# Dethatching Make a Difference?



## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

The answer should be yes, dethatching should result in a healthier lawn because vital nutrients and sunlight will reach the soil easier. This season I'm going to keep a diary every week to see what interventions will truly improve the appearance of this Bermuda stand.

Left side of this Bermuda stand has been scalped, but not dethatched.

The right side has been scalped and dethatched using a Swardman Scarifier cartridge. Each Monday I'm going to take a picture and I'm curious if there will be a visible difference throughout the "green up" this spring and throughout the season if I dethatch 1x per month. Anyone done this before?


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## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

I feel sure there will be a noticeable difference. Even dormant there's a noticeable difference. And that blanket of thatch isn't going to help the green up.

Look forward to more pics...

Edit: I didn't notice the once per month part. That does seem excessive and may negatively effect the visuals. Since dethatching is usually pretty tough on the healthy grass, it takes it a little bit to recover, then you would be doing it all over again as soon as it's nice and healthy. I agree with posts below. Couple times a year should be more than enough.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@Reelrollers Dethatching every month seems excessive and unnecessary. Even on heavily fertilized turf, I would think twice a season (three at the most) would be plenty.


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## Kballen11 (Mar 26, 2018)

Spammage said:


> @Reelrollers Dethatching every month seems excessive and unnecessary. Even on heavily fertilized turf, I would think twice a season (three at the most) would be plenty.


+1 and I think it will screw your results of the one time effective dethatch on green up. I say you just go with the pictures every monday.


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

I am excited to see the difference even with minimal thatching. Great idear... yeah idear.


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## high leverage (Jun 11, 2017)

Please burn the strip next to the street. Compare dethatcthed, non detached, and burnt.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

high leverage said:


> Please burn the strip next to the street. Compare dethatcthed, non detached, and burnt.


I like it!


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Spammage said:


> @Reelrollers Dethatching every month seems excessive and unnecessary. Even on heavily fertilized turf, I would think twice a season (three at the most) would be plenty.


Make it more interesting. Divide it in three. Monthly dethatch by the road. Thrice a season in the middle and no dethatch by the parking lot.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

high leverage said:


> Please burn the strip next to the street. Compare dethatcthed, non detached, and burnt.


Or burn it. But only if you post the video.


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## iFisch3224 (Jun 11, 2018)

Subscribed. &#128077;


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Sold! Let the burning begin (of course we will video that just for fun). I appreciate the feedback and I'll follow this script and provide weekly photos:
Parking lot side = No dethatching, just mow.
Sidewalk side = Dethatch every 2 months, just mow
Strip by road = burn baby burn, just mow

Have a great weekend and this will be cool to see (however, I do think the burn section will go green the fastest for 2 reasons)
1. It is surrounded by road/ sidewalk which provides heat on all sides of such a small strip stimulating the green up early
2. Burning produces that same heat which I think will also stimulate the early green up

But, we'll see. Plan is to burn this Sunday if we can stop it from raining every dang day here in GA.


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## BadDad (Mar 13, 2019)

Very cool to show us, I am excited to see the difference.

I "weeded" my bermuda today and it all got burnt somehow hehe


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## dtillman5 (Jul 20, 2017)

subscribed!

I am running something sort of similar in my back yard. I am creating a small test plot. I have treated the whole lawn minus the test plot with Mirimichi Cabonize 40lbs/k and will be using Holganix lawn 4-6oz/k monthly. Fertilizing with greentrx monthly. The test plot will get the fert only. I want to see if I can tell a difference from the carbonize and holganix. Whole lawn will get PGR based on GDD. Looking forward to see what results I get.


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## jonthepain (May 5, 2018)

Following

I love this stuff.


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## OD on Grass (Nov 1, 2018)

Love it! 
Can't wait to see the results!


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

As promised, we burned the section between the sidewalk and road.

So we have 3 sections:
Parking lot side = scalped
Sidewalk side = dethatched, scalped, dethatched
Road side = burn baby burn

Send updated pics every 2 weeks until we see a difference.


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## DR_GREENTHUMB (May 24, 2018)

Haha, you did burn it. I would most likely have the authorities at my door or people hysterical.

I did a similar test, one dethach as deep as it would go, then one dethatched at a higher level, etc.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Video? Fire trucks?


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Fortunately, I used the wind to my advantage and that strip burned in under 5 min. Few cars slowed down, but the patch is surrounded by concrete so I convinced myself this was a responsible act. No cops, no fire trucks. Overall a big win.

Unfortunately, when the 18 wheeler delivered a container of Swardman mowers on Tuesday, he decided to pull over before backing in and drove over the entire section that was burned!


