Lawn Moss Control in Autumn

Moss grows where the grass is thin, patchy, shaded or not strong and healthy. This means good lawn care is required, so if you think you need to beef up your lawn maintenance read our Lawn Care Advice section and in particular Lawn Moss Prevention. 

As the weather cools and gets wetter you may notice a resurgence of moss. Quite often this happens too late for moss removal but you can still kill it! Depending on any other lawn maintenance plans the options are:

Moss Control as part of Autumn Renovation

If your lawn is prone to moss or you suspect a resurgence is likely, then add a couple of extra steps to your autumn scarifying procedure. If your timing is correct for scarifying (normally September) then this will be before you see much moss growth. Procedure as follows:

• Scarifying to remove thatch which will inevitably remove some moss
• Apply a moss killer as an extra process
• Rake to remove remaining dead moss also as an additional process
• Spike to aerate the lawn if you wish – always a good idea though
• Over Seed
• Feed the Grass once the seed has germinated

The choice of moss treatment products are:

• Green-up Ferrous Sulphate; cheap, effective, greens grass very well and suppresses worm activity. Can be repeated throughout winter, is very safe but can stain for up to 24 hours after application.
• Moss-Off: will not only kill the moss but has a residual effect. Unfortunately, there are no other benefits but is ideal for those with children, cats and dogs that can't be kept off the lawn for 24 hours.

You’ll find the full procedure in the article Moss Removal

Moss Control in Late Autumn with Little Moss Evident

If you’ve maintained the lawn well and moss is hardly noticeable then give yourself a pat on the back. Your objective now is to stop the moss getting a foot hold. You should therefore ensure an autumn feed is applied before winter to keep the grass strong and healthy. This, together with a higher mower setting, is the best defence against moss incursion.

I would then use Green-up Ferrous Sulphate as a liquid spray for regular moss suppression and prevention during cooler weather. The iron in it is also an important mineral and makes the grass greener without causing growth. You can do this every 4 to 8 weeks from late autumn right through to early spring and keep the lawn looking great as well.

If you feel your grass needs a nutritional boost in late winter or very early spring you should use our Winter Green which will kill the moss and really green the lawn without interfering with the very important spring feed. Feeding in winter is becoming more and more important as winters get milder and wetter.

Moss Control in Late Autumn WITH Moss Evident

If it’s too late to rake and over-seed but the moss has really exploded in your lawn you must start a regular program of moss control applications otherwise your lawn will be full of moss by spring and a major job to renovate. For repeated moss treatments nothing beats Green-up Ferrous Sulphate. An autumn feed is also a must as is keeping the mower on a very high setting.

We would also recommend a winter feed with our Winter Green during a mild spell between December and Early February. This will keep the grass fortified whilst burning off any moss that is present.

Lots more help and advice at Lawn Moss Control and Removal