re: Complete Backyard Makeover - Zoysia or St. Augustine

Thatch has nothing to do with clippings. Thatch is dead stems, not leaves. St. Aug can develop thatch the same as Zoysia. The reason people relate thatch to fertilizer is because excessive fertilizer causes excessive growth of leaves AND stems. The stem (stolons and rhizomes) grow at a rate which is faster than they can break down. Over the years, a thick layer of thatch develops and the grass basically grows above the thatch layer, with little to no contact with the soil. That's why dethatching needs to be done every couple of years.