aerator and rake are the same thing. Rakes do what their name suggests, while aerators perforate the lawn surface to let air in. Scarifiers, however, remove the harmful lawn thatch that can literally suffocate your lawn. Knowing how to scarify a lawn is a key skill for anyone who takes a pride in their green sward – scarifying a lawn is easy with the right equipment.
What’s involved in scarifying lawns?
To understand why scarifying grass is so important, we need to understand thatch. On a healthy lawn, it’s normal to find a few millimetres’ of dead plant matter amongst the live green shoots. But when a lawn is left untended and this thatch accumulates, possibly until it is centimetres thick, it will soon obstruct the ingress of air and inhibit the growth of healthy vertical grass shoots. Before you know it, your once-beautiful lawn is a sad shadow of its former self.
Amazing effects on lawns that haven’t been scarified for a while
Scarifying lawnsis a recognised technique that can help transform a lacklustre lawn into a new and beautiful garden highlight. On a lawn that hasn’t been regularly scarified, treatment with a quality lawn scarifier typically removes a mass of unwanted material; though it looks as if the lawn is being ripped apart, this is actually good. The lawn will soon recover and the grass will regrow with new vigour. If this happens to you, you won’t be the first person to be amazed by the transformation.
Which scarifierfor my lawn?
A scarifier is a mower-like device used for scarifying lawns; it’s designed to remove the thatch from the lawn and collect it for disposal. Using a machine is so much easier than traditional manual scarification with a Springbok hand rake. It’s more efficient too, which is good news if your pride and joy is anything more than pocket-handkerchief sized! Scarifiers are either petrol or electrically powered, with similar pros and cons as for lawn mowers: weight; power differences; need for cables; complexity; and suitability for scarifying lawns in damp or wet conditions. For many purchasers, their choice will be led by their power preference for other garden equipment.
How scarifying lawns can help you look after them
With your new machine you’ll learn how to use a scarifier in minutes. Regular scarifying avoids the build up of thatch and inhibits the growth of unwanted weeds and creeping grasses. There’s no big mystery to knowing how to scarify a lawn: with a suitable scarifier, it’s easy to regularly scarify the lawn in two or three passes from different directions – with the scarifier blades set slightly lower each time for maximum effect.