re: 2023 Lawn Thread - Helpful Tips, Q&A, general discussion

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Some people have recommended trying to rake up/away some of the dead thatch.

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I’m 100% convinced that with St Aug lightly raking the dead grass from the previous year helps with green up in the spring.

I’m actually running a side by side test for an area that was impacted by take all rot where I have aerated the grass, applied the same peat/top dress and fertilizer/amendments, but in one section I lightly raked and used a blower to get the dead stuff out and the other I didn’t.

My guess is that the rot damage heals faster without the “thatch” which is holding in water which helps cause fungus and prevents as much sun from getting to the small grass that’s trying to grow again from the damaged roots.

For the healthy sections of the yard I didn’t bother because the SA grows so thick the green up wasn’t an issue.