Reduce thatch before aerating your lawn

Question: My lawn is about 5 years old. Should I aerate my lawn? Bob N. Roseville
If you think your lawn isn't absorbing water well, it may be due to thatch buildup. Thatch is a build up of undecomposed organic matter in a layer below the lawn. Roots and stems are slow to decompose and can create an almost waterproof layer preventing water getting to the roots. This can create water runoff without absorption.
Thatch can be removed with a mower that has vertical blades. It rakes the soil, leaving thatch debris on top of the lawn.
After this hot summer, fall is a great time to rejuvenate your lawn. After reducing the thatch, aeration will help with sol compaction and heavy soil. Roots need oxygen as well as water. Aeration helps absorption as well as the exchange of oxygen.
Aeration is best done with a machine that removes plugs or cores of lawn and soil and leaves them lying on the lawn. Adequate soaking of the lawn, but not mushy, will allow deeper plugs.
For small lawn areas, even a manual aerator is helpful. The cores eventually breakdown. Amendments can be raked into the holes and reseeding done at that time if necessary.
Be sure to water the lawn until the winter rains begin. With a little fertilizer your lawn will have a flush of growth this fall and come back healthier next spring.
Reference: Master Gardener Handbook
More information on "lawn care" can be obtained from University of California Cooperative Extension Web site: extension@ucdavis.edu; call the Master Gardener office at (530) 889-7385 or visit http:// ceplacernevada@ucdavis.edu