Controlling moss and algae in turf
With warm and sunny spring weather here, many folks will be outdoors. With more outdoor time, it can lead to more personal inspection of your landscape status Keep in mind that at times our turfgrass can begin to thin out and moss and algae can form. Moss and algae can develop because the conditions that will encourage a great looking turfgrass has declined. Today, I will be sharing on moss and algae in turf and preventive cultural practices that can reduce moss and algae formation. I will be basing the information off of a UGA publication by Tim Daly,
UGA county agent and Dr. Patrick McCullough, UGA Turf Specialist.
How is moss and algae different and how are they the same? Mosses are branched, threadlike green plants that will form a tangled and thick mat over the soil. Algae are thread-like green plants that form a dense, green scum over the soil surface according to Daly and McCullough. Neither moss or algae are thought to be parasitic. Both moss and algae are spread by wind blown spores and can form crusts on the soil surface that can reduce air and water movement into the soil. What type of environments will promote moss and algae development? Factors that aid development are wet, humid conditions along with compacted soils with thin turf. You will see moss more in shady areas with infertile, acidic soils and excessive thatch. Algae is more common in full sun sites and fertile soils.
What cultural practices can a person follow to reduce issues with moss and algae? The goal should be to follow preventive cultural practices that will favor growth of your turfgrass which in turn will reduce the competition from moss and algae. For starters, you need to maintain good soil fertility and pH. This is a good time for me to promote soil testing. To soil test a home lawn, it is going to cost you $9 to send a properly taken soil sample to the UGA Soil Test Lab. We can send you a pamphlet that will review how to collect samples. We also have soil probes that can be checked out to help you in your collection efforts. Soil testing is the best way to obtain proper liming and fertilizing recommendations for the turfgrass you are growing on the property. Sure, you can find general recommendations, but soil testing will give you guidelines for your lawn. You can’t get more specific than that.
Another important practice is improving drainage. If your soil stays moist because of poor drainage, you should contour the soil so water will drain off the area according to Daly and McCullough. It should be noted that in some cases, the installation of tile drainage may be necessary to correct wet soil conditions. Another tip is that increasing light penetration and air circulation can help. Pruning tree limbs below 10 feet and selected limbs in the crown will improve light penetration and air movement.
You may also need to remove some of the least desirable trees and thin or remove shrubs. Our information adds that areas surrounded by buildings and vegetation with limbs close to the ground may require a lot of work to provide adequate light penetration and air circulation. It could be an option to grow a shade tolerant grass also, I will add that if direct sunlight does not reach the ground during the day, an ornamental ground cover such as liriope or mondograss may be the best option in those sites.
Consider cultivating compacted soil. Our information states that aerification with a machine that will remove plugs of soil will help reduce soil compaction. You can purchase a core aerator, but they can be rented. You can hire this work out with a lawn care company. Keep in mind that drainage in fine textured soils can be improved by cultivating and adding large amounts of organic matter and sand.
Another cultural practice is to irrigate deeply and infrequently. The key is to avoid the light and frequent irrigation events. You should wait for moisture stress signs such as the development of a bluish-gray, dull color before you irrigate the turfgrass. When you irrigate, wet the soil to at least 6 inches. A ruleof-thumb is that most healthy turfgrass will need about 1 inch of water each week during the active growing season. Another tip is if puddling occurs when irrigating, stop watering and wait two to three hours for the water to soak into the soil before irrigating again. You then repeat the cycle as needed until the soil is wet at the desired depth.
Finally, you may need to renovate if at least 50% of the lawn has the desired turfgrass. If the turfgrass cover is less that 50%, you may have to consider reestablishment of the desired turfgrass.