What Is a Lawn Scarifier and How Should I Scarify My Lawn?

 

If you want to take good care of your lawn, you’ll need more than just a mower to do a proper job. One of the other key garden machines required to practise good lawn care is a grass scarifier. This is a type of advanced, high-powered rake, and its purpose is to remove thatch.

What Is Thatch?

Thatch is an interwoven layer of organic matter, consisting of old grass, dead moss, and similar debris. It differs from general lawn debris, like dried leaves, because it accumulates between the soil and grass blades, rather than on the surface of the lawn.

Small amounts of thatch are not really an issue but when it becomes too thick then it will deprive the grass’s roots of water, oxygen and nutrients, preventing them from properly rooting. This will cause the grass to thin and develop dry patches, as well as making the lawn more vulnerable to weeds.

A haven for pests and disease too, thatch can even suffocate and kill off your lawn, so it’s certainly an issue you’ll want to address as part of your core lawn maintenance tasks.

Explain the Difference Between Scarifying and Dethatching

Some people use the terms ‘scarifying’ and ‘dethatching’ interchangeably, but there is a clear difference between the two. This revolves around the intensity of the thatch removal.

Dethatching describes the removal of thin layers of surface thatch from a lawn. Look upon it as a reactive measure needed to maintain your grass.

Lawn care scarifying, on the other hand, is a much more aggressive task. It involves using a machine with steel blades to dig deeply into the soil and remove thicker, embedded layers of thatch, so it also helps aerate the soil.

When you scarify a lawn, rather than just managing the thatch, you’re being proactive in permanently removing it, which helps to promote the long-term growth of healthier, stronger, more vibrant grass.

When to Scarify a Lawn

Because scarifying is a rigorous process, it can take its toll on a lawn. Therefore, it should not be carried out more than once a year. The best time to scarify a lawn is in autumn, when the grass is compacted after its most intense period of use, but while weather conditions are still conducive to a quick recovery.

However, while lawns that were previously neglected could well benefit from annual grass scarification, your own patch of grass might not require such frequent intervention.

To determine whether your lawn needs scarifying, simply get down at ground level and prize the grass blades apart. If you can clearly see the soil, then you don’t have an issue with thatch. If you can’t, it’s time to scarify your lawn.

Here, you can watch Nigel Downs, Turf and Machinery Technician at RHS Garden Hyde Hall, demonstrating how to check for thatch.

How Do You Scarify a Lawn?

Scarifying a lawn isn’t a task you should do on the spur of the moment. Good preparation is key to achieving an effective result.

So, a few weeks before you intend to scarify, use a moss killer to eliminate any moss from your lawn. The reasoning behind this is that you don’t want to be spreading living moss spores across your lawn when you come to scarify it.

Then, once the moss is dead and on a dry day, mow your lawn on a low height setting. What you’re doing here is making it as easy as possible for the scarifier to deeply penetrate the soil.

Now you’re ready to scarify. Start by using the scarifier machine on a high setting, which can gradually be reduced as you go over the lawn several times.

What to Do After Lawn Scarification

Scarifying is the perfect preparation to applying a layer of top soil and grass seed to your lawn (known as overseeding) or if you’re laying new rolls of turf. In each of these scenarios, the grass will benefit if you apply a suitable lawn fertiliser afterwards.

What Sort of Lawn Scarifier Should I Buy?

Just like when purchasing most other garden machines, the main choice with grass scarifiers is between petrol, electric and battery-powered models.

Petrol Lawn Scarifiers

Petrol scarifiers are the most powerful of the three, so they’re the ideal option for commercial or heavy-duty domestic use. And as petrol-powered scarifiers don’t need connecting by lead to a power supply, they’re also the natural choice if you’ve got a very large area of lawn to scarify.

Because of these advantages, petrol scarifiers tend to be more expensive than electric or battery-powered models, and that’s before you get to their higher running and maintenance costs. And, of course, even low emission petrol scarifiers are less environmentally friendly than electric and battery-powered alternatives.

