Validating a practical methodology for thatch—mat—soil distinction in turfgrass soils

Abstract

Discerning thatch and mat in turfgrass soils is important in organic matter research and choosing the correct turfgrass maintenance actions to keep turfgrass healthy and optimize playability. However, determining boundaries of thatch and mat in practice is often experienced as difficult because of inherent ambiguity in terminology and diagnostic techniques. We described a practical method for the distinction of thatch, mat, and soil layers, being a combination of visually and manually observable characteristics. For two widely different turfgrass species, we analyzed total organic matter (TOM) and dry bulk density (ρd) in thin slices of 6 mm (between 0‐ and 10‐cm soil depth), resulting in clear patterns for both soil properties with increasing depth. Statistical analysis of TOM patterns resulted in similar boundary depths between calculated and observed layers, validating our practical method for the distinction of thatch, mat, and soil layers as a reliable method.