The best time to dethatch your lawn depends largely on your grass type and climate:
- For warm-season grasses (like Bermudagrass, Zoysiagrass, St. Augustine), dethatch in late spring to early summer (May through June) when the grass is actively growing and nights are warm. Avoid dethatching during extreme heat or drought to prevent stress.
- For cool-season grasses (like Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue, perennial ryegrass), the ideal time is early spring (mid-April) or early fall (late August through September) when temperatures are moderate and rainfall is consistent. This timing helps the lawn recover quickly before stress periods.
- In transition zones or mixed grass lawns, choose the dominant grass type's peak growing season or dethatch in early to late spring or early fall.
- Always dethatch when the grass is actively growing and the soil is moist (not waterlogged) to help recovery. Avoid dethatching during lawn stress from drought, heat, or dormancy.
- Light dethatching can be done in spring or autumn, with heavier dethatching preferably done in autumn to avoid lawn damage from summer heat.
In summary, schedule dethatching when your lawn is growing strongly, generally in spring or early summer for warm-season grasses and spring or fall for cool- season grasses, with proper soil moisture and weather conditions to promote recovery.
