| Choices
and Decisions The
most common use for a thatcher is to remove thatch from the turf in the
fall.
These walk-behind machines are self-propelled and spin a series of metal
cutters at varying depths to remove thatch - dead grass that accumulates
after mowing.
There are at least
three more ways you can use a thatcher on your baseball field.
Sources
and Suppliers
Supplier I've used
and am satisfied with: Home Depot Rentals. There are other suppliers,
but this is my favorite.
Tips & Hints
- Mark sprinklers
so you don't hit them when using it on the grass areas. If you have
a lot of weeds or thatch to get out, be prepared to rake and remove
a lot of piles of debris.
- You probably can
only get within 6 inches of the fence area so don't try to get too close
and run the machine into your fence.
- Lower the depth
setting to use it for lightly tilling turf before overseeding. Not too
low or you wreck the root system of the exiting grass, but low enough
to lift up some dirt.
- Lower the depth
setting to scarify the infield skin. The thatcher does a great job of
getting out the smaller weeds that are common on fields in early spring
after the rainy season.
- If your baseball
field is fairly level without much of a lip and if the grass hasn't
grown too far past the edge where it should be, then the thatcher can
also be used to edge at the grass line.
Mistakes to avoid
- Don't forget to
mark the sprinklers. Unless your sprinkler heads are two inches below
the surface, you can damage them with the thatcher.
|
thatcher
at work; note
the need to rake off
the debris
thatcher
set low to 'till'
the dirt a bit before
planting seed
thatching
can create
a lot of grass to remove
helpers
raking up the
thatch and removing it |
