Many people in the UK step out in Spring to find their lush green lawn has been taken over by moss and there’s very little lawn left. This usually means that a full renovation is in order.
Some people like moss and that’s fine. However, some don’t and there are things you can do now and over the Winter to keep moss to a minimum.
Why Moss Thrives Over The Winter
Moss thrives in damp, shady, dense soils. In these conditions, it will easily take over the grass because these are the exact conditions that lawns don’t like. What’s more, moss will also thrive in slightly acidic soils.
It explains why it creeps in the most during the Winter months—a time when the garden is largely neglected by many here in the UK.
So, here are a few things you can do to keep moss to a minimum.
Rake The Grass Regularly
Raking the undergrowth out regularly will help to get any moss out that’s likely suffocating the grass. Raking alone won’t simply kill all the moss but it will help keep on top of it. It also helps to remove thatch build-up and that let’s air get to the sward of the grass.
You could even go a bit harder when you’re raking the leaves up to get the moss and thatch out as part of the leaf clean-up task. Kill 2 birds with one stone.
Apply Iron Sulphate
Iron sulphate is known for its benefits in making grass greener. However, it can also be used to control moss. Once applied, it will start reacting with the moss, turning it black within just a few hours.
To apply, mix the soluble powdered substance with water in a watering can. Or if you have a larger area to cover, you can a knapsack sprayer.
Be careful not to under-dilute the solution though because it can clog up the nozzle of the watering can or knapsack sprayer. If in doubt – use more water to dissolve the powder.
Aerate The Soil Bed
As mentioned above, the reason for moss taking over is because it thrives in dense soil where there’s poor drainage. Aeration can be done in different ways. The simplest method is with the good old garden fork.
If you want to go one step further, you can use a hollow tine aerator. This is another manual method and may take a while if your lawn is big. But it will give great drainage and help significantly reduce moss.
Ultimately, aerating the soil will help to improve drainage. It will also help water and air get down to the roots of the grass instead of getting trapped above the surface.
Clear Any Trees Causing Shade
This is a harder one to do and you might not want to touch your beloved trees. Where possible though, it’s a good idea to trim back any growth that’s covering the grass.
Allowing both air and light to flow through the bushes will do wonders for the lawn during cold and wet months.
Modify The Soil PH
Be careful here, while moss likes acidic soil, grass likes soil with a pH of 7 or close to it. That said, if you want to modify the pH, you can apply lime-based products to the soil in Autumn/Winter time.
Doing it at this time of year will mean the lime can work its way into the soil before the following Spring. That way you should have the perfect soil pH levels when tidying up the grass next Spring.
Apply Lawn Sand
There are 2 types of lawn sand one that contains iron and one that is 100% organic. The one that contains iron will help against moss right in the soil bed. However, the organic base sand will improve drainage and
It’s important to understand the differences because the one that contains iron only needs 70g per m2 but the organic form will need closer to 1kg per m2 if it’s to make any sort of difference.
Use A Fescue Grass Seed
If your grass isn’t surviving during the Winter, you might not have a type that’s suitable for shade and wet. So, next time you overseed, choose the best type of seed for your needs.
Fescue grass seed is known for its superb performance in shaded areas. It works much better than Perennial Ryegrass for example. If you’ve already seeded earlier in the year, then it might be a good idea to plan for an over-seed next Spring where you use a 100% shade mix. To learn more, read about how to get rid of moss from the lawn, and I hope this article will help you resolve the issue.
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