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If your lawn looks weak but you can't identify the cause, get out a ruler and check the depth of thatch. Less than a half inch of thatch acts like mulch. A deeper layer keeps water and nutrients from reaching the grass roots.

What Causes It

Thatch
Thatch, a springy mat of grass roots and stems on the soil surface, is the result of excess fertilizer use. It is not caused by letting clippings fall onto the lawn.

Fast fix: Scrape out the thatch with a hard-tined rake (special thatch rakes are helpful but not essential).

Prevention: Spread a layer of compost on top of the soil to encourage earthworms to thrive in the soil and break down the thatch layer at the same rate at which it is being formed. Use slow-release organic fertilizers only.

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