Natural Moss Control Part 2
Heavy dew is great for moss
Poor air circulation and heavy dew
Problem: Reduced air flow increases dew formation and delays its departure. This leaves the lawn permanently wet in spring or autumn. Wonderful for the moss but unhealthy for the lawn. It’s also a great environment for fungal diseases to attack and weaken your lawn still further.
Solution: If buildings and walls surround your lawn then not much can be done. If plantings prevent a breeze reaching your lawn then thin them a little particularly low down. Fences can also be a problem and if you plan to replace them use the variety that allows air to pass through them.
Dry areas such as lawn edges
Problem: A thin soil layer, or contact with stone (patio or driveway) can cause rapid drying of the lawn edges in warm or sunny weather. The grass then goes dormant and or dies due to the dryness! This allows moss to move in as soon as any moisture is available.
Solution: You need to prevent these areas drying by adding a heat barrier or keep them well watered. See Lawn Edging.
North facing lawns
Problem: These are usually wetter, cooler and shadier than other areas. This means grass growth is often slow but moss growth is vigorous.
Solution: Raise your mowing height. This means the grass traps more light and puts the moss in even more shade.
You may also have to over-seed these lawns every spring because your lawn is in permanent shade from mid-autumn to mid-spring. Try over-seeding with Lawnsmith® SHADYGREEN* mixture next time you scarify or rake your lawn.
Acidic soil
Problem: Most moss seems to prefer acidic conditions. This is also true of many of the fine grass varieties but the coarser grasses generally do not favour acidic conditions. As most soils are between a pH of 5.5 and 7.5 this is rarely the cause of moss problems. If you’re concerned about this you need to use a good quality pH soil tester such as the Tenax probe* to test your soils pH. See Soil & Lawn Top Dressing.
Solution: Anything below a pH of 5 needs to have lime added. It’s best to apply this as ground limestone or dolomitic limestone which is slow acting, easy to spread through a fertiliser spreader and will not burn the grass.
Rarer still is a pH over 8. If this is the case it will be hard to lower and keep the pH lowered. I suggest overseeding with rye and smooth stalked meadow grasses which will do reasonably well in this pH.
*Lawnsmith Products from this page:
