How to scarify a lawn with a machine or hand tool.

In this article, I will show you how to scarify a lawn with a machine or hand tool.

What matters is that you understand when to scarify.It can be done in the spring or autumn.Conditions won't be right for recovery if it's not one of these three months.

Whether you are scarifying to restore or repair your lawn, or simply as part of your annual lawn care regime, you need to prepare.

After a week or two, cut the grass and lower the height of the mower to bring it down.

It will be much harder to de-thatch your lawn than it is to rake it, but the quicker it recovers, the better.

If you are using a powered machine, scarify it in the same way you would mow the grass by setting it to its highest setting.You have to go up and down until you scarified the whole area.

If you are using a springbok rake or hand scarifier, you should gently tease out the thatch by going up and down the lawn.

Depending on how much material you removed on the first pass, you can lower the scarifier.The deeper thatch or moss should come out a bit easier after the first pass.

Two passes is enough if you are raking in the spring.If you remove a lot of moss in the autumn, you might want to lower the setting and go over the lawn three or four times.

The blades should be used to cut into the soil about a quarter of an inch deep.This is the perfect place to lay new grass seed after scarifying.

Now that you know how to scarify a lawn, you can use different types of scarifier to best effect.

If you only have a small lawn, a hand-held scarifier is very easy to use.

Continue down the long edge after starting in one corner of the lawn.Change the angle of the handle with a back and forth motion.The deeper the blades are, the more thatch will be removed.

You want to raise the handle high so the blades can cut into the soil to create an open bed for seeding.

On a small lawn, using a hand-held scarifier takes longer than a powered version.I always use a powered scarifier.

If you use an electric or petrol scarifier, you just have to adjust the height and push it around the same way a lawnmower does.

If you have the option to adjust the height, you might be tempted to set it to its lowest setting and go as deep as you can.

The best advice is to be gentle.Being too rough with a powered machine can cause you to rip large swaths of turf out of your lawn.

You can adjust the height of your scarifier by finding a path, patio or hard surface.Go over your lawn for a few meters after turning it on.Minor adjustments are made until the thatch comes up.

I want to stress that the key point is to be gentle and tease away the moss or thatch.You can scarify lightly.

A powered machine is more powerful than a springbok rake or hand scarifier.It is more labour intensive.

scarifying is important if you choose to do it.It will improve the look of your garden and breathe new life into your lawn.

I am a professional gardener with degrees.I would like to help you create the garden of your dreams.I want your garden to look professional.I was doing it all for you.