►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄
If I wanted to remove the top layer of debris using a Thatch rake, are there times of the year that it is bad for your lawn to do it? Like is it bad to do it in midsummer? I also am using or at least I have ordered it D-Thatch on your recommendation. Thank you for having such educational videos
I can't remember where you are located or your grass type but I wouldn't advise many cool season lawn owners to dethatch manually in mid-summer. Last year I did some in late August going into a cool front...if you run warm season though go for it in peak summer so long as you are not in drought stress.
Brian, You are a very good turf "scientist" but you are obviously a FANTASTIC father. So glad that you have been including the children in your recent videos. And, as always, I'm learning so much from your instructions.
The microorganisms we are feeding live in the upper area of the soil and the lower area of thatch where it stays moist much longer. If you look at the plugs I pulled 45 days ago and showed off in my "problems with electric dethatchers" video you can clearly see multiple layers inside the overall thatch layer. The lower level of thatch looks more like soil than the upper layer but less like soil than the actual soil level. When we apply liquid thatch digesters we water it in deep so that it gets through that upper layer that drys out between waterings and gets down a bit lower to where the biological activity is most active. Remember, shallow layers of thatch is healthy, we just don't want it to get out of control. By this time next year I'll probably be applying smaller rates of d-thatch and less frequently because I'll be getting into maintenance mode rather than remediation mode.
I don't see why not. I havent tried it yet but I know people have been putting molasses on lawns for generations. Putting together a diy thatch digester product for the lawn is on my bucket list for this channel, off the top of my head I'd think the hard part would be getting the stuff diluted enough to spray. 🤔
I fill the hose end sprayer with molasses and some dish soap spray at 8 oz per gallon, seems to work well. I will add some sugary soda to the mix to make it more sprayable.
I tried mixing molasses, beer, and brewer's yeast. Pretty cheap but it really stinks and had lots of foam. I settled on DeThatch mixed with some Recharge microbial packs.
I mix 3 to 6 tbs molasses per gallon of water with a solution of dried kelp and humic acid … does the trick! I typically pre mix everything in 1/2 gallon container and shack the hell out of it …. Then pour in my hand can and top off with water.
Thanks David, and thanks also for the reminder. I actually forgot that about Yard Mastery, ill have to probably update some video descriptions and links to better advise my viewers.
It might initially but with a proper deep watering it will penetrate even better imo. I usually try to time applications just before I am ready to actually water the lawn since I don't like to water the lawn very often.
Thank you for your attention to detail on this subject. Question for you: In your opinion, does topdressing with compost accomplish the same results as this product? Not that topdressing is easier; I'm more just wondering if a compost topdress and a liquid dethatch would be overkill.
I'm not sure if topdressing with compost would exactly accomplish the same result, would depend on how active the compost is probably...and even then you would be applying new microbial life with fresh compost instead of feeding what already exists in the lawn. It would probably work similar to Natures Biological Dethatcher, which adds beneficial microbes to the soil. The thing is though that the topdressing would be beneficial in other ways, it would be adding to the soil and feeding the grass. There are other products however that are far easier to spread. The hardest thing to apply that I add is worm castings. They can be spread with a standard granular spreader but it's pretty hard, I just spread kine by hand. You get tons of beneficial micros with worm castings, azomite granulars is another perfect top dressing amendment - 70+ trace minerals/elements that build soil up as the years go by. As for thatch though aeration is important to because without adequate airflow composting slows down and its no different in a lawn. So much to talk about, lol
She's cute enough to steal the spotlight from me on most ocassions lol 😃 Glad to be informative along the way too, I try to include the kids in everything I do most of the time. They seem to respect the work and the property more I think. My oldest is even learning to film and edit videos now to so life skills are transferring. Enjoy your kids Ruben and thanks for chiming in.
►►► Want to fix your lawn for the long haul but don't know where to start? I can help! Click here right now and get started today: turfmech.link/dont-know-where-to-start ◄◄◄
If I wanted to remove the top layer of debris using a Thatch rake, are there times of the year that it is bad for your lawn to do it? Like is it bad to do it in midsummer? I also am using or at least I have ordered it D-Thatch on your recommendation. Thank you for having such educational videos
I can't remember where you are located or your grass type but I wouldn't advise many cool season lawn owners to dethatch manually in mid-summer. Last year I did some in late August going into a cool front...if you run warm season though go for it in peak summer so long as you are not in drought stress.
