Methods of Moss Control
Moss Control on lawns is a problem. Moss are beautiful plants in their own right, unfortunately though when present in turf they tend to look unsightly and make mowing difficult. Moss attracts water and can become hazardous underfoot. Moss also tend to out-compete the desirable grass species during cooler seasons. There are some 600 species of moss in the United Kingdom and around 30 that are commonly found in turf. It is generally assumed that moss occur as a direct result of acid, waterlogged and compact soil conditions. Moss can grow in many types of soil and conditions, some of these are outlined below.
Why Does My Lawn Suffer From Moss?
Moss thrives in damp and shady areas. Unfortunately some lawns suffer with moss more than others. areas of lawn that are likely to be affected are those with heavy surface thatch or clay soils. Lawns which are scalped with the lawn mower are also prone to moss infestation.
The sulphur in Acid rain also used to help control moss in lawns so as our air gets cleaner the conditions for moss become more suitable, recent milder winters also aid moss growth.
Will raking the dead moss eradicate it?
Raking will only remove the dead moss. It will not cure or have any beneficial effect on the cause of the moss. Scarification is not lawn raking but removal of surface thatch – one of the main reasons for moss being present on a lawn (see our Laws of Luxury leaflet on scarification).
What does Luxury Lawns do to get rid of moss?
Luxury Lawns Autumn/Winter treatment, additional Winter treatment and post scarification treatment all contain a moss control element however you cannot kill moss in lawns anymore as the products are no longer available due to EU standards.
Our Approach is to remove or reduce the cause of the problem (the thatch) and thus help to remedy the moss problem.
the ways we do this are:
- Scarification
- Soil Aeration
- Autumn/Winter treatment
- Post Scarification treatment (Free to all customers on Direct Debit)
- Additional Winter beneficial treatment
Is it possible to make sure Moss never returns to my lawn?
Creating the right conditions on a lawn can reduce the possibility of moss re-growth. In practice though if your lawn is shaded by your home or by a tree then a total moss removal goal is impractical.
What should I expect following application of my autumn/winter treatment?
Within a very short period of time the moss present on the lawn at the time of treatment may turn black and will eventually die, this is because this treatment includes a moss control agent.
Following this treatment we recommend scarification and soil aeration and to keep an eye on re-growth of moss as this application only controls the moss present at the time of treatment.
Handy Tip: We control moss with our Autumn/ Winter Treatment.
