Dethatching

[Splicer]

Is dethatching a good idea? How often should it be done? What do you do with the thatch left behind?:confused:

[The mayor]

I never push dethatching but it always seems to follow me. I get alot of my customers that want their lawn dethatched in the spring. I pick up all the thatch with my mower and bag it up. It is the one and only time I pull out the bagging unit to pick up grass.

[get rich]

I do alot of spring dethatching. I will show up early spring, run a snapper power rake on the lawn and then cut the lawn bagging it all up. I use a exmark walk behind, and it really does a very nice job of cleaning up all the thatch the power rake pulls up to the surface. It really fills your truck up fast. But man o man does it look nice. Hit the spring fert application, then in a couple weeks they have the nicest looking lawn on the block(except for my other customers who take advantage of my spring deal, then it's a tie on who looks the best) Works for me and my customers, by removing the thatch layer you promote a thicker, healthier lawn. And we all know thats good, right?? Any other question just ask and ye shall recieve thy answers. good luck!

[hackitdown]

Spring dethatching is popular around here with customers. We charge about triple the cost of a mowing. I use the JRCO dethatcher on my ZTR. You have to be carefull how you sell the service, the JRCO just rakes it, doesn't really dethatch, but 95% of the customers are very happy with that. It gives me a couple of weeks of work before the lawns start growing.

[LB1234]

Dethatching also depends on the type of grass. Some grassed hardly ever need to be thatched while others need it done yearly.

[SER]

I was thinking about investing in a Blue Bird dethatcher with a bag. I am a small operator 40 miles outside of Chicago. Dethatching is a seasonal thing around here. I have heard that people charge $80.00 and up for a yard. I was thinking of starting at $100.00 a yard, baging the clippings and leaving them for the homeowner. Does this sound fair and equitable?
SER

[instyle]

In canada we call it "Power Rake/Vac" it is my best part of the year. We do alot of it, prob 3 weeks staright.

[seacoastlandscape]

All my spring cleanups consist of a thatching. I also have the jrco attachment for the zero turn and it works great. Although it doesn't actually cut the thatch with vertical blades it really does a nice job. Well worth the investment and is alot faster then using a actual thatching unit.

[Splicer]

Great answers! Thankyou. I will be using my garden tractor w/50" cut and am wondering if I should go with a front mount dethacher or a pull behind dethacher of the add on dethacher for my lawn sweeper to pick the thatch up? What would y'all recommend? I am leaning towards a front mount dethacher.

[jlcservices]

I was thinking about investing in a Blue Bird dethatcher with a bag. I am a small operator 40 miles outside of Chicago. Dethatching is a seasonal thing around here. I have heard that people charge $80.00 and up for a yard. I was thinking of starting at $100.00 a yard, baging the clippings and leaving them for the homeowner. Does this sound fair and equitable?
SER

SER,

I live in wheaton and I have been charging $100 per lawn to dethatch and I pick up the thatch and leave it for the customer to dispose of like you are planning on doing. This has work out very well for me and the service sells its self every year.

Good luck!

[Greg313]

Not to hijack this thread but I just found out that it's not recommended to dethatch st. augustine, can you use a power rake instead or would just aerating be the best? Thanks

[lance1]

Go for it. Do it as an early first mow as long as the temps are warming up.
Make sure the lawn is dry. Power rake 1st. Cleanup is bagging with 1st mowing. Charge 3x the mowing price plus disposal fees. Then hit it in a couple days with Preemergent and feed. In a couple of weeks you'l be proud of the results. If the customer quote is too pricey for them, recommend doing just the front lawn.

[Splicer]

Go for it. Do it as an early first mow as long as the temps are warming up.
Make sure the lawn is dry. Power rake 1st. Cleanup is bagging with 1st mowing. Charge 3x the mowing price plus disposal fees. Then hit it in a couple days with Preemergent and feed. In a couple of weeks you'l be proud of the results. If the customer quote is too pricey for them, recommend doing just the front lawn.
OK new term for me...power rake? And also if front only is suggested (wonderful idea IMO) just charge 1/2 of the 3x amount then?

