How can we beat our moss menace?

Q

We have a large rural garden with a large lawn that is being taken over by moss. Is there a good solution, other than scarifying and killing the invading moss?

A

Moss tends to be a problem on lawns that are shaded for a good part of the day, and on lawns where drainage is poor due to compaction. A moss killer will give you a short-term fix, though it may look unsightly for a few weeks. The best thing to do is to find out why the moss is becoming established and change the prevailing conditions.

If shade is the problem, improving light levels over the lawn will be of benefit. Otherwise it might be a good idea to re-seed these areas with seed specifically designed for shade – these grasses will be more competitive with the moss and should win out.

If high moisture levels or poor aeration are the likely causes, there are several things you can do. Now is a good time to aerate and scarify the lawn.

Scarifying will help to remove dead plant material from the lawn, so the soil and grass can breathe more easily.

Aerating the soil will relieve compaction, and allow more air to the grass root zone, all of which will discourage the moss and encourage the grass. If it is a large lawn, it’s probably worth hiring a mechanical aerator.

Afterwards, top dressing with good lawn topsoil may be enough to alleviate the conditions that are encouraging the mosses and you may not need to take any further action, though it is always worth aerating on an annual basis and usually in the autumn.

Feeding your lawn at this time of year will benefit the grasses and encourage the strongest growth possible so they may start to out-compete the moss.