Maintaining a healthy attractive lawn can take a lot of time and effort, but using a scarifier can make the job easier.
Four-wheeled, walk-behind scarifiers scrape away the waste material that collects on the soil surface. If left untreated this waste material, commonly known as thatch, can prevent air and water from reaching soil and grass roots thus limiting growth.
Wire prongs or serrated blades are attached to a horizontally mounted bar which lift up thatch as it rotates. Wire prongs, like those found on a rake and referred to as tines, are usually equipped on electric scarifiers. Although these models are cheaper than petrol scarifiers, the tines are not as strong or durable and sturdier thatch may not be removed as less power is supplied. Most petrol models are equipped with swinging serrated blades which last longer and scrape more consistently.
When operating a scarifier it’s important not to set the height adjustment too low. By digging into the top layer of soil you risk wearing down blades and damaging the grass roots. Some models come with a collector box which can be useful, though if there is a lot of moss and thatch it is often easier to operate the machine without a collector. Instead, use a rake or leaf blow-vac to sweep up the thatch once it’s been scraped off the soil surface with a scarifier. Contrary to popular belief, scarifiers do not spread moss, they remove it and it will be picked up along with other waste material.
Scarifiers can be used in conjunction with recycler lawnmowers to produce naturally healthy lawns. Recycler mowers incorporate an aerodynamically designed cutting deck which moves grass clippings in a rotary direction and creates a vortex thus cutting grass repeatedly before being blown into the turf’s base. More environmentally-friendly than pesticides and other chemical fertilisers, grass clippings feed tiny organisms releasing valuable nutrients in the process.
However, if your grass is growing very strongly using your recycler mower may leave too many clippings on the lawn which can have adverse effects on the lawn quality. By producing too many grass clippings, thatch will gather quicker than it can decompose. If this occurs it is suggested that you collect the grass clippings from time to time when grass growth is particularly vigorous. Thatch build up can also be caused by tough grass, compact soil, and even over-watering and fertilising lawns.
Therefore, it’s important to find the right balance between scarifying and recycling. If your lawn experiences a build up of thatch react by increasing the height adjustment on your recycler, mowing your lawn less often, collecting the grass clippings periodically or scarifying more frequently.
By reducing thatch levels and improving the content of your soil, you can have a much fuller, healthier looking lawn.
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