Did your lawn seem unhealthy this past year, even though you took great care to feed, water and tend to it? You may need to dethatch. Thatch is matted, fibrous material between the soil and surface of the turf. Typically, it is caused by the accumulation of decomposing grass clippings and debris tangled with grass stems and roots. And that thick mat can prevent grassroots from absorbing essential nutrients!

How do you know if your yard needs dethatching? First, examine your turf where the roots meet the soil. It’s ok to have a small brown layer (a little thatch is normal), but if that layer is more than an inch thick, it needs to be broken up. The process of dethatching is a little messy but worth it! You are basically bringing the thatch to the surface. 

For a residential lawn, we recommend using a dethatching mower attachment that you can get at your favorite home improvement store. After the thatch is exposed, rake or mow it up, water, and fertilize for maximum absorption. It’s also the perfect time to add amendments, such as sulfur, gypsum or nitrogen. As a result, your grass should quickly recover and be much healthier in the future! 

Visit the Learning Center on our website, dlcresources.com/learning-center for additional information about turf transition. 

As your summer Bermuda grass begins to wake up, it’s time to take the next step to help your new grass crop: aeration! Turf areas that are utilized frequently often suffer from soil compaction. Prolonged physical compaction of the soil can result in a hard surface that does not allow water, air and nutrients to reach the root system. Aeration can significantly help mitigate the effects of soil compaction and allow your grass to get these vital necessities!

Aeration is the process of creating holes (3 to 6 inches deep) in the turf soil by various methods. For a typical backyard, manual aeration isn’t too hard. You will need a tool with spikes to do the job. Popular options include shoes with spikes on the bottom, a handheld tool that resembles a pitchfork and a long-handled rotating drum that you push across your lawn.  

Be sure to make at least two passes over your turf and water and fertilize afterward for maximum absorption. This is also the ideal time to add amendments, such as sulfur, gypsum or nitrogen. Just a little bit of elbow grease can help you achieve a healthy, beautiful summer lawn you’ll enjoy for months! 

Visit the Learning Center on our website, dlcresources.com/learning-center for additional information about turf transition. 

As summer grows closer, we are continuing with routine maintenance and spring projects in your Community. DLC crews are helping the Bermuda grass transition out of dormancy for the summer. The turf is currently at a lower 1” mow height and will stay there. 

We will aerate the soil and apply fertilizer in early May to help support the emerging Bermuda grass as it grows. Areas with Rye will have yellow spots as it dies off, but the Community should be mostly green by the end of May! 

Your landscape has entered a major growing season, and there are blooms, pollen and new growth on trees and plants everywhere! But those beautiful flowers can result in additional debris around the Community. Our crews work through the Community to clear leaves and spent blooms to maintain a clean area for residents. We are also working to clear excessive plant material behind the Community wall. 

As temperatures rise towards the triple-digits, we are adjusting the irrigation system to accommodate plants, trees and turf in the warmer months. Our irrigators address repair issues as soon as possible. 

Our Special Projects Dept. is working on the Poly to PVC conversion project along Westland Rd. Replacing cracked poly irrigation tubing with more durable PVC helps to save water and more reliably deliver water to plants. They are working on both sides of the road and in the median.