Also when I see 'spring cleanup' and 'fall cleanup' it just means bagging the first and last cuts of the year? I am just trying to clarify so I do not mis-interpret. This is a great site! You guys are really helping me like you don't know! Thankyou again...:cool2:

[lance1]

Power rake = dethacher. As far as the front only price it depends on the size of it, what percentage of the total lawn. Charge what the front areas' percentage is plus a little more that way the whole lawn becomes a better deal for the customer and you maximize the sale. Cleanups mean everything in the beds and on the whole property. Give it curb appeal and change in line with the conditions encountered. You'll learn alot on your own after you get a couple of these cleanups under your belt! Technique and equipment selection will all become clear soon. Rent special equipment as needed to get a feel for it and work that in your price on top of what you need as an hourly rate. Always leave the property looking the best it can be. Only then can you do your best work and build your reputation. The rest will come over the season.

[Splicer]

Absolutely do the best job possible. By all means. That is what I am being paid for. I understand about the front only now thanks very much.

[Splicer]

Just ordered the front dethatcher for my tractor today. :cool2: Really nice, I should now be able to (in order) dethatch, mow and sweep all in one pass.:clapping:

[Splicer]

I p/u my dethatcher today! How do you guys charge for dethatching? By the entire job or hours?

[bigjeeping]

lets see some pics of this dethatching monster!

[chriscraft]

read mich states ohio states agronomic sites and learn how daamgeing dethatching can be. we talk 90% of our customers out of the service seeing as 90% of then dont need it then we talk them into 1 or 2 aerations a year they still save money and its 1/4 the work for me. dethatching can be detrimental to most lawns especially in a low rain year. we aerate a lawn in 10 minutes, dethatching takes an average of 40. get rid of too much thatch the grass will lose moisture and the ground. yo uwill ose organiv matter. RULE never dethatch id thaqtch layer is uner 1/2 inch unless molds funguses insects diseases are present, then dethatching is recommended as a prework before appplying herbicide fungicide or insecticide. for some reson customers think its a good thing , explain to then why its not , and sell then a service that can really use.

[Splicer]

read mich states ohio states agronomic sites and learn how daamgeing dethatching can be. we talk 90% of our customers out of the service seeing as 90% of then dont need it then we talk them into 1 or 2 aerations a year they still save money and its 1/4 the work for me. dethatching can be detrimental to most lawns especially in a low rain year. we aerate a lawn in 10 minutes, dethatching takes an average of 40. get rid of too much thatch the grass will lose moisture and the ground. yo uwill ose organiv matter. RULE never dethatch id thaqtch layer is uner 1/2 inch unless molds funguses insects diseases are present, then dethatching is recommended as a prework before appplying herbicide fungicide or insecticide. for some reson customers think its a good thing , explain to then why its not , and sell then a service that can really use.
:clapping: Excellant advice! Thankyou!:drinkup:

[6'7 330]

What most are calling de-thatching is nothing but power raking some of the dead and weak grasses off the surface, it ain't de-thatching.Most customers don't even know what thatch is.Thatch is dead grass stems roots etc, on top of the soil.1/2 an inch of thatch or less is perfectly fine.If they want to know if their lawn has accumulated to much thatch ,use a soil probe and see how thick the thatch is.

[Splicer]

But still for the homes that DO need it, how do you charge for that service?

[rodneyskip]

3x the mowing price.

[Splicer]

Thankyou RS!:drinkup: :usflag:

[6'7 330]

We charge 35$ 1000 square foot plus debree removel, 100$ mininum.Just a warning, Doing an improper job when dealing with a thatch layor , can tare the hell of a lawn.

We try to deal with the problem of thatch before action is necessary,providing and educating the customer with proper cultural methods.We put them on Proper fert program with core aeration, with the correct amount of plant nutrients, and not the chemlawn way of excessive amounts of nitrogen.

[PMLAWN]

I p/u my dethatcher today! How do you guys charge for dethatching? By the entire job or hours?
I have to ask why you would invest in a piece of equipment with out any idea how to charge or even if it is a good idea, and therefore no idea what the ROI will be.

