Centipede Grass – Should You Dethatch?

Q: I have a well established lawn of centipede grass. Which comes first, aeration or detaching?

A: Generally speaking, you don’t need to remove thatch if you aerate a lawn every year or so. The aerator brings up plugs of dirt that help to speedily decompose a layer of thatch. You can also minimize thatch formation by mowing regularly, only removing a third of the height at each mowing.