Shawn the Thatcher

A little yard clean up goes a long way. I rented a power rake yesterday to dethatch the lawn. The buildup of clippings, mulched leaves and junk was 1/2 to 1 inch thick.

First I clipped the lawn very short, and bagged the grass. Then I set the power rake to the second-deepest setting and it dug into the thatch very well and loosened it up, pulling up dirt in some spots. But those were spots where the lawn was pretty much just thatch anyway.

Next came the clean-up. I spent the rest of the afternoon raking the junk into rows and picking it up by hand into a wheelbarrow. The mulch pile in back grew quite a bit. I suppose I should have been bagging the grass every time I mowed, but I've only mowed about 4-5 times this summer, as dry as it's been. Anyway, it's a big job, sore muscles, blisters, etc.

And at this point the lawn looks like crap. I planted some seed and fertilizer and will water for a week or so, but honestly, the front yard could maybe use an old Trans Am on cinder blocks to improve the looks a bit.

I'll let you know if the lawn bounces back next year...