which one first

[touhey33]

If you are doing aeration and dethatching the same day, which would you do first. I am using a power rake to dethatch and thought if I aerated first and then dethatched it would brake up the cores, what do you think?

[wally world III]

1st: dethatch 2nd: core areation

[Bryn]

If you are core aerating, then you don't need to dethatch.

Cool season grass with large buildup of thatch is being feed too much Nitrogen, Warm season grass with large build up of thatch needs to be bagged and aerated. Even if you have a compaction problem, you don't really need to dethatch. If this is a problem with warm season grass, a good cutting, and light raking can help the problem with core aerating. Dethaching is hard on the grass.

Hope some of this helps..

[BCSteel]

1st: dethatch 2nd: core areation

Same here.

[bobbygedd]

are you licensed? if not, sub it out

[fazzy815-66]

are you licensed? if not, sub it out

Do you have to be licensed to aerate or dethatch??? I dont know about other states but not in Michigan.

[Mower For Less]

No license required in Michigan.

And I agree, with dethatch first, then aerate. You dont want to break up the cores, you want them to decompose naturally to maximize the amount of time the roots are exposed to air. Breaking them up will reduce the effectiveness of the aeration They will generally fill back in after 3-4 weeks.

And I also agree that if you are aerating, dethacthing should really not be necessary.

Kevin

www.mowerforless.com

[lampeslawnservice]

Not illegal here to dethatch or aerate. I would only do one or the other. I would aerate if soil compaction is evident first. WHen you aerate nature takes care of the thatch, not all but some.

[tiedeman]

I would dethatch in the spring, and then aerate in early fall

[MOW ED]

Its illegal to dethatch if you don't really have thatch. Otherwise you are powerraking. True dethatching is a destructive process done with flail knives. Power raking is a spring tine on a vertical shaft that spins and pulls up the surface of the lawn and basically fluffs the lawn. That process is largely cosmetic and it is very popular here.
Aeration is also a destructive process but in a different manner. Cores are pulled and left on the surface to decompose. The pulling actually destroys a section of grass but that allows the root system of the remaining grass to expand and thrive. The surface cores decompose and the microbial action is beneficial in reducing some of the true thatch layer.
Most lawns I find do NOT have a thatch problem but can benefit from botha power raking and an aeration.

That being said, power rake first and then aerate. Let the cores disintegrate on their own.

[rodfather]

Good answer Ed, but how is it illegal to dethatch if there is no thatch visible?

[MOW ED]

That my friend is a felony of the highest degree. Punishable by pruning of the coconuts with a dull Fiskars!

[rodfather]

Damn, that hurts just thinking about it...LOL :D

[tiedeman]

That my friend is a felony of the highest degree. Punishable by pruning of the coconuts with a dull Fiskars!

ouch!! I am going to reconsider doing dethatching now :D

[old dog]

1st: dethatch 2nd: core areation
If you are going to overseed,dethatching helps to mulch the seed in.If you
don't dethatch,core it 4 to 6 times in order to get the most benefit from
areating