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

It's been almost 3 weeks since my last update on my experiment. Results, scalping with a Reel Mower proved to make a huge difference. 
1st pic: left half of turf was scalped and dethatched with a Swardman. Right half of turn was inlay scalped with a Swardman.

2nd pic: scalped and dethatched

3rd pic: scalped

4th pic: rotary mowed (baseline section out front we let landscapers manage)

The section I burned looks green, but damn truckers keep running it over!

I gotta brag a little, last 2 pics are from the front yard of Emoire Zoysia the same day!


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## jakemauldin (Mar 26, 2019)

This is the same grass strip that The Grass Factor posted on youtube a couple days ago with the Swardman Demo. I knew I had seen this grass, I had to look through the last 100 videos I watched to find it, That's what boredom at work gets you. :nod:


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Reelrollers said:


> It's been almost 3 weeks since my last update on my experiment. Results, scalping with a Reel Mower proved to make a huge difference.
> 1st pic: left half of turf was scalped and dethatched with a Swardman. Right half of turn was inlay scalped with a Swardman.
> 
> 2nd pic: scalped and dethatched
> ...


A lot more green on the dethatched side. You think this is because of the extra sun and heat getting to the soil? Also do you know what variety of Bermuda that is? I can't remeber if that was dicussed.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

jakemauldin said:


> This is the same grass strip that The Grass Factor posted on youtube a couple days ago with the Swardman Demo. I knew I had seen this grass, I had to look through the last 100 videos I watched to find it, That's what boredom at work gets you. :nod:


@ryanknorr also has a couple videos about that demo day as well. Looked like a good time was had by all.


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## gijoe4500 (Mar 17, 2017)

This is going to be an interesting one to follow.


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## daniel3507 (Jul 31, 2018)

TN Hawkeye said:


> A lot more green on the dethatched side. You think this is because of the extra sun and heat getting to the soil? Also do you know what variety of Bermuda that is? I can't remeber if that was dicussed.


I've noticed the same thing in my lawn. The side I dethatched is greening up much quicker than the side I didn't dethatch. I haven't added any fertilizers or anything so the extra sun and warmth getting to the soil is probably what is doing it.


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## JDM83 (Sep 19, 2018)

nice update on the comparison. thanks for doing this for us. looking forward to more updates as it completes its journey out of dormancy. great looking zoysia lawn, im jealous. would love to re-sod my lawn with zoysia, just not in the budget at the moment.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

JDM83 said:


> nice update on the comparison. thanks for doing this for us. looking forward to more updates as it completes its journey out of dormancy. great looking zoysia lawn, im jealous. would love to re-sod my lawn with zoysia, just not in the budget at the moment.


Thank you.

Just realized I took the darn pictures from 2 different ends of the grass strip which might be confusing when comparing to the oringal pics. Bottom pics were today. Absolutely can tell a huge difference between scalping, dethatching + scalping, and rotary mowing. Now the pics are from the same side of the plot! This is in front of our Reel Rollers shop where we did the demo day a few weeks ago. Each Sunday going to a different city in the SE showing the Swardman on our #RetireTheRotary Tour in our RR Van! We're having so much fun, it shouldn't be called a job.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

jakemauldin said:


> This is the same grass strip that The Grass Factor posted on youtube a couple days ago with the Swardman Demo. I knew I had seen this grass, I had to look through the last 100 videos I watched to find it, That's what boredom at work gets you. :nod:


Yes, Matt was also there! He and Ryan are really great guys and at times I feel like a stalker because I watch their videos so often.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Awesome van! You'll be ready for any zombie apocalypse.


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Reelrollers said:


> JDM83 said:
> 
> 
> > nice update on the comparison. thanks for doing this for us. looking forward to more updates as it completes its journey out of dormancy. great looking zoysia lawn, im jealous. would love to re-sod my lawn with zoysia, just not in the budget at the moment.
> ...


The burn strip looks even greener even with the semi damage.


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## Dico112lr4 (Apr 5, 2018)

@@Reelrollers is the burn strip the greenest of the three?


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Yes, the burn was still the big winner! Healthy, green, and actually long because we can't mow it due to all the deep semi truck ruts!


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## Sbcgenii (May 13, 2018)

Throw some sand down lol.


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## JDM83 (Sep 19, 2018)

@Reelrollers if ya come near Greenville SC id like to know... would love to check out a swardman! was on my short list for a reel but i got a deal on an old toro i couldnt pass up. thinking upgrade to the swardman once the lawn is done with rehab


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

JDM83 said:


> @Reelrollers if ya come near Greenville SC id like to know... would love to check out a swardman! was on my short list for a reel but i got a deal on an old toro i couldnt pass up. thinking upgrade to the swardman once the lawn is done with rehab


Were actually headed that way Sunday. PM me if you're free In the afternoon to play.


