Scarifying lawns: a scarifier, a rake and an aerator are not the same

What is a scarifier? First, let’s clear up the story of what it takes to scarify your lawn and dispel the notion, held by some, that a scarifier, aerator, and rake are the same thing. Rakes do what their name suggests, while aerators pierce the surface of the lawn to let in air. Scarifiers, however, remove harmful thatch from the lawn that can literally suffocate your lawn. Knowing how to scarify a lawn is a key skill for anyone who takes pride in their green lawn – scarifying a lawn is easy with the right equipment.

What does scarifying the lawn involve?

To understand why scarifying grass is so important, we need to understand thatch. In a healthy lawn, it is normal to find a few millimeters of dead plant matter between the live green shoots. But when a lawn is left spread out and this thatch builds up, possibly up to inches thick, it will soon block air intake and inhibit the growth of healthy upright grass shoots. Before you know it, your once beautiful lawn is a sad shadow of its former self.

Amazing effects on lawns that haven’t been scarified for a while.

Scarifying your lawn is a recognized technique that can help transform a dull lawn into a beautiful new garden highlight. On a lawn that has not been regularly scarified, treatment with a quality lawn scarifier usually removes a mass of unwanted material; although it looks like the grass is being ripped apart, this is really good. The lawn will soon recover and the grass will grow back with new vigour. If this happens to you, you won’t be the first person to be surprised by the transformation.

Which scarifier for my lawn?

A scarifier is a device similar to a lawn mower used to scarify grass; It is designed to remove thatch from the lawn and collect it for disposal. Using a machine is much easier than traditional manual scarification with a Springbok hand rake. It’s also more efficient, which is good news if your pride and joy is more than the size of a pocket square! Scarifiers are gasoline or electric, with similar pros and cons to lawnmowers: weight; power differences; need for cables; complexity; and suitability for scarifying lawns in damp or wet conditions. For many buyers, their choice will be determined by their preference for other garden equipment.

How scarifying the lawn can help you take care of it

With your new machine you will learn how to use a scarifier in minutes. Regular scarification prevents thatch buildup and inhibits the growth of unwanted weeds and creeping grasses. There is no great mystery in knowing how to scarify a lawn: with the right scarifier, it is easy to regularly scarify the lawn in two or three passes from different directions, with the scarifier blades set slightly lower each time for maximum effect.