Though not as common as gas-powered rakes, an electric lawn rakes can also be used  to dethatch a lawn. There are many benefits in using one to remove unwanted thatch and encourage healthier and thicker grass growth.

Why Use a Lawn Rake?

A lawn rake is used to pull out some of the thatch before it gets too deep. Thatch is the matted moss, leaves, grass and other debris that accumulates on the surface of the soil. A little bit is good for a long, but when it gets too deep (1/2-1 inch) it can begin to adversely affect the health of the lawn, blocking the flow of nutrients, water and air from the surface to the roots. The lawn may look a bit sparse right after power raking, but soon the grass will be thicker, greener and healthier than before. To maintain lush grass, a lawn should be dethatched every one to three years depending on how quickly thatch accumulates in it.

Advantages of an Electric Lawn Rake

An electric lawn rake has some significant benefits over its gas-powered counterparts. They typically are smaller, easier to maneuver and weigh less, only around 15-30 lbs for an electric rake as opposed to 100 lbs or more for a gas-powered dethatcher or power rake. They cost must less, only $150-$200, than gas-powered machines that sell for closer to $1000 or more. Most also have foldaway handles, which make them much easier to store.

The electric rake will need to be plugged into a power source and the cords are typically about 40 feet long. Narrower than gas-powered rakes (only about a foot of raking width), they will take a bit longer to do the same area. However, they are easier to roll over the ground, turn, and maneuver around obstacles, so that helps make up for dethatching less grass at a time.

Electric rakes typically have a collection bag or box. While it will need to be emptied out as you power rake, it is faster and easier than having to rake up all the thatch and moss that is pulled out with a leaf rake afterwards. Some even have a compacting box that squishes the material tightly together to get more in there so you don’t have to empty it as often.

Mow the grass short, about half its normal height, before dethatching. Adjust the height of the vertical rake tines based on the type of grass (lower for warm-season and higher for the delicate, cool-season varieties) and the amount of thatch (lower for deep thatch). These will slice into and pull up the thatch. Plug in the rake and begin to dethatch using lawn rows. Always be aware and careful of where the cord is. Periodically check that the blade height is correct and the machine is working properly, making adjustments if necessary. Empty out the collection bag as needed. Be sure to use crossing rows for the best coverage and to get up the most thatch. After dethatching, the grass will benefit from fertilizing, over-seeding and extra watering for about a month, until it has filled in the sparse areas again.

Power dethatchers are also known as power rakes and thatching machines.  They are machines designed to remove thatch from a lawn. They are similar to a gas-powered lawn mower, but are bulkier and heavier (twice as much or more than lawn mowers). Typically two people are required to get one into or out of a truck or trailer. Along the bottom are rows of blades that can be set at different heights and widths apart depending on the grass type and amount of thatch. The blades can be set to go into the dirt and rip out the thatch or they can be set to slice through the thatch, which is then raked up later. Sometimes the second process is referred to as power raking, but many people use the two terms interchangeably.

Thatch

Thatch is the spongy layer of organic material that accumulates on the top of the soil line but below the grass. Most people don’t notice thatch in their lawn unless it gets especially thick or starts creating problems. As grass clippings, leaves and other lawn debris build up on the soil surface, the resulting thatch affects how water, nutrients, oxygen and light are able to reach the grass roots. Some thatch is good for the grass, insulating it and improving the grass’s ability to survive drought and high temperatures. Too much thatch can keep water and nutrients from getting to the roots, causing the grass to yellow, brown and die. If it is too thick, some of it should be removed to maintain good lawn health.

Determining Thatch Thickness

To figure out how thick the thatch layer is, use a coring soil probe that pulls up cores of soil. Then look for the spongy layer on top of the soil’s surface. If the lawn is large, take several cores from different areas to get an estimate of the average thickness and find any areas that might be problematic.

Deciding How to Remove Thatch

Once the thatch layer is around an inch thick, some sort of minor dethatching should be started. Using a manual dethatcher rake will keep the thatch from getting too thick. A power rake set on a higher setting so the blades cut the thatch rather than rip it out is great for less than three inches of thatch. At three inches or more, it is a good idea to dethatch with deeper blades to rip as much of the thatch out as possible. While it is hard on the grass and the lawn won’t look nice for a little while, it will be much easier to keep the thatch from getting too excessive and causing more problems than its removal did.

Dethatching

Dethatching can be done by professionals or a power dethatcher can be rented for around $50-$75 hours for four hours. At the rental center, have them help position the blades correctly or follow the manual directions. After dethatching a small section, check to make sure the blades are going in the correct depth. Roll the dethatcher along the lawn in rows or diagonals and then go crosswise against those rows to remove the most thatch. The thatch and grass pulled out will need to be collected and disposed of. An average-sized lawn with a thick layer of thatch can yield more than one pickup truck worth, or more if the thatch problem was extensive.