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How To Get Rid Of Moss In My Lawn

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Growing Thick Healthy Grass To Prevent Weeds

Get rid of Moss in Lawn – How To

The best way to prevent weeds, moss, or anything else besides grass from taking over your lawn is to grow thick, healthy grass. The more deep-rooted and dense your grass is, the fewer nutrients and less water and light there are for competing vegetation. The best defense, as they say, is a good offense. Growing and maintaining a healthy lawn is the best way to beat out weeds.

To get a thick, healthy lawn, you need to start with top-of-the-line turfgrass. The varieties youll find at The Turfgrass group are exclusive to our Certified Grower network. We have scientifically perfectedand patentedthe best of these grass families: Bermuda, Zoysia and Centipede varietals. So if youre ready to take your lawn to the next level, consider turf from The Turfgrass Group. You can find a grower for any of our varieties right here.

What Will Kill Clover But Not Grass

For those with an otherwise neat and tidy lawn, plagued by clover, youll want to find a solution that removes clover without killing grass. You may like to find a herbicide that can chemically remove the clover in your lawn without killing the grass. Alternatively, you could try a more natural method such as spot treating the clover with white vinegar. Either way, there are several ways to get rid of clover in lawns without damaging the lawn itself.

How To Rid Your Lawn Of Moss

Moss becomes most prevalent in Winter when there is additional moisture around and a lack of warmth to dry out surfaces.

What is Moss?

Mosses are small green non-vascular plants that grow in clumps. They are generally only a few centimetres tall with extremely thin leaves.

Moss enjoys conditions that are wet, shaded and compacted. It is important to understand that moss itself isnt the problem, it is the favourable conditions that the moss enjoys growing in. Turf on the other hand, generally hates these conditions, so you need to act quick before the moss continues to spread.

How to remove Moss

If you are already plagued with Moss, then you will need to remove it to enable your lawn to repair and spread back into the affected area.

  • You can do so by physically removing it with a spade or rake, being sure to get underneath it and remove the roots from the ground as you do.
  • Moss Killer usually contains iron sulphate. Iron can be good for your lawn when it is deficient. But Moss doesnt like it too much, so an application of iron sulphate will usually cause the moss to die off.
  • Mixing water and dish soap and spraying the Moss with it, is also another method often used to kill Moss.

How to ensure Moss stays away

The key is to focus on the cause of the problem, so that moss doesnt keep growing back again.

Aeration Aerating compacted ground will help the area drain better and allow oxygen and nutrients to the roots of your lawn allowing it to fight back against the Moss.

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Why Do I Have Moss In My Lawn

There are several possible reasons why you might be dealing with yard moss.

Moss is often a result of the surrounding environmental conditions. Since moss thrives in wet conditions if you have a shady area on your lawn that doesnt get much sun or air circulation, or you have a spot that has poor drainage, these locations are going to be more prone to yard moss. Moss is often more likely to grow in turf areas where thatch is present.

Yard moss can also be the result of soil pH levels. While turfgrasses here in Memphis, TN do prefer slightly acidic soil, when soil is too acidic, it can promote the growth of moss. Its important to understand that many yards have both the environmental conditions and acidic soil for moss to thrive. You must address both issues if you want to see a change. Oftentimes, homeowners assume that addressing the soil pH will solve the problem but if the environmental conditions are not changed, thats simply not going to be the case.

Why Some People Want Clover In Their Lawn

How to Get Rid of Lawn Moss (With images)

On a side note, it might surprise you to know that some people actually choose to add clover to their lawn. This is due to the fact that clover prevents weeds, fertilises your lawn by adding nitrogen, attracts bees, is soft to walk on, makes your lawn appear greener and shades the soil well. In fact, back in the 1950s and 60s, the optimum lawn mix was around 20% clover. For all these reasons, many people encourage the growth of clover in their lawn and even add in additional microclover to give more uniform clover coverage.

However, if you prefer the look of a smooth, velvety lawn without the distraction of clover flowers and wide leaves, youll need to thoroughly remove this prolific weed. Heres how to do it.

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Is There Too Much Shade

Moss is a shade-loving plant, which is the exact opposite of most turfgrass. So if you find that you are struggling against a carpet of moss, look up. Even shade-tolerant turfgrasslike fescue in cooler regions or zoysia grass in warmer climatesneeds 6 hours of sunlight or 12 hours of partial sunlight every day. If you find that your grass is struggling to grow and moss is thriving, try reducing the shade. Selectively prune your trees, removing branches below eight feet. Also, thin out some of the canopy to allow more light to filter through. Alternatively, if you dont want to give up the shade, consider turning the area into a bed with mulch or pine straw. You can also use a shade-loving groundcover other than turfgrass.

