Printable View
Been out on the back lawns recently and found that moss has spread quite severely over the winter.
I got rid of the majority of it last year with lawn sand and raking it out but a lot the area is shaded by high trees which obviously adds to the problem.
As it is gardening time which is the best way to get rid of moss, hopefully permanently?
I am interested in this as well, my front lawn is now 90% moss, it was probably 10% at the end of the cutting season.
Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk
I don’t think there is a permanent solution. I’d start with an electric scarifier. It will look awful, but the moss will be gone and grass will replace. You could then try over seeding with shade resistant seed after this.
use stuff like this, or simular stuff that deos not kill grass if used properly but attacks moss.
Maxicrop 86600259 Moss Killer & Lawn Tonic, Natural Seaweed Extract Plus Moss Killer & Lawn Tonic, 2.5L, Concentrate
This, after using some Feed & Weed granules such as THIS to kill the moss.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodder
Very unlikely you'll ever get rid of all the moss, it's more a matter of keeping on top of it.
I use this site for advice.
https://www.lawnsmith.co.uk/lawn-car...ontrol-removal
I bought the Matabi Super Agro 16 Knapsack Sprayer off eBay as it was cheaper and get my iron phosphate from Amazon.
I will be getting some slow release fertiliser from them though, as I've tried twice with stuff off Amazon and not been impressed.
Bought a Parkside scarifier from Lidl last spring for 60 quid and it's been brilliant for my needs, my lawns add up to about 300m².
^^^ Good website for advice. Further, for all grass-related items, including moss, have a look at https://www.youtube.com/ryanknorrtv Ryan Knorr's YT channel.
Iron Sulphate is a great moss-killer. Order via Amazon.
Spray over the grass, wait until it turns black - then scarify it out.
I think scarifying before killing - helps spread the moss.
There is a long thread on here about Robot Lawnmowers (search for "huskvarna"). They are apparently very good at rejuvenating a lawn and keeping the moss down. Think it is that the shavings of grass - are left on the lawn and suppress the moss.
One guy had before and after photos - well impressive.
Having bought a house with an 80’ lawn that’s been neglected I too have a major moss problem. Poor drainage doesn’t help. Raking it out will be a big job, Mr W is the head gardener but I do the donkey work.
Very difficult to eradicate moss from a moss prone lawn.
Moss killer in either spring or autumn....thoroughly scarify the dead stuff out. Re-seed.
The lawn itself also needs to be thoroughly aerated and then top dressed. Don’t cut the grass too short as that stresses the grass and gives the moss the upper hand.
If you’ve got a lot of shade and/or poor drainage then you will need to address that as well.
My Spring regime is to put my spikey shoe attachments on and stamp around the lawn for a while, also great exersize, to help drainage. Scarify with a hand rake thingy. Then If I've got enough energy left spread weed and feed sand liberally. When moss is dead have another scarify. I dig the big weeds out and fill the holes with edge trimmed divots. Works for me.
As mentioned sulphate of iron will kill it. However, generally the reason you have moss is down to less than perfect drainage. This can be clay sub-soil or depressions in your lawn.
I struggled against moss for 4 or 5 years.
Sprayed, raked, scarified, reseeded, fed on a loop for ages but in the end had to admit defeat.
London Clay and neighbours trees meant my garden was permanently gloomy and damp a lot.
I now have plastic grass. It's only slightly less effort, but looks good all year round.
This year we are trying Mo Bacter, recommended by the RHC, turns the moss into feed and doesn’t turn it Black
Biggest garden mistake I ever made was killing the moss on the front garden of my old property. I used moss killer, raked it all up and had a semi bare lawn as a result prior to planting some lawn seed. Unfortunately, that turned my front lawn into the preferred place for all the neighbourhood cats to crap in. Think they were still doing it two years later when I moved out!
Lawn sand, light application or you will scorch the grass.
Improve drainage, spiking and brushing in sharp sand.
Fertiliser grass. use something decent like Symbio
Re- seed as needed.
