LAWN CARE

Is your lawn more moss than grass? You’re not alone. Moss can be a temporary problem caused by waterlogging, but more often it is persistent, meaning there are underlying conditions causing this: poor drainage, soil compaction or over-use.

​

Regular maintenance of your lawn helps prevent this along with two courses of action at Spring and Autumn, major milestones in your lawn-care year.

​

Spring: From late March to early April, apply a Spring fertiliser with moss killer on a still day, preferably if you know it's going to rain over the next few days, saving you having to water in. Leave until the moss turns brown then rake out the dead moss. Lightly top-dress with a mix of three parts loam to six parts sharp sand. Rake or use a coarse brush to spread evenly across the surface of your lawn.

​

Autumn: Apply an Autumn fertiliser with moss killer. Leave until moss is blackened then scarify the lawn taking out not only the moss but the dead thatch that's accumulated over the summer. Aerate the soil with a garden fork, digging in at least six inches, easing the fork backwards, allowing air into the soil and loosening any compaction. Top-dress as above.

​

To help prevent moss returning, regular maintenance, including feeding your lawn, spiking with a fork (or mechanical slitter on larger lawns), will help aerate the soil and nourish grass roots, along with regular cutting, will benefit your lawn and should keep moss at bay.

​

Moss can be composted. It can be slow to rot in bulk but if mixed well with other ingredients it will add to your compost heap.

​

NOTE: Artifical lawns can also gather moss. Brush regularly and don’t allow water to pool on the lawn surface.