On 4 Jul 2005 16:31:22 -0700, "Ben" wrote:

I find that statement interesting. I'm no expert but I thought that
thatch was still attached the the roots, not clippings. I've been
trying to get an expert opinion on that for years.

Thatch is a layer of roots on the surface. This happens due to
shallow watering, not grass clippings. If anything, the clippings add
a bit of nitrogen back to the turf. If you have a serious problem and
water is not penetrating the thick layer of thatch, hire a service to
come in and remove it, or rent a dethatcher for the day or hours, etc.
After you so that service done, have them do something called "core
aeration." This is where actual plugs are removed from the soil,
beware of any wires of sprinklers when doing this or having it done.
All service companies with wires in the ground will come out for free
and mark their wires on the ground so you can avoid them.

If you do this, and water deeply less often, you will never have
thatch. Do a search and find out how to determine when you've watered
an inch of water. Do that once every week, or in the south, every
five days. Never water on a timed schedule. Always water based on the
volume of water you are putting down. The deeper the watering, the
deeper the roots, and the roots will not hover at the surface where
the shallow watering is.