Mulch mow.
maybe I'm alone but I like moss in the lawn :thumbsup:
The more the better.
Well at least it's green.🤢
Robot mower, hit it daily, moss doesn't like it..
Iron sulphate will 'blacken' moss in a dramatic fashion. However, I'm not convinced that it kills the actual spores as it will regrow again in an equally dramatic manner.
Many varieties release spores in both spring and autumn and the actual moss plants will naturally die back in dry summer weather, particularly in unshaded areas of the lawn. For this reason we can often consider that a big springtime effort tackling moss in a lawn has had good results, when mid and late summer it seems to have been significantly reduced, only to reappear in the dull, wet winter months and flourish again next year.
Moss in a lawn is the result of a number of factors, primarily wet ground, shade, weak grass, too short grass, acidic soil. A word of caution here - iron sulphate will blacken the moss, but it will also lower the ph of the soil (make acidic) thus increasing one of the moss loving conditions.
The best, long term solution is to adjust the conditions as much as possible. Improve drainage/aerate, reduce shade by removing trees, fertilise the grass and cut at a longer length, thicken grass by over-seeding and raise the ph of the soil by using lime.
I've tried the mobacter and found it a total waste of time and money. Certainly if you use it in springtime you will see an improvement later in the summer, but then that happens anyhow.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6509a8cb76.jpg
Regards
V
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Neil you need to rake it out by hand with an iron rake and add pulverized lime to the soil.
I tried that once as it seemed the absolute perfect solution. Thought I’d applied it correctly but was disappointed it didn’t do what I’d expected. And it stinks!Quote:
Originally Posted by adrianw
Lots of sound advice but I think bottom line is you have to put in a huge amount of work (and expense) year in, year out to get the moss under control and keep it that way.
Yes ... looks fine ... and certainly looks a damn sight better than plastic grass ... May as well plant some plastic daffodils to match the plastic grass ... I regularly walk past a plastic grassed front garden .. looks very artificial and ruins the street's antiquity ... the terraced property is 19th C ... and the owner has the plastic grass supplier's nameplate stuck into the 'grass'!! :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam100
It’s green, just leave it.
Not too far from where I live, there's a house with a large front garden (lawn) with two field hockey goals on either side, about 10 - 12 meters apart. Between the goals is a 3 meter wide stretch of artificial grass. I can see why the owner did this and I know it serves a purpose, but I think it's ugly.Quote:
Originally Posted by sundial
I've seen a suggestion that it's better to scarify first and then apply iron sulphate. The theory being that you get a better removal by letting the chemical attack any remaining or stubborn moss which might be shielded or missed if you just sprayQuote:
Originally Posted by blackal
https://youtu.be/VoigJhu0Yyc
Sent from my moto g(7) plus using Tapatalk
Thanks all.
I've ordered some Miracle-Gro moss killer and lawn food type stuff so I'll see how I go.
I'll cut back a lot of shrubbery too to let a bit more light in.
Difficult task though as I have some very large trees in the woods at the back of my garden that cause a lot of shade.
All the best with it Neil. I would suggest that, when you have succeeded in reducing the moss, sow more grass seed and keep it cut at the highest setting on your mower. Adjusting the mower setting is the easiest way to shift the lawn condition in your favour.Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil.C
Cheers Tom, I'll remember that.Quote:
Originally Posted by TomGW
Same here, it's short, springy, and a nice even green colour.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam100
It is also far more bio-diverse than a pure grass lawn, which can be almost sterile apart from the actual grass of course. It acts as a carbon sponge taking greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. It acts as a water reservoir, soaking it up and slowly releasing it back into the ground meaning less watering. It grows slower than grass meaninng less mowing which is not good for the environment either (and it's hard work). What's not to like?
Aaaarrghhh! Who knows what is best, then!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Taxboy
Keeping the grass longer rather than ultra short cut - certainly appears to keep the moss at bay, and I have to admit - I like seeing the movement of the grass in the wind.
Here goes another year of throwing effort and cash into the grass.