Moss growing in your lawn can be a bit of a bother to deal with. It tends to pop up in patches, making your garden look uneven and not as pretty as it could be.
Moss can also push out the grass, leaving bare spots and creating a tougher environment for your lawn to thrive.
This most stubborn of plants is especially likely to appear after very wet winters, where near-constant rain has created the perfect environment for it.
The tough little plant grows and spreads quickly and in the right conditions can take over the whole lawn, forming a thick, spongy mat, which as well as being unsightly can make the job of mowing incredibly difficult, reports the Mirror.
It’s annoying to see your efforts to maintain a healthy lawn thwarted, but thankfully Perfect Lawn Care have put together a handy four-step guide to rid your garden of this nuisance.
Step one: Moss killer
Your first step should be to use a good moss-killer solution. There are various types available, so it’s crucial to carefully read the instructions of your chosen product.
Typically, these solutions dehydrate the moss, causing it to turn brown or black and retract from the grass, thus enabling the underlying grass to breathe, grow, and spread. If your lawn has minimal moss, “this single treatment may effectively eradicate it”.
However, if your lawn is full of moss, the above steps might not work as well. If this happens to you, try the next step.
Step two: Scarification
This easy process involves physically removing the thatch and moss, basically scraping it out to open up the lawn, letting air and nutrients reach the grass plants. Various tools can be used for this task:
Electric scarifier/lawn rake: A good option for small to medium-sized lawns is to use flexible spring tines. This method is quicker than manual removal but may need a couple of goes for the best results.
Spring tine rake: This is perfect for small lawns where a big machine might be too large.
Petrol scarifier: This heavy-duty machine usually comes with solid blades, making it perfect for larger lawns and offering better efficiency. Usually, one go is enough to get rid of lots of moss and thatch build-up.
With your chosen tool, aim to get rid of a large amount of moss and thatch by adjusting the blades/tines to lightly brush the soil surface. It’s not necessary to remove all of the moss; instead, rake until some soil becomes visible, while still keeping plenty of grass cover. This allows the grass to “spread out and thicken” in the areas where the moss was present.
After, use your chosen moss killer, especially as most of the moss has been cleared away.
Step three: Aeration
Next, make lots of holes in the lawn to let air flow better and improve how water drains away. Aeration helps air and water move better, making it “hard for moss to grow and stop moss coming back”.
Step four: Lawn care and treatments to stop moss from returning
Now that you’ve got rid of the moss, try to stop it from coming back. Regular lawn care including fertiliser and weed killer will help the grass spread out and fill the gaps where the moss used to be.
Set your lawn mower blades to a height of one to 1.5 inches above the ground. Longer leaf blades make the grass stronger and healthier, resulting in a thicker lawn that is less likely to get moss.
If your lawn has grass types that are prone to thatch or runners, yearly light scarification and aeration can help keep moss at bay and keep your lawn looking its best. Remember, it’s easier to prevent moss than to get rid of it; light scarification is much simpler and less harmful to the lawn than removing a thick layer of moss.
If your lawn has been heavily infested with moss and now has big bare patches, you might need to reseed it. Bare and thin areas are more likely to have moss grow back quickly. But remember, just throwing seeds on top of moss won’t work because grass seeds need to touch the soil to sprout. So, for the best results, make sure to scarify your lawn thoroughly before you start.
After you’ve scarified your lawn, spread a layer of seed evenly over the exposed soil. You should use about 35g of seed per square metre. To stop the seed from drying out, cover it with a layer of soil to keep in moisture and warmth. The new seeds should start to sprout within seven to 14 days, but make sure to sow them in late spring or early autumn when the soil temperature is eight degrees Celsius or higher.
