Lawn Scarification

All grass forms a layer of dead plant material, commonly known as thatch. When thatch gets too thick it prevents water and nutrients from reaching the grass roots, and provides humid moist conditions for fungal lawn diseases to take a hold.

Scarification can be used to help remove heavy grass thatch from the lawn. When the grass thatch is so thick that scarification is required, the grass roots are clearly not penetrating into the soil. Therefore the lawn should always be aerated following scarification to facilitate root penetration.

TruGreen lawn care technicians carry out scarification at the beginning of the growing season (Spring or early Autumn) to allow the grass to recover from this rigorous process as fast as possible. Because of the stress that scarification places on the healthy grass plants it is not done routinely, but only when it is apparent that it will specifically resolve some difficulty or problem.

Care is taken to remove as few healthy plants as possible during the process however the process may result in a need for overseeding. To help recovery and provide a lawn better able to cope with the stresses that are a particular issue in your garden TruGreen will overseed your lawn with a specifically chosen professional seed mixture when your lawn has been scarified.

What is scarification?

Scarification is a mechanical operation which will remove all unwanted organic matter from around the base of the grass plant (thatch) and tidy up any straggly lateral growth from your lawn. The process will also remove moss that will otherwise choke out the grass plant and restrict growth.

What does scarification remove from a lawn

• Organic matter/ Thatch
• Moss
• Straggly lateral growth from the grass plant

Why do you need to have scarification?

You need to carryout scarification to prevent the build up of debris in the lawn which will lead to other problems. Thatch will naturally build over a period of time resulting in an inferior grass quality and appearance, so it is vital that this layer is kept to a  minimum. Scarification will also aid fresh grass growth giving an increase in grass density. Thatch and moss infested lawns will not wear well or cope with drought conditions so these are two other major reasons in having a regular scarification of your lawn.

Why do we need to carryout scarification?

• Prevents the build up of the debris
• Removes thatch
• Improve drainage
• Improves drought resistance.

When to scarify?

There are two major points that need to be considered when deciding when is the best time to scarify. Firstly do not scarify too early in the spring as it is important that the grass is growing fairly well beforehand to allow for the space created by the scarification to be filled by desirable grasses. It is also important to encourage grass growth after scarification, so you are advised that a fertiliser application will be necessary immediately afterwards.

These same points will apply when scarifying in the autumn and the process should always be carried out while the grass growth remains strong.

Best times of the year to scarify

• Late spring
• Early autumn.

For all your scarification needs choose TruGreen?

• By visiting your lawn regularly, we can identify problems whilst they are still small and treat them before they cause serious damage
• Our extensive experience has shown that a lawn thrives with multiple feedings – because we’re there regularly, we can customise the treatments to the needs of your lawn each time we visit
• With 35 years experience, we’re also the world’ largest lawncare company
• Our professional technicians are licensed to provide weed and moss control, lawn fertilisation, aeration, scarification and disease treatments plus much, much more.

Turn your lawn into a stripy success n o matter what condition your lawn is in, we can work towards getting it back into shape so that you can enjoy it. Why not give TruGreen a call today on 0845 2011187 or find your local TruGreen business for a quotation.