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Thatch is the layer of living and dead stems, roots, stolons, and rhizomes between the green blades of grass and the soil surface. A thin layer of this (less than 1/2 inch thick) can be beneficial to the lawn because it helps to limit weed germination, reduce water evaporation, and protect from frost damage.
 
However, thick thatch layers can prevent water, air, and nutrients from penetrating the soil, causing reduced root growth and increased potential for drought stress. Thatch also favors fungal growth and can harbor insect pests.
 
Some turfgrass species, such as tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, do not produce much thatch. Other turfgrass species, such as bermudagrass, bentgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass, have creeping growth habits and rapidly build thick thatch layers.

If your yard has a bouncy feel to it when you walk on it, thatch is probably building up. As a general rule, you should plan to dethatch your lawn when the thickness of the thatch is more than 1/2 inch deep. To determine the thickness, remove a small square of your lawn to a depth of about 3 inches and measure the brown layer between the grass blades and the soil surface.
 
For both cool and warm-season varieties of grass, the best time to dethatch is mid-to-late spring or early fall. During this time, when the turf is actively growing, the grass will quickly recover from injury.

The rate of thatch removal depends upon how fast the thatch layer builds. Lawns that are overwatered, over-fertilized, or growing on heavy clay soils may accumulate thatch quickly.
 
Turfgrass species is also a factor; grasses such as bermudagrass, bentgrass, and Kentucky bluegrass build a thick thatch layer over several months and may need to be dethatched yearly. Grasses such as tall fescue and perennial ryegrass do not produce much thatch and may not need to be dethatched more than every few years.