What is scarifying?
Scarification is a very important task to improve the quality of your lawn and increase the effectiveness of other lawn maintenance procedures such as fertilisation or reseeding / overseeding. Light scarification is good in the Spring whilst leaving heavy scarification is advised in the Autumn months.
Why do I need to scarify?
Scarifying your lawn is a process that helps remove unwanted organic matter such as moss, thatch and lateral growth. Moss is formed when water stands on the soil and cannot be drained, this usually occurs when there is a shaded area over the grass, the soil is compacted or the grass is weak. Thatch is a layer of dead organic matter that builds up overtime at the base of the grass plant. Grass clipping and dead grass build a layer that prevent water, air and sun from reaching the roots of the plant causing the grass to brown. Lateral growth is when the grass plant grows sideways and not upright, this can leave a uneven cut and long wispy bits in your lawn.
What benefits will I see?
By removing dead and unwanted organic matter from the soils surface you are allowing the elements and nutrients to get to the grass plant which will encourage new and existing growth. Grass, like any other plant need 3 things to grow. Water, oxygen and sunlight. If there is a bed of thatch or moss on the soils surface water and air cannot penetrate the soil and get down to the grass roots. This can cause the roots to rise to the surface looking for air and water which can leave the plant weak as the roots are shallow and the plant is malnourished. Scarifying removes this layer which means sunlight, water and oxygen can get to the grass plant encouraging it to grow and become strong, ultimately leading to a greener and fuller looking lawn.
Types of scarification
There are many types of scarification methods depending on the desired task and what organic matter you are removing. The most common is a swing bladed types which is a good all-rounder for removing thatch, moss and lateral growth. Fixed blade scarifies are a more aggressive way to scarify that are often used to take out a deeper layer of organic matter and provide a light form of aeration. Spring rake types are ideal for removing moss and thatch without disturbing already existing healthy grass. Renovation blades are a heavy duty blade that will rip out the organic matter as well as existing grass for when you want to reseed an area.
