Dethatching

[LANDSCAPER34]

Should I do anything to my lawn after dethatching?

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Should I do anything to my lawn after dethatching?

This Old House's website says this:

1. For small lawns, use thatch rake to comb thatch from grass.
2. For larger lawns, use power rake to remove thatch from grass.
3. Use leaf rake to collect thatch and place onto tarp; properly discard thatch.
4. Spread grass seed across lawn and rake into the grass.
5. Use a drop spreader to apply fertilizer and pre-emergent crabgrass control to the lawn.
6. Keep lawn moist; water daily if necessary.

(How to De-thatch a Lawn | Video | Lawn Care | Yard & Garden | This Old House)

And this is what Dummies.com says:
A dethatcher works best when the lawn is lightly moist — not too wet or too dry. Here’s how to do it:

Mow the lawn a little lower than normal right before you dethatch.

Make at least two passes over the lawn with the dethatcher to get all the thatch. Make the second pass at a 90-degree angle to the first.

Rake up all the debris. If you haven’t used any pesticides on the lawn and it’s not a weedy grass like Bermuda grass, you can compost the debris or use it for mulch.

Water and fertilize the lawn (according to your soil test results).

Dethatching is pretty stressful on a lawn, and it can be on you, too. The lawn ends up looking pretty ratty, but if you dethatch at the right time, the lawn recovers quickly and fills in.

For a quicker fill-in, some people prefer to reseed the lawn right after dethatching. You simply spread the seed, rake the lawn so the seed gets down to the soil surface, cover with a light mulch, rake lightly again, and keep everything moist.

If you don’t want to reseed but worry that weed seedlings may take over before the grass recovers, apply a pre-emergent herbicide (it prevents weed seeds from germinating) after dethatching.

(http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-dethatch-your-lawn.html)

 

[slammed]

Should I do anything to my lawn after dethatching?

Clean up all debris and over seed.