Scarification

Scarification should be regarded as an essential part of any lawn care programme. This mechanical process is the best way to remove the build-up of thatch and allow the grass to regenerate itself.

Thatch is the layer of dead and dying organic material such as horizontal stems of grass, old mowings and decaying leaves found just below the surface of the green sward of grass. A thin layer of thatch in lawns is normal, desirable and will cause no problems. However if the thatch is allowed to build-up it can form a barrier to water and nutrients, preventing their passage down into the root zone.

Scarification also has the added benefit, when done in conjunction with application of a moss treatment, of removing a substantial proportion of any moss present.

For lawns undergoing extensive renovation work it is nearly always the first process to be undertaken. Following scarification the grass will inevitably look thin and patchy, but will soon recover and grow much stronger as a result of the thatch removal.