Thatching and Spring Seeding

[mvftw]

I know that fall is the best time to seed. I took Andy's advice and did some seeding Aug. 15th. Very happy so far.
I know I will have to seed in the spring. What date or season temperature is good to start spring seeding? I know that I will need to use a different Pre-M.
Also I read that fall is best to De-Thatch, is this true?

[andy10917]

The best time to dethatch is when you have thatch. Please post a picture of the vertical slice of the soil, thatch and blades of the grass.

[MorpheusPA]

When you have thatch AND the lawn can recover from it. So summer and winter would be bad times to dethatch. But the first is the more important; many who think they have thatch simply have sloughing off blades that are falling to the soil surface and would naturally decay off on their own.

Thatch is a sturdy lignin-heavy layer of interlocking stem, dead stolon, and leaf that acts as protection for the crown. Amounts of up to a quarter inch are actually quite healthy--and I wouldn't mind having a bit of it. However, even with the second-thatchiest grass (bluegrass), I don't have a bit of it. The bacteria, fungi, and worms gobble it all up for breakfast and canvas the neighborhood, searching for slow-moving children.

[ken-n-nancy]

... many who think they have thatch simply have sloughing off blades that are falling to the soil surface and would naturally decay off on their own.

Thatch is a sturdy lignin-heavy layer of interlocking stem, dead stolon, and leaf that acts as protection for the crown. Amounts of up to a quarter inch are actually quite healthy--and I wouldn't mind having a bit of it. However, even with the second-thatchiest grass (bluegrass), I don't have a bit of it. The bacteria, fungi, and worms gobble it all up for breakfast and canvas the neighborhood, searching for slow-moving children.

^This^

So many people that I see talking about having thatch in a lawn are not describing true thatch. I had given up trying to educate about the difference. Thanks, MorpheusPA for the posting!

[turf_toes]

Yep. I can almost guarantee that you don’t have much thatch growing a northern Mix lawn.

Thatch is generally a concern in KBG lawns (and with warm-season grasses like Zoysia)