View our full range of petrol scarifiers now.

Alternatively, why not take a closer look at one of our favourites here?…

Camon LS52 Lawn Scarifier

Powered by a 5.5 hp (4.1 kW) Honda GX200 engine, this high-performance petrol scarifier comes with a fixed blades cartridge, working width of 20 inches (52 cm), and rubber mounts to dampen the engine’s vibration levels.

You can easily adjust the scarifier’s height to match your exact requirements, while its narrow wheels allow you to manoeuvre close to walls and fencing while you’re hard at work.

This lawn scarifier’s angled back flap ensures every bit of thatch is efficiently discharged. Buy a spacious 65-litre collection bag, as an optional extra, and you can confidently say that the end result will always be a job well done.

Electric Scarifiers

All other things being equal, electric lawn scarifiers are the cheapest option. They’re more user friendly, quieter when operating, and cheaper to maintain than petrol models too. This makes them a great choice of entry-level scarifier.

Naturally, electric scarifiers’ main downside is that they need connecting by lead to an electricity socket, which presents obvious disadvantages if you want to scarify a more extensive area of land.

Find all our electric scarifiers here.

And from amongst this superb range of electric scarifiers for sale, here’s one of the bestsellers…

AL-KO 38 E Electric Scarifier

Cleverly designed and highly versatile, this lawn rake and scarifier combi machine features a 38 cm working width, making it suitable for scarifying lawns up to 800 m².

You’ll find it simple to change between the raking and scarifying functions, without the need for tools, allowing you to deliver complete care to your lawn, with minimal fuss.

Supplied with a 55-litre collection bag, this electric scarifier also boasts blades and tines made from premium steel, a range of working depths, plus easily adjustable handlebar height.

Cordless Scarifiers

Cordless scarifiers refer to those that are battery powered. Combining the freedom of petrol with the quiet operation, value for money and environmental credentials of electric, it’s easy to see why this type of scarifier is increasing in popularity, year upon year.

If you intend to become part of this trend, be sure to check both the scarifier’s power output and battery working time, just to ensure they are sufficient to get your own scarifying jobs done. Although leading manufacturers, like STIHL, Husqvarna and Cobra, are now making significant advancements in these areas, not all cordless scarifiers are compatible with highly demanding levels of work.

Also, if you buy a cordless scarifier through us, remember to check whether it’s ‘shell only’, ‘kit’ or a ‘promo kit’. Shell only simply means that you’ll need to purchase the battery and charger separately, while a kit tells you they’re both included in the price. A promo (promotional) kit is not only supplied with battery and charger, but it also includes a spare battery.

Here’s one of our cordless scarifiers that gives you all three options…

STIHL RLA 240 Cordless Scarifier

Expertly designed and built by one of the world’s leading manufacturers of garden machinery, this cordless scarifier is supplied with separate scarifying and dethatching attachments as standard.

The machine features a 900-w motor, working width of 34 cm, adjustable cutting depth of between 7.5 mm – 9.5 mm, and 50-litre collection box.

Light in weight and quiet when operating, this ergonomically designed scarifier’s grooved wheels and adjustable handlebars are sure to make your lawn care scarifying a pleasure, and never a chore.

Shop ALL the latest cordless scarifiers now.

Britain’s Best Lawn Scarifiers for Sale Here

Here, at Ron Smith, we know how much the Great British public care about their lawns. We fully appreciate the dangers posed by thatch too, which is why we stock Britain’s best range of lawn scarifiers for sale.

So, whether you’re a homeowner who cares passionately about your lawn, or landscaper providing the finest professional lawncare, be sure to make us your first port of call for scarifiers. And if you need advice about any of the scarifiers we sell, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our friendly, UK-based Garden Machinery Experts, who will be delighted to assist you, in any way they can.