I just moved into my first house less than a month ago. The people who lived here before didn’t take care of the lawn at all, so now it’s full of weeds and crabgrass.
I hired a lawn care company right away and they sprayed weed killer. They said I should start mowing weekly at 3-3.5 inches and water every other day unless it rains.
I’ve never mowed a lawn before since I used to live in apartments. The previous owners left some tools, and I’m trying to figure out what they are. One is a Homelite Electric Dethatcher, and the other looks like it might be for seeding? Am I right that a dethatcher isn’t a mower, and I shouldn’t use it to cut grass? What does a dethatcher even do?
When I was a kid, my dad made me use a gas mower, but that was more than 15 years ago, and I just pushed it.
Should I mow when the yard is full of weeds? Should I pull them out first?
Also, should I just buy a new mower? Money isn’t really a problem. Any recommendations for a 1000 sq ft yard?
And what about the rocks in the lawn? Do I need to rake them all out so I don’t end up sending one flying when I mow?
Dethatching is a trend in lawn care that’s spreading thanks to YouTube and other sources that aren’t very reliable. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Thatch is the layer of roots and stems, alive or dead, at the top of the soil. Grass clippings aren’t thatch and don’t cause it.
A bit of thatch is fine. Experts say that up to half an inch of thatch is actually good for your lawn. It helps with weed control, traffic, and keeps moisture in the soil. If your thatch is more than an inch thick, you may want to deal with it, but most lawns don’t have a thatch problem unless you’ve over-fertilized, watered too much, or used too many pesticides.
If you do need to handle thatch, core aeration is less damaging than dethatching, and scarifying is also an option. But if you don’t have a thick thatch layer, dethatching won’t help, and it could actually cause damage.
@Dakota
I have an electric mower. It’s easy to use, but it doesn’t cut as cleanly as my old gas mower. Sometimes it leaves a few blades uncut. That said, I wouldn’t go back to gas. If you don’t want to deal with gas and oil changes, electric might be a good fit. Just make sure you get a big enough battery for your lawn.
@Dakota
With a yard that size, you can go with gas, electric, or even a manual push reel mower. If you post some pictures of your lawn and tools, we can help identify what you have. But yeah, mowing and watering regularly are the basics to get your lawn in shape.
@Dakota
I have that Honda mower, and I love it. You could definitely use an electric mower with a smaller yard, though. I have a bigger yard, about 7,000 sq ft, with hills, so gas works better for me. It just depends on if you want the power of gas but with more maintenance, or electric, which is quieter but not as powerful. Electric mowers are super quiet though, which is nice.
@Dakota
As someone who used gas mowers, I’d say go electric for a small yard like yours. It’s much easier to maintain. Plus, you can easily clean it by just pulling out the battery, tipping it over, and sharpening the blades. Also, check out the forum’s resource section. There’s tons of good info that really helped me when I started out.
Get that Honda mower you linked. You won’t need another mower for 20 years. Honda engines are built to last and are easy to maintain. With only 1,000 sq ft, it’ll make your lawn care smooth and easy.
I’d toss that Homelite equipment—it’s cheap stuff.
Where are you located? That will affect what you can do with your lawn right now.
Looks like you’ll be running the HOA someday! Ask them for tips on growing grass in the winter! Just be careful if you end up putting in new sod late in the season because it could die when it gets cold.
There’s still time to kill as many weeds as you can though.
Get an electric mower. It’s easy to maintain and with 1,000 sq ft, it’ll be a breeze. Make sure to bag the clippings when you mow to get rid of as many weed seeds as you can. You don’t want to spread them around every time you cut the grass.