# Rotary dethatching



## PHXCobra (Mar 20, 2018)

I have a Toro TB110 20" rotary mower and want to dethatch my lawn. It's only about 2000 sq/ft but I am not interested in hand raking it.

I am perfectly happy with renting a dethatcher at the same time as I rent my aerator for this spring but if I can buy something to attach to my rotary that will work similarly that would be ideal.

Does anyone have experience with any of the rotary attachments and how they work?

Lawn background: I have a lawn that we installed right at 2 years ago with BobSod from WestCoastTurf that has been overseeded every spring and fall. Quality of the lawn has waned over time and I want to improve it.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

PHXCobra said:


> I have a Toro TB110 20" rotary mower and want to dethatch my lawn. It's only about 2000 sq/ft but I am not interested in hand raking it.
> 
> I am perfectly happy with renting a dethatcher at the same time as I rent my aerator for this spring but if I can buy something to attach to my rotary that will work similarly that would be ideal.
> 
> ...


Welcome to TLF!!

How have you gone about getting rid of the Rye every Spring?

I don't know of any attachment you can add to a rotary mower to dethatch a lawn.


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## PHXCobra (Mar 20, 2018)

Mightyquinn said:


> Welcome to TLF!!
> 
> How have you gone about getting rid of the Rye every Spring?
> 
> I don't know of any attachment you can add to a rotary mower to dethatch a lawn.


Thanks!

Generally I stop watering for a couple weeks in March/April when it starts to get hot (85-90) and that generally does the trick. Then lower my mower height as low as it goes, scalp it, overseed, cover with manure, water. I do the same in the fall to get the rye going but am open to suggestions on different methods.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I'm guessing the Rye is competing with the bermuda in the Spring and causing it to get a slow start which is why it starts to get worse every year. You might want to try to chemically remove the Rye instead of letting it die on it's own. We have a member here doing the same thing. Ware's Winter Overseeding Project

What have your fertilizer and mowing procedures been the last couple of years? Have you read The Bermuda Bible: The New Testament?


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## PHXCobra (Mar 20, 2018)

I haven't read either yet but will get started and report back.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

Run in the other direction from those "dethatchers" that attach to a rotary mower.


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## Topcat (Mar 21, 2017)

gene_stl said:


> Run in the other direction from those "dethatchers" that attach to a rotary mower.


+1 They do more damage than good - but in my case, it could have been operator error...


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## PHXCobra (Mar 20, 2018)

The past 2 have been pretty similar as far as fertilization, water, and mowing goes.

Fertilization: 
I started using 20-20-20 every month with the exception of the times I was trying to kill the rye or get the Bermuda to go dormant. Home Depot doesn't carry that anymore so I use the 15-15-15 now applied using my Scotts push-thrower using the setting listed on the bag.

Water/Mowing: 
I probably overwater but I'm in Phoenix and it varies greatly depending on season. Our ground is notoriously hard and great for growing things like... cactus. Winter watering is 3 times per week (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday) at 8-9 minutes (I don't remember) per valve (3). Mowing on Saturday and generally the lawn is overgrown, super wet still, and a pain in my rear. I have since backed it down to watering Sunday and Thursday for 6 minutes per zone, mowing Wednesday and Saturday at a level 2 on my Toro TB110
Summer watering the same but sometimes twice per day for 10 minutes each zone. Mowing is a similar experience.


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## Topcat (Mar 21, 2017)

I'd recommend a soil test. You might have too much Phosphorus and Potassium (P-K) in your soil if you use 20-20-20 or 15-15-15 every month. Bermuda loves the Nitrogen, but I am not so sure about a monthly dose of P-K as large as you state.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

PHXCobra said:


> I have a Toro TB110 20" rotary mower and want to dethatch my lawn. It's only about 2000 sq/ft but I am not interested in hand raking it.
> 
> I am perfectly happy with renting a dethatcher at the same time as I rent my aerator for this spring but if I can buy something to attach to my rotary that will work similarly that would be ideal.
> 
> ...


I'd stick to renting the dethatcher with the aerator.

Is there any particular reason you are overseeding in the spring? I'm assuming it's Bermuda that you are overseeding with. Does WCT offer a matching seed for overseeding BOBSod or have you introduced another variety of Bermuda?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Topcat said:


> I'd recommend a soil test. You might have too much Phosphorus and Potassium (P-K) in your soil if you use 20-20-20 or 15-15-15 every month. Bermuda loves the Nitrogen, but I am not so sure about a monthly dose of P-K as large as you state.


+1, I think the Potassium is fine too but you shouldn't need all the Phosphorus as it doesn't leach from the soil as much as Nitrogen and Potassium. Have you ever measured how much water you are putting out with each cycle per zone? To me it seems like you aren't watering enough or long enough which could cause the grass to decline as it isn't getting enough water.

Are you overseeding your bermuda in the Spring??


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## PHXCobra (Mar 20, 2018)

I've always overseeded in the spring. Don't know if I ever actually needed to it's just what I've always done. When I called WCT to get the Bermuda seed for BOBSod they said that it's grown from something else (last year so I don't remember if it was stolons or rhysomes). I overseeded with Pennington seed from the local HD. Will have to look into a soil test as I'm planning on aerating and dethatching First weekend in April that isn't Easter.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Looks like BOBSod is a hybrid bermuda grass which means it isn't grown from seed but vegetatively which basically means when the remove the sod they leave a little behind to regenerate and grow more sod. By you throwing "cheap" bermuda seed in your lawn you have basically introduced a "weed" as it may not look as uniform as it would with just the BOBSod. I know you meant well but most bermuda will NEVER need over-seeded as it does a great job of filling in on it's own when it's properly cared for.

Any soil test from a decent lab will work as it will give you a base line to work off of. Be sure to check your irrigation too as you would be surprised at how little it may actually be putting out.


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## PHXCobra (Mar 20, 2018)

So I shouldn't need to buy any seed for this summer and the Bermuda should just come through and grow well. Not sure if it matters but I do have 1 dog that uses the grass as her bathroom.

Side note: we had a milder winter here in Phoenix so I'm not sure all of it actually went away as there is plenty of grass thats still growing and has been all winter that is definitely NOT rye. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow before I mow. Will likely start another thread in the more appropriate forum.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

PHXCobra said:


> So I shouldn't need to buy any seed for this summer and the Bermuda should just come through and grow well. Not sure if it matters but I do have 1 dog that uses the grass as her bathroom.
> 
> Side note: we had a milder winter here in Phoenix so I'm not sure all of it actually went away as there is plenty of grass thats still growing and has been all winter that is definitely NOT rye. I'll try to get a picture tomorrow before I mow. Will likely start another thread in the more appropriate forum.


No, you do not have to buy any seed for your bermuda, but it might not be a bad idea to kill off the rye grass now before the season gets going. I agree about starting a new thread as it will make it more visible to more people :thumbup:


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