Moss can create a big problem on lawns. Although it is green and smooth to walk on, it usually dies out in the summers when the weather turns dry. It spreads rapidly in lawns and suffocates most lawns, but fails to be a viable substitute due to its short life. Dried moss in the garden becomes a big mess when birds scratch it. Apart from this, weeds spread quickly in mossy areas.
The main reason for this threat is poor compaction and drainage in garden soil leading to starvation of garden grass, significant shade, mowing too close, and acidic soil. There is a significant increase in moss covered area when there is poor drainage because it tends to weaken the garden grass and encourages its expansion. If the root cause is not addressed properly, the moss, which is quite stubborn, can return even when treated with chemical killers.
Different ways to prevent moss from spreading to your garden
Lawns are generally considered low-maintenance areas of a garden. They really can be, if you’re not interested in them looking good. You should follow some tips on how to maintain your lawn in the best possible way to keep it in the best condition.
1. Regular cut
There can be serious problems when the grass is cut too long or left too long between cuts. You should try to mow your lawn as soon as it reaches the height of about half an inch. If you have a large lawn, you can use a mechanical lawnmower, but for smaller lawns, the manual lawnmower is sufficient.
2. Adequate nutrition
Lawns should be fed in early spring when they begin to actively grow. This is important to maintain vigor and not leave room for mossy or weedy areas. May use summer/spring lawn food. When lawn clippings are to be removed, it needs to be fed throughout the season, every four to five weeks. Fall feed is specifically rich in potash and phosphates and is low enough in nitrogen to encourage active root growth rather than leaf growth.
3. Rake
Proper scarification of the lawn is essential. It involves vigorously raking the lawn to remove all the dead matter that has accumulated since last season. You should use a mechanical scarifier for larger lawns or a spring-tine rake if you have a smaller area. The scarifier gives much better results than the rake and should be preferred whenever possible.
4. Ventilation
Lawns can generally be compacted if there is a high flow of traffic from one area of the garden to another. This often leads to poor soil drainage and can encourage the growth of mossy areas on your lawn. Smaller lawns can be easily aerated by inserting a garden fork into the lawn at even intervals. However, this will not be suitable for larger areas and so a hand push aerator will do a good job quickly. By using the aerator regularly, your lawn will remain aerated, allowing nutrients and water to flow freely to the grass roots.
How to remove moss from your lawn
You can use lawn litter to control moss growth in your lawn by applying it at any time during the year. Mercurized lawn litter has a longer effect, as it can successfully kill the spores of this plant, thus preventing any new growth in the near future. Many liquid tar killers that contain tar acid are excellent for controlling mossy areas in your lawn.
Once you have removed the moss growth, you should rake the lawn to totally remove the debris from your lawn as this will prevent it from reoccurring.
