What's the best way of removing moss from a lawn?

Question

The lawn is in Southern England.

I have heard of scarification but know little about it or when to do it - also I would prefer not to pour too many chemicals over the place if it can be avoided.

I would like to do this myself rather than get in professional help.

The lawn is approximately 100m²

Answer 1

There are 3 things you can do to prevent moss from becoming established on your lawn;

1) Trim the trees and bushes that are providing shade for the moss to become established. This will allow more sunlight to help dry up the soil.

2) Aerate your lawn and fill in the holes with clean compost by using a pushbroom. The compost will help retain moisture in the soil and allow the roots to become more extensive/healthy and also allow water to penetrate your soil better... which in turn will help decrease your watering and thereby eliminating the standing water issues found wherever moss is found.

3) You can prevent moss from becoming established by applying approximately 1 pound of lime per 1,000 square feet to help raise the pH levels of your soil. (This is the standard rate but you may need to apply more if the moss doesn't disappear). Moss seems to enjoy acidic soils....that is...soils that are below a pH of 7.


To eliminate the existing moss in your lawn;

Find a product that contains Potassium salts to spray and kill any existing moss in your lawn. Potassium salts will not damage or burn your lawn but it might burn some of your ornamental plants nearby. The company called "Safer" has a Moss-killing product here in the United States and I've seen many other companies making their own.

OR

You can apply Iron Sulfate to kill the existing moss in your lawn...and the iron will help green-up your turf at the same time. The only drawback to using Iron sulfate is that it will stain your concrete and any outdoor furniture it might accidentally land on during application.

Both Iron Sulfate and the Potassium Salts can be found at any of your local hardware stores and are relatively inexpensive.

Hope this information was of some help to you! GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

Add Lime to your lawn, it will help to balance the soil and break up the moss. It also helps to promote a greener lawn. You can buy it at Lowe's or Home Depot. Aerating your lawn is also a good idea, this way water will not sit on the top layer of soil.

Answer 3

if you want to do the "natural" thing - this is a little "earthy", but you could use soil-based microbes on your lawn. spray it on with water and the microbes will eat up whatever it is the moss is surviving on. "competitive exclusion" etc. anyway. the microbes will also fertilize by converting other compounds in the soil too. just a thought. but you dont want to use it with lime b/c the microbes are acidic too. either or i guess.

Answer 4

The soil needs to be sweetened. Moss grows in acidic soil. Adding lime will help balance the PH

Answer 5

Napalm.