Why Is Moss Growing In My Lawn And How Do I Get Rid Of It

Moss is a spore-bearing plant that has a green, sponge-like appearance. It can look neat when its growing in areas where it isnt bothering you. But when its growing on the lawn, it can be a major source of frustration.

If you are dealing with areas of yard moss in your Memphis lawn, you might not like that it can make your lawn look uneven in color. Moss can be an eyesore when what you really care about is a thick and thriving green lawn.Fortunately, there are answers to dealing with moss. But getting rid of moss in the lawn starts with understanding whats causing the problem in the first place. Once you figure out whats causing the yard moss, you can start implementing effective solutions to get it under control.Lets talk about what causes moss growth and what steps you should take to fix it.

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How To Remove Moss On Your Lawn

First, well explain how to kill moss, so that you can remove it from your lawn more easily.

There are a few methods you can use to get rid of moss, including using a chemical moss killer, as well as more natural moss control methods.

Below, weve explained the different options to kill lawn moss.

Try A Natural Moss Killing Solution

How to kill moss in a lawn | FAST and EASY

If the idea of introducing herbicides to your lawn does not seem attractive, there could be a relatively safer alternative. We suggest you mix the following ingredients in a spray bottle to create a natural moss killing agent to use now and in the future, if the moss reappears:

  • 1 tsp of baking soda or 1 tsp of mild dishwashing detergent
  • 1 l of lukewarm water

These are the ingredients to tackle relatively small moss-covered areas. You can double or even triple the amounts if the invasive plant has spread throughout your entire lawn.

Its best to apply the solution in dry and sunny weather. Otherwise, the rain may wash away the solution before it has time to kill the moss. Aim to spray only the invasive plant.

The minimum time this homemade moss killer requires is 24 hours, but the most telling sign of success is the change in colour of the plant from green to yellow or brown. When you are sure the moss is dead, pull it out from the root, place it in a bag and throw it out a solid distance away from your lawn.

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Fertiliser + Iron Pellets

Kill two birds with one stone! This is similar to the iron sulphate granules but with the added benefit of a fertiliser, you can eliminate that pesky moss and feed your lawn at the same time.

What you’ll need:

Fertiliser + Iron Pellets

How to apply:

Simply grab a handful and spread it evenly across your lawn. Most fertilisers will advise you to water the lawn afterwards so that it can dissolve

How To Prevent Moss From Re

Moss is caused by a combination of moisture in your lawn and weak grass. Moss needs moisture to spread, so you are more likely to suffer from a moss problem in shady areas or in wetter seasons like spring or autumn.

The following steps will help you to prevent moss from appearing in the future:

  • To keep your lawn in tip top condition, feed your lawn once a month with Westland SafeLawnfor beautiful results
  • Thin out over-hanging trees to prevent shade on your lawn
  • Re-seed any bare patches using Smart Patch Repair

To help find the correct products for you, please see our handy comparison table below

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Preventing Future Lawn Moss

To keep your lawn free from moss, take steps to correct the problems that allowed moss to grow. A soil test will confirm if your lawn needs lime to reduce soil acidity and encourage healthy grass growth. Take time to improve areas with poor drainage, and consider thinning nearby trees or shrubs to let more light reach grass below. If your soil is compacted, aeration helps reduce opportunities for moss to take hold and regular lawn maintenance goes a long way toward keeping grass healthy and strong.

By improving your lawn’s conditions and treating moss with effective products, you can kill moss quickly and keep it gone. Lilly Miller Moss Out! products can help you put unsightly lawn moss behind you and reclaim your turf for thick, green grass instead.

Lilly Miller and Moss Out! are trademarks of Central Garden & Pet Company.

What Can Cause Moss In The Lawn

Easy, Harmless Ways To Get Rid of Moss

While moss is often purposefully used for decoration around the garden, its appearance in the lawn may not be a good sign. It could signal a more serious problem, such as soil compaction or lack of nutrients. Still, moss acts pretty much like any other lawn weed it feeds, grows and spreads and will continue to do it until its stopped.

Most common causes for moss growing in lawns:

  • Insufficient sunlight makes moss thrive and can weaken the grass.
  • Highly acidic soil is favoured by moss, but some species will grow just fine in alkaline soil, too. Turfgrass, on the other hand, usually prefers a more neutral soil.
  • Poor soil drainage can most commonly result from clay dominating the soils composition, but regardless, this can easily lead to the grounds compaction.
  • Improper lawn maintenance like mowing the grass way too low, skipping on nourishing with fertiliser or repairing the lawn through overseeding.
  • Weak or missing lawn grass Some of the previously mentioned factors could be responsible for thinning blades or entire bald patches appearing in the lawn. The former are often overtaken by moss, which establishes quickly and starts spreading as the grass lingers.

