Question
I recently bought a house in Upper Marlboro, Maryland which sits on 3/4 of an acre.  Although the property has a huge amount of land space, 1/3 of it is covered with protected trees.  However, the remaining 2/3 of land contains dry and/or dead grass.  I did a little research online and found out that what it is really called is "thatch."  Well my thatch can possibly be described as thick thatch.  Just to give you an example, the thickness of the lawn has to be at least 2 inches of dry dead grass which is tan/light brown in color.  I haven't been in the home very long but I have noticed that when it rains, water isn't noticeable on the surface but water does sit beneath the tan/light brown grass (or thatch).  I am preparing to give the lawn a jump start for the Spring and need some tips on how I should start.  I read that I will need to dethatch or power rake what is currently there prior to laying down grass seeds.  Is this true?  

Also, I am interested in a really good type of grass seed which will ward off insects and grow grass that will stay greener than most of my neighbors.

Answer
Hi Serene,

If you have a thatch problem, it will absolutely need to be completely removed before planting anything else. Dethatching and/or power raking will rip up some of it, but I'd recommend hiring a landscaper to dig it all out with some heavy duty equipment and lay down some fresh topsoil before starting over. That thatch will stop any chance of a good lawn until it is gone.

I'd recommend Tall Fescue for the Maryland area. You should be able to find good seed or sod from local home & garden shops.

Good luck!

-C.J. Brown