If you wish to keep your lawn healthy, it is incredibly important to get rid of any moss growing alongside the grass. Moss can take over a lawn in springtime when everything has just begun growing again, blocking nutrients and sunlight from reaching the soil.
Philip Voice, a lawn expert and founder of Landscape Juice, said: “Sunlight is essential for photosynthesis to take place and if your grass has to work too hard, it will weaken and non-desirable grass species, as well as moss, can start to colonise the surface of your lawn.”
Moss can only thrive in a damp and dark environment, which means if you have a mossy lawn, it is an indication of waterlogged soil that cannot drain properly.
If you wish to grow a thick green lawn without moss, you need to aerate and scarify the lawn to prevent compact soil.
Phillip said: “Moss is often wrongly described as the cause of a poor lawn. Moss is, in fact, a result of having a poor lawn. The rule of thumb is, keep your root zone in good condition, improve overall growing conditions, and your grass will grow strongly, making it impossible for moss and weeds to compete.”
However, if you are sure your garden soil is in good condition, then your lawn may just need a nutrient boost, and you can easily improve its health with just one item.
Phillip said: “Good aeration is essential but sometimes you might need some chemical help to assist – a simple treatment is the application of sulphate of iron, to help suppress the moss.
“The common moss that is present in many lawns is Springy Moss; its properties are made up of over 90% water. Sulphate of iron will quickly expel the water and allow the grass to strengthen.”
Iron sulphate is a compound that helps lower the pH of the soil, making it less acidic, which prevents moss from growing on a lawn.
Iron quickly draws moisture out of moss to kill it, but it is also highly beneficial to grass, helping improve chlorophyll production so the lawn stores more energy.
Feeding your lawn iron sulphate will also turn the grass green, as yellow patchy grass is usually caused by iron deficiency.
Phillip said: “Even after as little as one hour, moss will start blackening; after two days, the moss content will have reduced and turned dark brown whilst the grass will have turned extremely green.”
All you need to do is feed your lawn iron sulphate the day after it has been raining, as the moisture will dissolve it. However, make sure to avoid a windy day, as it can blow the iron sulfate onto your other plants.
This is a simple way to remove moss and help keep the grass healthy, so you will have a lush, vibrant-looking lawn for the rest of spring and summer.