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Short Term Moss Control

  • Apply sulphate of iron This is a wonderfully easy way to kill moss on your lawns. This powder can be applied in Winter to late Spring and will kill moss off in under 2 weeks. Apply on a calm day, either by hand or using a broadcast spreader. 35 grams per m2 is sufficient. The dead moss will need to be raked out afterwards
  • Alternatively you can apply diluted Armillatox. Apply using a knapsack sprayer
  • Once the moss has died back you can remove it by scarification. See our article on how to scarify in the lawn care section
  • As you can read in the related article, you should re-seed your lawn after scarification

Killing Moss Naturally With Baking Soda Easiest Way

The easiest and efficient way of getting rid of moss is with plain old baking soda. This method is great for tackling smaller patches of moss or even crabgrass, and since its completely natural, it wont hurt the environment or your garden plants, soil, or water.

Before getting started, it is recommended that you wear a pair of gloves when making the baking soda and water mixture to kill moss naturally. The best time to apply this natural moss killing solution is in the afternoon when the grass is dry.

You can make the mixture as potent as you want depending on the density or quantity of moss, but the minimum is one tablespoon baking soda to one gallon of water. For small patches of moss, its best to start off with three tablespoons baking soda to one quart of water.

If youre dealing with large patches of moss, then you will have to step it up a few notches with eight tablespoons of baking soda to one quart water, and sprinkle some baking soda over the affected area to enhance its effectiveness. Check in a day or two, and repeat the process with higher mixture potency or rake and discard the dead moss appropriately.

This is a temporary solution, and you will have to do it frequently, somewhere between two and three times a week. If youre wondering how baking soda kills moss, it increases the pH to a level that is inhospitable to moss.

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Get Rid Of Clover In Your Lawn With Products

When using products to eradicate clover plants, always check to see if they will damage the grass too, and follow the recommended directions closely.

#1 Spray a Vinegar Solution

One of the most common ways to get rid of clover is to use a vinegar solution on the weeds. To make the solution, mix one cup of vinegar, one cup of water, and a couple of drops of biodegradable dish soap in a spray bottle. Shake it up to mix the ingredients, then spray it on your clover patches.

The dish soap acts as a surfactant, helping the mixture stick to the foliage, so the vinegar can dry out the leaves, killing the plant. You may need to spray the solution numerous times over a few weeks for the plants to die.

Keep in mind that when using this method, the mixture will also harm anything else it touches, so spray when there is little wind and be careful to keep it off nearby plants you want to keep.

#2 Use Nitrogen

Another way to get rid of clover is to use ammonia, a form of nitrogen, to burn the plants. Apply ammonium sulfatewhich leaves your grass unharmedone day after it rains, following label instructions. Repeat once a month as needed.

Since clover makes its own nitrogen, applying ammonium sulfate gives the plants too much, which is ultimately toxic. Never use household ammonia as this is dangerous to humans and pets.

#3 Spread Corn Meal Gluten

#4 Use an Organic Herbicide

#5 Use an Organic Nitrogen-Rich Fertilizer

In the long run, youll also see healthier grass growth.

Plant Different Grass Species

How to Remove Moss from your Lawn – Great Lawns Made Simple

Moss is opportunistic and will sometimes fill in lawn areas left bare because the grass variety that you have chosen is ill-suited to shady conditions. Here, the solution to the problem may be as simple as switching grasses. Tall fescue grass, for example, is a relatively shade-tolerant grass that may crowd out moss once it becomes established.

Switching grasses can be done all at once, by killing of the existing lawn, then planting a new lawn by seed or sod. But it can also be done simply by repeated top-seeding using shade-tolerant grass seed. Make sure to loosen the soil in bare spots and areas where moss has taken hold, and sprinkle new seed over these areas. Over a year or two, these areas will flourish as shade-tolerant, moss-resistant lawn space. After planting, follow recommended care procedures, especially when it comes to fertilizing. Healthy, dense grass means little or no moss.

Remember, though, that no turfgrass species will thrive in areas of total dense shade. Unless these areas get three or four hours of sunlight or bright filtered light, it may be better to plant an entirely different ground cover plant, which will also have the effect of blocking out moss growth.

The Spruce / David Beaulieu

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Examine Your Soil In Order To Get Rid Of Moss

Moss invasions are usually caused by poor soil conditions, especially pH and nutritional problems. To examine your soil, send a sample of your soil to your local Cooperative Extension service so that they can test it for you. Tell them that you are trying to get rid of moss in your lawn and request information on soil pH and nutrient content.

Moss-infested lawns typically have acidic soil. Its not like that moss likes acid soil, but instead turf grasses react badly to acid conditions. You should not modify the soil with agricultural lime unless the soil test shows a need for it.

Finally, the soil test will provide you valuable information on the nutrients available in your soil, making recommendations for fertilizers and other modifications to make it suitable for your lawn.

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