How and When to Scarify Your Lawn

If you value having the healthiest lawn possible, you need to get to grips with how to properly scarify your lawn – making it part of your yearly routine every September–October.

If you’re unsure how, then you’re in the right place. Read on to discover the ins and outs of lawn scarification, including how to scarify a lawn and when’s the best time to do it.

What is scarifying?

Think of scarifying your lawn as giving it a deep cleanse – a full refresh of lawn blemishes after a long, often dry summer.

We do this by pulling out all the moss, thatch and dead material that chokes the grass, which makes the lawn spongy, affects drainage and encourages disease.

All-in-all, worse-for-wear lawns need a good scarification so that healthy grass can begin to spread again – allowing fresh air, water, and nutrients to reach the soil and promote growth.

What you’ll need

Before we begin, make sure you have the following equipment to properly scarify your lawn:

• Battery mower or petrol mower

• Gloves

• Scarifier or springbok rake

• Leaf rake

How to scarify your lawn

Scarifying a lawn is simple when you know how – so we’ve broken it down into five easy-to-follow steps.

1. Water the day before – Proper lawn scarification begins with watering the lawn a day or two beforehand, preventing especially dry soil from leading to tears in the turf when scarifying.

2. Mow the lawn short – Lower your lawnmower cutting height and cut the grass to 2–3 cm. For details on how to best mow the lawn, read our How to Cut Your Grass guide.

3. Choose the right tool – To properly remove the thatch without damaging the lawn, you’ll need a scarifying tool for big lawns or a springbok rake for smaller lawns.

4. Scarify the lawn surface – Run the tool steadily over the lawn so its blades or tines lift out moss and thatch. Work in one direction, and for heavier thatch, repeat at a slight angle. If you are using a scarifying machine, lower the scarifier’s height with each passing. The goal is to create a clean, open surface for the grass without being too aggressive with the soil.

5. Remove the debris – Using a stiff leaf rake, collect the debris (thatch and moss). This must be done immediately, as leaving it on the lawn will block light, air and nutrients.

6. Seed and feed – To send the lawn on its way, spread grass seed over bare patches and apply a seasonal fertiliser to boost growth.

How to revive your lawn after scarifying?

Reviving your lawn after scarifying is about using the appropriate grass seed and fertiliser after you’ve scarified.

For the lawn seed, you might find the best option is a ryegrass-based seed mix based on the UK’s typical weather conditions – whereas an all-purpose fertiliser should do the trick for feed.

Overseed any bare or patchy areas of lawn, watering immediately after the seed has been spread and throughout the following week.

When to scarify your lawn

Just like knowing when to cut your grass, knowing when to scarify your lawn is important for it to thrive in the summer or survive in the winter.

The two best times to scarify are:

• Late spring – Usually around May, when grass growth is strong.

• Early autumn – Typically around September, encouraging lawn growth before the weather gets colder and the nights draw in.

For most lawns, you should only be scarifying once per year – though in the ideal conditions, albeit unnecessary, it is possible to scarify twice.

Signs your lawn needs scarifying

There are a number of signs your lawn needs scarifying. Be sure to look out for:

• Ample moss growth.

• Poor drainage, with water pooling on the lawn.

• Spongy surface underfoot.

• Yellow or thinning patches of grass.

• Visible thatch on top of the lawn.

Benefits of scarifying your lawn

Scarifying your lawn is all about improving overall growth and lawn health – and this is done by improving the nutrient uptake of the soil.

This means the main benefits of scarifying your lawn include:

• Better air and water circulation, improving drainage.

• Stronger grass growth.

• Reduces the likelihood of disease and pests.

• Boosts drought resistance.

• Creates a better seedbed for new grass.

Scarifying lawn FAQs

How long does it take to scarify your lawn?

Depending on how big your lawn is, you should be able to complete the entire process, including aftercare, within one day.

How many passes do you need to scarify your lawn?

This will depend on how bad the buildup of thatch and moss is on your lawn. For light maintenance, one pass should be enough. If your moss and thatch is worse than is typical, expect two passes.

Just remember, there should still be plenty of grass left after you scarify. If you’ve scalped your lawn down to bare soil, you’ve gone too far.

Can scarifying your lawn ruin it?

If you scarify at the wrong time of year or over-scarify by taking away too much healthy grass, you can seriously damage your lawn. Be sure to never scarify when it is too cold and only scarify if your moss and thatch buildup is over one cm thick.