Moss is opportunistic and will take over areas of your lawn where the grass is thin and weak. It reproduces through spreading spores instead of seeds and is structurally different from common lawn weeds, meaning most herbicides won’t effectively kill it.
Many moss species have existed for millions of years, which proves how resilient and adaptable they are to changing conditions and adverse environments. However, the gardening specialists at The Turf Grass Group claim that “it is not very difficult to get rid of moss in your lawn”. For those who want to go down the natural route, they’ve recommended you opt for one of two options – the first being baking soda.
If you don’t want to introduce herbicide into your yard or just want something you can do at home, there are two moss-killing solutions you can easily make at home.
You can mix either gentle dish soap or baking soda with lukewarm water to create an effective DIY herbicide that will kill moss.
For the baking soda method, mix two gallons of water with a small box of baking soda, “the sort they sell for fridge deodorising”, they noted.
Two gallons should cover 1000 square feet of moss-covered lawn. For a larger area, increase the amount of solution, maintaining the same ratios.
Use a garden sprayer to apply a heavy coating of the solution to the moss. Try to saturate the moss for the best results.
Don’t worry too much about your turf, as neither of these solutions should damage the surrounding grass.
The experts said: “After about 24 hours, the moss should die and turn orange or brown.”
Once the moss is dead, it should be easy to remove with a metal rake. Moss roots grow very shallow, so a rake should be able to remove the whole plant.
Once you have collected the moss, dispose of it in sealed bags away from your lawn. Spores can still escape, carried by the wind, and reseed your lawn with more moss.