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

Reelrollers said:


> JDM83 said:
> 
> 
> > nice update on the comparison. thanks for doing this for us. looking forward to more updates as it completes its journey out of dormancy. great looking zoysia lawn, im jealous. would love to re-sod my lawn with zoysia, just not in the budget at the moment.
> ...


Any chance you'll visit Huntsville Al in the future quite a few lawn folks over here.


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## manthatsnice (Mar 30, 2019)

jimbeckel said:


> Any chance you'll visit Huntsville Al in the future quite a few lawn folks over here.


+1


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

jimbeckel said:


> Reelrollers said:
> 
> 
> > JDM83 said:
> ...


Absolutely will come to Huntsville. Please PM if interested in demo's or on our website and we'll find a good day/ time to road trip soon. Headed to Greenville, SC Tuesday for the day.


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## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

How about Charlotte?


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## SGrabs33 (Feb 13, 2017)

Tmank87 said:


> How about Charlotte?


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## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

Well I'll be, thanks.


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## Brackin4au (Jun 13, 2018)

manthatsnice said:


> jimbeckel said:
> 
> 
> > Any chance you'll visit Huntsville Al in the future quite a few lawn folks over here.
> ...


+1 :thumbup:


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## gb043075 (Feb 25, 2019)

@Reelrollers do you run the dethatcher at same height as normal HOC or do you lower for dethatching?


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## viva_oldtrafford (Apr 4, 2018)

gb043075 said:


> @Reelrollers do you run the dethatcher at same height as normal HOC or do you lower for dethatching?


You configure verticutters to run a negative depth - you want them in the soil / thatch layer tearing stuff up.

Groomers would be close to a hoc setting, but it's still below .


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## Hexadecimal 00FF00 (Sep 20, 2018)

Dallas, TX would be good demo stop!


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

gb043075 said:


> @Reelrollers do you run the dethatcher at same height as normal HOC or do you lower for dethatching?


Run it well below HOC. Height setting depends on turf, but in this instance, HOC 1/2", but dethatched at zero. Swardman can go to 
Negative 1/2". It's more of a test and see what height gives you a 1/8" penetration to soil. Think of it as scratching a liste below soil level.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Wow, time flew. Here's a cool update on my experiment of comparing 4 sections of lawn all treated the same except since March we have been either:
Continuing the rotary mowing
-using a Swardman, scalp a section and reel mow going forward
-using a Swardman, scalp/ dethatch and reel mow going forward
-burn a section to remove thatch and we do t mow it because a semi truck ran it over &#128512;

Since my last post in early April, all of the reel mowed sections greened up a month before the rotary mowed section. In early May I was disappointed, the two sections being reel mowed looked identical (scalping vs scalping/ dethatching).

Thus far, the section dethatching and scalped was visibly nicer. But I'm early May they looked very similar.

Here in GA the month of May has been dry, like no rain dry... and hot. The areas we are using for the experiment do NOT have irrigation of shade. But, yesterday when I pulled into the shop, I noticed a difference again!

The section only scalped is looking worse (thirsty!) than the section we scalped and dethatched. Sectionnwe scalped and dethatched looks like it has been raining 2x a week. It's a big difference! I don't know why, but I'd love to hear feedback. Tomorrow am i'll take the pics and post them.


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## Jconnelly6b (Mar 4, 2018)

Maybe the decomposition process of all that thatch consumes a fair amount of water? All metabolic activity needs water so it would certainly make sense on a molecular level.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Here's a pic. Not as clear in the photo, but the telephone shado is about marking the transition.

Left side only scalp, right side scalp and dethatched.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@Reelrollers definitely looks like it is making a difference, but don't exclude the burned area. It looks like it might still be the best.


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## Hawgwild69 (May 1, 2018)

Using my Swardman scarifier this spring has really made a positive impact in my yard. I was shocked just how much material I pulled from my yard. The turf is looking great for early June here in the Ozarks!


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

We finally got some rain in Atlanta and I can't wait to get back home to see the grass return to green! The picture above was after 29 days straight of zero rain and we have not used irrigation.

From now on, I will dethatch every season because the pictures don't do justice for how much healthier the turf is where we did dethatch.


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## Ptb427 (May 13, 2019)

I hate to resurrect threads but any current pics of the test areas? @Reelrollers


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