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When should I dethatch my grass?

Thatch is an accumulation of partially decomposed and undecomposed plant material at the soil surface. Thatch accumulation of less than one-half inch can be beneficial. Thatch accumulations of more than one inch are harmful. Remove thatch whenever it accumulates to more than one inch, but thatch is a symptom, not a disease. Thatch accumulated when something interfered with the microbial breakdown of plant material. If you have a thatch problem, it is usually due to soil compaction, poor drainage, or low soil pH. Alleviate the problem and the thatch will not re-occur.

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News

Person applying lime to yard.
Filed Under: Turfgrass and Lawn Management September 24, 2024

As summer comes to an end, the time for fall lawn care approaches. Warm-season grass growth is beginning to slow down while temperatures become slightly cooler. 

Dozens of people are scattered across a grassy field marked into squares.
Filed Under: Turfgrass and Lawn Management June 6, 2024

rofessionals involved in the turfgrass industry can register now for a September field day that will showcase Mississippi State University turfgrass research and Extension expertise. The 2024 Turfgrass Research Field Day will be Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Facility in Starkville.

Man mowing grass.
Filed Under: Turfgrass and Lawn Management March 22, 2024

It’s spring, meaning things are starting to grow! The “spring transition,” when grasses go from dormant to active, is in full swing this month.

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