Microbes will find the SBM whether or not it penetrates the thatch. Be patient. It will take a few weeks to see any effects of your first dose. A good rain might help. You will not totally eliminate thatch, but an organically maintained lawn will eventually have a healthy, acceptable thatch layer. A light application of compost would help get the microherd munching on the thatch.

jlaak5,

If you're real concerned about the thatch, as I was with mine, I would highly recommend spraying some compost tea. I think it really helped my thatch issue. I put down a dose of it around the beginning of May and I've seen a HUGE decrease in thatch since then. The SBM will help, too. If I were you, I'd put down both -- that's what I did. Keep in mind that I also raked the REALLY bad spots, but I think you'll see some good results with SBM and compost tea.

Compost tea will be a LOT easier to spread on your lawn than compost -- especially with the size lawn you have. Compost would help more, but putting a layer of compost on a 1 acre lot might just kill you...

Joe

Compost is great for moisture retention too. I applied some in March. The compost is still moist several days after rain in very hot weather.

SBM is great stuff. I put out another round two weeks ago and the results are fantastic.