A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the typical turf problems associated with springtime weather conditions. Now that we have made it into June and have actually been experiencing higher-than-average temperatures, some of those lawn diseases will not be much of a problem again until fall. Right now, though, is perhaps one of the best times to take care of any aggressive mechanical cultivation in lawns to remove thatch, to rejuvenate the turf and to get the yard in top condition.

I use the words ‘aggressive mechanical cultivation’ to describe dethatching. Those of you who hang around golf courses are probably familiar with the term ‘verti-cutting’, which accomplishes the same thing. The idea is to remove thatch which has accumulated to a depth of greater than 1 inch.

What is thatch and why is thatch bad? Thatch is the buildup of leaf and stem parts, both living and dead, comprising a layer of grass residue just above the soil line. While a small amount of thatch is actually beneficial, amounts greater than 1 inch become a haven for insects and disease and can also interfere with effective watering and fertilization.

Last summer we even observed a thatch layer so dense in a Marion Park centipede lawn, that the grass roots were not attached to the soil. It was just sitting on top of the thatch. Both St. Augustine and centipede lawns can develop thatch over time, but thatch is generally more of a problem in Bermudagrass and Zoysia grass lawns.

Inspect your lawns this month and if you discover you have thatch that needs removing, you will need to obtain a special vertical-cutting mower. De-thatchers or verticutters, as they are commonly called, can usually be rented from equipment rental stores. They are designed to vertically slice through the thatch and dense turf to lift the debris to the surface for removal.

Let me warn you, this job will leave your yard looking pretty messy. However, performing the task at this time of the year followed by applying fertilizer and water will have the lawn looking great again in no time flat. Your turf grass – whatever species you have – will be healthier and will reward you for years to come.

Farmers’ Market: Let me put in a plug for the Vicksburg Farmers’ Market scheduled to open for business Saturday from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. at Levee and Grove streets. Remember, you don’t have to be a truck farmer with lots of acres to participate. Even home gardeners with excess produce are invited. On a related note, commercial vegetable and fruit growers are invited to attend a Twilight Tour of Mississippi State University’s Experiment Station this Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Crystal Springs. Our station there features ongoing research in fruit and vegetable production. Participants will take a tour of the farm’s test plots and hear several presentations. Who knows, they may even let you taste some of the new cultivars of sweet corn or the organic watermelons.

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John C. Coccaro is county Extension director. Write to him at 1100-C Grove St., Vicksburg, MS 39180 or call 601-636-5442. E-mail him at jcoccaro@ext.msstate.edu.