Great video! More information that I needed. Thank you!
You are very welcome Chris! 😊 Happy 4th!
Brian, You are a very good turf "scientist" but you are obviously a FANTASTIC father. So glad that you have been including the children in your recent videos. And, as always, I'm learning so much from your instructions.
Beautiful children.
I like the pots with different grasses. That looks pretty to me.
Isn’t it a problem that the soil dries out quickly in the summer heat? Wouldn’t it kill the microbes we are trying to feed with the detacher?
The microorganisms we are feeding live in the upper area of the soil and the lower area of thatch where it stays moist much longer. If you look at the plugs I pulled 45 days ago and showed off in my "problems with electric dethatchers" video you can clearly see multiple layers inside the overall thatch layer. The lower level of thatch looks more like soil than the upper layer but less like soil than the actual soil level. When we apply liquid thatch digesters we water it in deep so that it gets through that upper layer that drys out between waterings and gets down a bit lower to where the biological activity is most active. Remember, shallow layers of thatch is healthy, we just don't want it to get out of control. By this time next year I'll probably be applying smaller rates of d-thatch and less frequently because I'll be getting into maintenance mode rather than remediation mode.
Can you make your own homemade dethach with molasses??
I don't see why not. I havent tried it yet but I know people have been putting molasses on lawns for generations. Putting together a diy thatch digester product for the lawn is on my bucket list for this channel, off the top of my head I'd think the hard part would be getting the stuff diluted enough to spray. 🤔
I fill the hose end sprayer with molasses and some dish soap spray at 8 oz per gallon, seems to work well. I will add some sugary soda to the mix to make it more sprayable.
@@stevemcleod4608 thanks for the tips Steve, ill research and experiment for sure!
I tried mixing molasses, beer, and brewer's yeast. Pretty cheap but it really stinks and had lots of foam. I settled on DeThatch mixed with some Recharge microbial packs.
I mix 3 to 6 tbs molasses per gallon of water with a solution of dried kelp and humic acid … does the trick! I typically pre mix everything in 1/2 gallon container and shack the hell out of it …. Then pour in my hand can and top off with water.
Great video.
YardMastery is now selling stand alone single gallons of D-Thatch 👍🏻
Thanks David, and thanks also for the reminder. I actually forgot that about Yard Mastery, ill have to probably update some video descriptions and links to better advise my viewers.
Mine is nearly 4 inches thick , my house was built in 1903 its been a struggle fixing the lawn
Wouldn't it penetrate the soil better with a hose end sprayer?
It might initially but with a proper deep watering it will penetrate even better imo. I usually try to time applications just before I am ready to actually water the lawn since I don't like to water the lawn very often.
Thank you for your attention to detail on this subject.
Question for you: In your opinion, does topdressing with compost accomplish the same results as this product?
Not that topdressing is easier; I'm more just wondering if a compost topdress and a liquid dethatch would be overkill.
I'm not sure if topdressing with compost would exactly accomplish the same result, would depend on how active the compost is probably...and even then you would be applying new microbial life with fresh compost instead of feeding what already exists in the lawn. It would probably work similar to Natures Biological Dethatcher, which adds beneficial microbes to the soil. The thing is though that the topdressing would be beneficial in other ways, it would be adding to the soil and feeding the grass. There are other products however that are far easier to spread. The hardest thing to apply that I add is worm castings. They can be spread with a standard granular spreader but it's pretty hard, I just spread kine by hand. You get tons of beneficial micros with worm castings, azomite granulars is another perfect top dressing amendment - 70+ trace minerals/elements that build soil up as the years go by. As for thatch though aeration is important to because without adequate airflow composting slows down and its no different in a lawn. So much to talk about, lol
Informative…and your daughter is the star of the show! I really should involve my kids in my lawn journey/hobby too.
She's cute enough to steal the spotlight from me on most ocassions lol 😃 Glad to be informative along the way too, I try to include the kids in everything I do most of the time. They seem to respect the work and the property more I think. My oldest is even learning to film and edit videos now to so life skills are transferring. Enjoy your kids Ruben and thanks for chiming in.