Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Don’t let moss be the boss
Try out a new method of lawn treatment and restore your grass to tip-top condition
A few weeks back, I had the honour of giving a speech at a great gardening trade event called Glee at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.
I was delighted to see all types of new products and plants ready for their introduction to the market for 2017. It was obvious that the gardening industry is in rude health.
One of the items that captured my attention is a moss-removal product called Moss Off which could be very useful for us gardeners at this time of year, especially if we have an aversion to using chemicals.
The traditional method for treating moss on lawns is iron sulphate and there are many products on the market containing this compound. When applied, your moss will go black – it looks pretty unsightly until you remove it – but it will help you keep the moss in control. You just rake it up when it’s gone black.
Autumn is a good time of year to do this and many products combine moss removal and autumn lawn feed. Don’t use ferrous iron products near paths as they can form stains which are hard to remove.
Moss Off is a new non-biocide treatment that is safe to use around gardeners, children, pets and ponds. It won’t harm anything except the moss you want to get rid of. You spray it on your lawn on a dry day and an invisible biodegradable microcoating forms to stop moss and algae growth and is completely harmless to other plants.
MossOff Multi-Surface gets moss and algae off any surface – patios, driveways, wooden decks, garden furniture, fencing, walls, roofs, BBQ covers, awnings and Astroturf.
Another non- chemical product is Mo Bacter – it’s an organic fertiliser which slowly releases its nutrients. Unwanted moss is digested by bacteria in the fertiliser so it doesn’t go black and there is no need to scarify the lawn.
Use it now to arrest moss development over the winter or in spring or early summer. However, unless you sort out the underlying problems, whatever products you use, the moss will keep returning.
Moss thrives in acidic soil, shade and damp conditions, and it will flourish when grass is weak, so good lawn care is your starting point.
To improve drainage, you can use a hollow tine tool which removes small plugs of soil. Next, top dress it with a horticultural sand. Scarify your lawn in autumn and spring – this involves giving it a vigorous rake and removing the dead material.
Test your soil for acidity – this can be improved by adding lime to it. Keep your lawn healthy by cutting regularly during the growing season and feeding appropriately.
Finally, don’t cut your grass too low – the stronger the grass, the less room for moss. But before you charge out and remove every bit of it, take a moment to reflect on the fact that in Japanese gardens, moss is a prized and cultivated plant. It is revered for its simplicity, enduring nature and beauty. The garden at Saihoji in Kyoto, Japan, known as the Moss Garden, is considered one of the most beautiful and serene gardens in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Dating from the 14th century, it is covered in 120 different types of moss, creating a green, soft and mysterious world.
Moss can actually be quite wonderful in certain circumstances. For example, if you are on a woodland walk and find a rock covered in a cushion of moss and an old wooden stump turned into velvety green pillow.
As with everything, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.