Thatch is a layer of organic and inorganic material that forms between your grass and the soil surface - and in many cases, can cause problems for your lawn care efforts. If you have thatch over 1/2 inch thick, then you may be creating a favorable environment for lawn pests to breed in, and making it harder for your natural grass to flourish.

The biggest cause of thatch problems are when you overwater or overfertilize your grass. The primary component of thatch is turfgrass stems and roots - overwatering and overfertilizing (putting too much nitrogen in the soil) causes your grass to grow too quickly, and in turn the stems and roots start to build up faster than they are broken down. While it might seem like grass clippings contribute to this as well, they actually do not. Because the clippings are high in water content, they are broken down relatively quickly.

You also have to look out for thatch if your soil has conditions that are favorable to it. Conditions favoring thatch include heavy, wet soils; alkaline, or high pH soils; and soil compaction. Be especially aware if your soil has any of these qualities.

If you notice that your thatch is starting to get out of control, then it’s a good idea to aerate the lawn. These small holes help to ease the thatch - however, aerating can be a time consuming procedure. In the long run however, it is beneficial to get it down as soon as you can, or you may have significant lawn damage.