Dethatching is the process of removing thatch—tightly-bound plant material found at the surface of a lawn. This improves soil drainage and nutrient absorption to boost lawn health and encourage new growth.

Dethatching is a process that tears out material from the lawn, so it may leave behind some bare spots. These areas should be reseeded to promote fresh grass growth to create a picture-perfect lawn.

First, remove all debris from the yard—including sprinkler heads and other obstacles. Next, mow your lawn to half of its normal cutting height. This lower height allows the dethatcher to work more effectively.

Dethatching should occur when grass is actively growing with moderate soil moisture. The best time for dethatching varies by grass type, which is usually late spring-early summer for warm-season grasses & early spring-fall for cool-season grasses.

Set the depth according to the grass type and the thickness of the thatch. Deeper settings will remove more thatch, which may be necessary if you haven’t dethatched in a while. Refer to the manual for specific height measurements of each position.