1.  Follow-up on referrals. Asking neighbors, friends and family members if they can recommend a good lawn service company is a great place to start, but it is important to research the company a little more before settling on which one to go with. Besides asking for additional references, look up the company on the Better Business Bureau website. If they have a history of customer complaints, it will show that. Check especially for numerous unresolved complaints that suggest a history of not meeting expectations rather than just a few disgruntled customers. Also make sure the company is properly licensed and insured.

2.  Ask satisfied customers detailed questions. Request information for former or current customers you can call or email rather than just relying on written testimonials. You want to be able to ask these people about whether the company was dependable, showing up when they were supposed to and finishing all the jobs that were agreed upon. Ask for specific reasons why they like this lawn service to get a better idea of what working with them will be like. It is also a good idea to ask about how well they are able to communicate with company employees and if they feel like they are always made aware of all the details, including cost, before the work is started.

3.  Find out what services they offer. The different lawn care services each company does varies by the company. The majority will mow and edge the lawn and will usually also trim lawn weeds. Some do fertilizing, liming, and applying treatments like pesticides and fungicides. Other possible services include dethatching and lawn aeration in addition to basic care for bushes and hedges like trimming, shaping and mulching around the base. Keep in mind everything you are interested in, so you can choose a company that offers them.

4.  Get a list of all services, what they each include, how frequently they are done and what they cost. Not only do the offered services vary by company, but so do the details of each one. Some mow, edge, trim weeds and haul away all debris and materials each time for one set fee. Others provide these services separately at different costs. When looking at monthly rates, find out how frequently each job occurs. If they only mow every other week for that rate and your lawn needs to be mowed every week some months, you will either have to do it yourself or pay extra for the additional visits.

5.  Focus on value not price. The company that quotes the lowest prices doesn’t always cost the least. Besides having to pay more for services that aren’t included, some companies may try to talk you into unneeded lawn care or more frequent than necessary services. Quality work that is consistently done on-time and professionally is worth a few extra dollars and fewer headaches rather than suffering through poor quality work that gets done late or sometimes never. Having a good working relationship with a reliable professional lawn company that consistently does quality work is always worth it.

There are a few different types of dethatching rakes, also known as power rakes or lawn rakes. While they vary in size and shape, each has several sharp-sided blades that get into the thatch, cutting through it or pulling it out. The three main types are manual, power and tow-behind.

Manual Rakes

Manual rakes  or hand thatchers look the most like a typical rake except the tines are much sharper along each edge. These rakes are used similar to other rakes. Put the bottom of the tines onto the top of the soil line and pull the rake back toward your body. Use small, quick strokes in multiple directions to remove the thatch from one small area before going onto another.

While these tools start at $10, it is better to spend more ($25-$30) for a quality one that will last you 10-15 years. Even if you plan on dethatching another way, having a manual one around is a good idea for touch-ups or working on problematic areas.

Power Rakes

Power rakes have electric or gas motors and more closely resemble a lawn mower than anything else. Along the bottom is a bladed reel that slices through the thatch layer. The rake width is around 18”-24” with the machine being a couple inches wider on each side. Since they are expensive to buy ($1000-$2000 and up), most people hire a professional or rent a machine and do it themselves. It will probably cost around $50 for a four-hour rental, which is enough time to do most residential lawns.

Whether renting or buying, look for a machine that has five to six adjustable blade heights so you can pick the right one for your lawn. If it is too deep, it will pull out a lot of grass plants with the thatch. Too shallow means it won’t be able to get into the thatch layer well enough to remove it. After setting the blade height, push the rake over the grass twice in right angles or crosswise for the most thorough dethatching.

If you have delicate cool-season grass or you want a gentler dethatching process, use a power rake with a spring tine attachment instead. Other features to consider include a collection container that fills with moss, thatch and other debris as you go so there is less raking to do afterwards. Also, many have a seeding attachment so it can be used to overseed as well.

Tow-Behind Rakes

Dethatching rakes that are designed to be pulled by a riding lawn mower or tractor make quick work of dethatching a large area. Wider than other rakes, they cover more area more quickly. Tow-behinds start at $150-$200. Make sure to find one that will properly attach to your lawn mower or tractor hitch. After attaching it, drive in long rows then short ones over the grass, watching for any obstacles. Look for a rake with a tine design that allows you to turn when the tines are in the ground. These are much easier to use and maneuver.

Dethatching Attachments

Some lawn mowers can be converted to a dethatcher with an attachment. These attachments are cheaper to purchase than a power rake and will make your lawn mower more versatile.

General Dethatching Tips

Dethatching is best done when the lawn is not soggy or bone-dry, but a happy medium. The lawn should be mowed shorter than normal for the best results. You can mow and water the lawn the night before if you need too.

Learn more about lawn aerators.

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.