AggieTurf.tamu.edu Cultivation There are several issues in home lawn maintenance that require cultivation practices - primarily thatch accumulation and soil compaction. Thatch Management Thatch is the intermingled layer of living and dead stems, roots, rhizomes, and stolons that develops between the live green vegetation of your lawn and the soil surface. The thatch layer is composed of plant parts at various stages of decay by soil microorganisms. Most lawn turfgrasses used in the southern United States are perennial grasses that spread in this manner and, therefore, form thatch.
Thatch decay is also beneficial as it releases nutrients to the turf environment.
Having an excessive thatch layer of greater than inch, though, can lead to serious problems. Grass species vary in their rate of thatch production and some new grass varieties have especially vigorous growth characteristics that lead to quick thatch accumulation. There is a balance between thatch production and decomposition that can be achieved through proper lawn maintenance techniques. Thatch production is greatly affected by maintenance practices such as fertilization and mowing. Follow the fertility and mowing recommendations of this website for proper management.