[get rich]

I agree with ya 6'7 on the beating the hell out of the turf if done improperly. It' s all in the depth of the blade setting on a power rake. I've done lots of lawns in my area for the past couple springs. And if you set the depth corrrectly you still remove tons of thatch but never all of it. Last year we had a major drought in our area and the lawns i manage looked great, so there was no moisture loss do to removing MOST but not all of the thatch.I agree that core aeration is easier, quicker(and that makes it more profitable) and maybe better for the lawn under some circumstances. But when it is a hot seller in your area there is no reason to talk someone out of doing such a thing. I also sell the aeration to them, but schedule that to be done in the fall, some experts will tell you that by core aerating in the spring you are opening up holes for the weeds to pop up in, thus doing in the fall once germination period for the weeds are done allows the lawn all winter and spring to recouperate. So there is possible pitfalls with both if done inncorrectly. I run an early spring special, $100 for lawns under 10 k sq ft, that include hauling away the debris. I run a snapper power rake on the lawn, then mow and bag with my ex-mark, for an additional 50 i fertilize it also. But most are already signed up with my five app program. Hey...works for me. Good luck on your endever!

[Splicer]

I have to ask why you would invest in a piece of equipment with out any idea how to charge or even if it is a good idea, and therefore no idea what the ROI will be.
This equipment (ALL of it) is also used for my own property and I do not charge myself...:usflag:

[one man gang]

read mich states ohio states agronomic sites and learn how daamgeing dethatching can be. we talk 90% of our customers out of the service seeing as 90% of then dont need it then we talk them into 1 or 2 aerations a year they still save money and its 1/4 the work for me. dethatching can be detrimental to most lawns especially in a low rain year. we aerate a lawn in 10 minutes, dethatching takes an average of 40. get rid of too much thatch the grass will lose moisture and the ground. yo uwill ose organiv matter. RULE never dethatch id thaqtch layer is uner 1/2 inch unless molds funguses insects diseases are present, then dethatching is recommended as a prework before appplying herbicide fungicide or insecticide. for some reson customers think its a good thing , explain to then why its not , and sell then a service that can really use.

I gave up trying to talk people out of it a few years ago, they just wanted it and didn't care that aerations we're better and cheaper. I got a bluebird and do a lot every year. If people ask me whats better between the two I tell them to plug. If they want both I do both. If they don't ask I happily do the power rake. For some reason they think the need it

[kosty]

would it be a good idea to always back the clippings.

[dcondon]

This equipment (ALL of it) is also used for my own property and I do not charge myself...:usflag:

You may want to think about a plug aerator. If you ever get a chance take a pic of your lawn so we can see it.:waving:

[Knights_Services]

Last year was my first summer for my business. I simply have a pull behind (for a rider lawnmower) dethatcher. For less than $100 I have had nearly 30 jobs completed with that pice of quipment. With this I charge (very fair price according to my clients) $100 for the job including the clean up. Granted i have my guys rake and bag/dump the crap that comes up, but it only takes about 45min for a house on .4-.5 acres. Its quick EASY money and I'm sure you could get $120-$140 on those 'average' houses if you are a good hussler.


*always remember, be HONEST! Don't cheet or rob your clients blind. It is rare to find an HONEST and FAIR lawnguy. You will be rewarded with rediculus amounts of referals if you are HONEST!

BE HONEST!

[chriscraft]

45 minutes? hand raking 1/2 an acre lol how many guys? anyway whem my customers realize im talking them out of something i can profit on, and talk them into what they realy need aerating , gypsum for our calyed ares they respect me 1st , then thank me for the water savings, 80% after 4 years on avg, a heathier lawn, less weeds,disease, savings on fertilizer, Its not that its just easier and more profitabale its just the right thing to do most of the time (period) By the way the best way to prevent thatch build up is to aeratwe (Imagine That)

[chevytrucks84]

I took a Turf grass management class last semester at the University of Illinios. The best way to control thatch is to core areate and return the plugs to the lawn. This will help break down the thatch layer. The dethatchers that are available for use only remove a VERY small percentage of the thatch present and does virtually nothing for the lawn. Or if you do remove enough thatch there will be hardly anything left of the lawn. Hope this helps some of you sell your customers on areation rather than detatching.

Patrick

[chriscraft]

cheers cheers to chevy trucks84 I want to hire him for my sales man lol

[Splicer]

Pictures of my lawn and dethatching monster in a day or 2. Pouring rain here...