I've never dethatched.

What kind of grass do you have? How much do you fertilize and how often do you water? Do you mulch mow?

Most cool season grasses won't develop real thatch problems unless they're over fertilized and get frequent shallow water. Mulch mowing will help break down the thatch layer.

If you have a thatch problem, you're probably better off having the lawn core aerated and leaving the cores on the lawn.

Next year, mow at about 3 inches or higher, water deeply and infrequently and fertilize no more than once in the spring and twice in the fall.

+1 to bpgreen. Core aerating is less work and more value for your work, IMHO.

Core aeration works on many fronts. Sounds like you have a tractor so a pull behind core aerator would be perfect. If your riding mower can handle it, get the 48" aerator if you have a large yard--you will need at least 3 passes to make sufficient cores.

Dethatching equipment requires manual raking afterwards, so that won't help decrease the work!

Deanna

while I agree with the others about aerating the lawn,(you should do it) it does sound like you have quite of bit of thatch, and if this is the case, you might consider dethaching. take a core soil sample yourself with a knife, look at it closely to see if you have more than 1/2 inch of thatch. If it's 1/2 or less, just aggressively aerate the lawn, if it's more than 1/2 inch, you should hire a local lawn company to dethatch your lawn...they have machines that dethatch and then vacuum up all the dead grass. if less than 1/2 inch, rent a core aerator and go over your lawn in three different directions and leave the soil cores on top of the lawn...also, in addition to bpgreen's advice, don't ever mulch mow if you've let the grass grow long,(example..you skipped mowing last weekend and now the grass is very long) just bag it, and go back to mulch mowing the next weekend. if you mulch mow long grass it will contribute to your thatch problem.

Here is a link that might be useful: thatch advice link..

IF it is heavy thatch the best method of removing it is a vertical lawn mower aka power rake and verticutter. You can rent one at a box store.

I have a similar thatch problem. We did a thorough manual dethatching last fall, only to see the problem return this year.

I've picked up some information via product websites and would like to know if some folks with more experience would care to share on opinion.

Perhaps I have a situation of basically dead soil? My home is in a 3 year old neighborhood and seems to be very much like clay. Would some products such as Aerify Plus (links at bottom of post) or an organic dethatcher be a good choice, or would I just be swindled in buying these?

Aerify Plus
https://ssl.cgicafe.com/clients/natureslawnxcart/aerifyplus.php

Dethatcher
https://ssl.cgicafe.com/clients/natureslawnxcart/biological_dethatcher.php

Its not unusual to find a thatch cover on your lawn, it is a natural occurrence of breakdown of material.
It comes down to how you believe such cover might be affecting the natural growth of the grass.
Raking as you have done will help the soil to take in oxygen and moisture. Fertilizer given in spring and throughout the seasons will help break down more of it.

If you feel a proper de-thatching is needed, then by all means, rent a proper de-thatcher and do a core removal.
If, however, the grass is growing well, then just raking lightly and not putting such strain on the tool, may be all that is needed.

Water and fertilize your lawn when they are called for and keep your grass at the height that the type considers best for its proper growth.

When you cut gras short, you are putting the roots at stress. Sun and wind, loss of moisture, and general risk of harm comes to it.
Some grasses are prescribed to be cut short and grow best from such action. Other grasses are suggested to be 2 1/2" to 3 1/2" high for best growth and such height can shade out weeds and weed seeds before they become a nuisance.

Be very careful using those power rake machines, if there're not set properly they will tear up your lawn in no time. Most lawns are not perfectly even like golf putting greens, so when yo go over with the verticutter or power rake, you can easely dig/damage the soil surface and many grass plants in the process.

Thatch consist of many layers of undecayed grass between the soil the grass plants. Thatch is primarily composed of roots, rhizomes, and stolons; and NOT grass clippings like most people think. Thatch formation is a natural part of the growing cycle, in which grass plants age, die, and decompose. The problem occurs when something upsets this natural balance causing thatch to build up quicker than it can break down. Excessive lawn growth is the major cause, and over fertilizing and over-watering are the biggest culprits. They produce excessive amounts of grass clippings preventing the normal/natural breakdown of thatch.

Of the cool season grasses, Perennial Ryegrass and most Fescues produce little to no thatch, Bluegrasses and Bentgrasses produce the most. Warm season grasses produce the most thatch, with Zoysia being the worst.

I have used the power blade mower attachments with great success, however, it killed half the lawn in the process. I didn't matter to me because I was overseeding with a different type of grass, your case might be different.

You are up in Indiana, so you must likely have a Kentucky Bluegrass, which if over watered and over fertilized it will produce excessive amounts of thatch - specially if you live in an area that gets plenty of rain during the growing season.

My advice to you is to Aereate the heck out the lawn, then topdress with Humus. Then change your fertilizing schedule to 3 to 4 feedings per year max with at least one organic application instead of synthetic man-made.

I hope it helps.

Auteck

I agree. I have a 4 foot broom on my equipemnt to power rake it. It will tear up the grass big time. BUT where I went down 4 inches that grass came out the best this year.

I like to de-thatch, plug and then go but that is me.

If you are scared pay a business like $120 and be done with it.