Although nowadays the presence of moss is being encouraged, some would prefer a lawn without it. Moss is tiny plants that can get into the lawn if the grass starts dying, or it is not strong enough. There are various methods of removing it such as chemical and physical methods. You can still prevent moss from growing by taking precautionary measures to keep the lawn healthy. Some of the ways to get rid of moss include:
Physical removal
This comprises removing the moss by raking the lawn vigorously in a method called scarification or dethatching. For a small lawn, lift the moss by raking it thoroughly and with force. If the lawn is larger, remove using a dethatching blade on the lawn mower.
Chemical removal
The moss can be removed using chemicals such as glyphosate herbicide, moss killing soap or iron sulfate. The plant absorbs glyphosate by use of leaves and then it is transmitted to the soil. Avoid using the herbicide if there are other plants that it can affect. Iron sulfate and other herbicides that are sulfate based work by weakening the moss, making it easy to remove or kill. If using iron sulfate, mix 90 ml to 20 L of water and spray it for 1000 sq ft. The moss killing soap or cryptocidal is a soap that kills the moss upon contact. It works by bleaching the moss to a whitish color and it should be applied when it is dry and the moss is weak.
Preventing the moss
There are conditions that when present can reduce the occurrence of moss in your lawn. These will help to prevent the moss from growing. One of them is planting shrubs and perennials that love shade in areas where moss is likely to grow. This is because moss likes to grow in shaded areas. If it is possible, remove the shade to allow the sun to shine through and discourage the growth of moss. You should also balance the amount of water you give to the lawn. Too much water can lead to the growth of moss considering they like environment with high moisture. On the other hand, too little water results to less moisture and weakened grass that turns brown. If the lawn is later watered, or it rains, the grass dies and moss grows. Keeping the lawn healthy can help to prevent moss from growing. Make sure you do not injure the lawn by treating it roughly such as riding a bike or playing sports. Injuries make the grass weak resulting to the growth of moss.
Aerate the lawn so that water and nutrients can pass through to the roots. Without aeration, the grass dies and the moss takes over. Moss likes to cover areas with no grass. You should therefore seed areas that are thinly covered with grass so that moss does not cover them. If in a shade, use shade resistant grass such as ryegrass, roughs talk grass. Add fertilizer to the lawn to ensure that the grass has enough nutrients. This will ensure that the grass does not grow weak to result to the growth of moss.
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