Most gardeners would like to have a healthy and green lawn, especially during the summer when many people spend more time enjoying their outdoor spaces. Unfortunately, lawns can often be ruined by a number of issues, such as moss. This plant competes with grass for nutrients and moisture and thrives in damp and shaded areas.
Poorly looked after gardens, that have malnourished soil and thin grass, give moss the ultimate environment for it to flourish, worsening the quality of grass even more. It leaves it looking patchy and unkempt.
There are plenty of moss-killing treatments out there, but many of them involve harsh chemicals that can be harmful to soil, plants, and wildlife in your garden. Fortunately, there is an alternative.
Gardening genius Monty Don has shared a natural way to remove moss; the main thing you need is simple: a garden fork.
While Monty claims that moss is “always a symptom” of poor drainage, which is made worse by shade, he also revealed the “answer” to dealing with moss.
He explained that you should work on it at least once a year by sticking a fork in the ground, wiggling it about, and repeating the process every six inches or so. This is what is known as aeration.
Once you’ve used the fork, mix up equal portions of sieved topsoil, sharp sand, and leaf mould or compost, or if you do not have these things, you can use either just sharp or silver sand.
Then spread it across the area you have pricked and brush it in with a stiff broom, making sure to fill the holes with the mixture. This will help drainage and feed the grass.
Monty then advises to give the lawn a “good strach” with a wire rake, also known as scarifying. The task is crucial to getting rid of moss, as well as letting light and water get to the soil and roots of the grass.
Then put the debris on the compost and mow.
Monty added: “It will look a little bald for a week or so but will grow back thicker than ever.”
When mowing, it is important to not cut the grass too short as this will stress it and reduce its vigour, which encourages moss.