Hi, I'm new to this world of gardening. I'm not successful with my lawn. I've got moss everywhere. My grass is losing the battle and thinning. People told me to start with the following steps: 1 - Kill the moss 2 - Rake the moss 3 - Fertilize the grass 4 - Reseed the lawn 5 - Fertilize the grass. I live in Surrey, BC. The question is when should I start killing the moss and with what. I heard that the moss killer products can stain your sidewalk. I also heard that I can use some cheap detergent. I am one confused person. Is there a step-by-step lawn care system? Help, Arohl
Best thing to do is aerate the lawn and improve the drainage. Get one of those hollow-tine forks that takes out a small core, and go over the lawn with that extensively and regularly (hard work!). Forget the moss killer, it just kills the existing moss, which will soon come back if the underlying cause of drainage isn't dealt with.
Greetings Arohl, It sounds like the conditions for growing moss are better than the conditions for growing grass. How much sun does the area get? Is there good air movement at ground level? Are there a lot of trees on the property? What has your latest soil test told you about the soil pH, nutrient levels, organic matter, etc.? Killing off the current crop of moss will not change the conditions that allowed the moss to grow there in the first place. You will need to change the current environmental conditions if you want a nice lawn.
Hi All, My lot is a corner lot with no trees. Two third (East & North) of the lot are exposed to the morning sun. The East lot is the front yard. The North lot is my side lot. My backyard gets some afternoon sun. In front of me is an open city park with no trees. It consists of a soccer field and a baseball diamond. So, my front and side lots has good air movement. Both lots have a considerable moss. My next door neighbor's front lot used to have good grass growth but this year he got the same moss problem as I do. So, I gather that I should aerate first before killing the moss with bleah or detergent. How long should I wait after aerating to kill the moss and start fertelizing? Arohl
Simply killing the moss will not change the conditions that allowed the moss to grow in the first place. The east facing lawn is probably getting enough sunlight and sounds like it is getting enough air flow. The north lawn may not be getting enough sunlight, in which case some other type of groundcover may ne needed. Core aerating is a good start. Rake and remove as much moss as possible before aerating. Topdress lawn with 1/2" of good-quality compost after aerating and work it into the grass with a soft-bristled push broom. You can overseed lightly before applying the topdressing. However, before adding any amendment (other than good-quality compost), get a soil test done by a qualified lab. It could be that the pH of the soil is too acidic for lawn grasses. The lab can make recommendations for adding amendments if you let them know it is for a lawn. If you have the resources, you can also have a soil foodweb assay done. The foodweb assay labs will also provide recommendations, and they will be organically-oriented recommendations.
Sounds to me if your lawn is generally sunny, the lawn has just been unattended for a while and the moss has built up over the years. As well with the winter we just had here, moss is pretty ramped all over. I would just call a local lawn care company to come spray liquid moss killer. It is just Iron and water and they will keep if off the concrete, depending on which suppler they but it from it may not stain the concrete regardless. An average corner lot in Surrey is only a $40 job. As soon as the weather warms up the dead moss will shrink and your grass will grow through it. probably a good idea to have them Lime it as well. Or even go for the annual program, with fertilizers, liming, moss and weed control. If your lawn is an average lot size this won't cost but $300 a year, and your lawn will look great, and all you have to do is cut and water! Not only will the moss killer kill the moss, Iron will give your lawn the greenest look on the street! Moss is no rocket science and is easily and cheaply controlled. Unless you want to spend a lot of time and money. Or for all that matters, you can go to Home depot and buy liquid moss killer with a garden hose attachment for $20 per 2500sq', and do it yourself. Jim.
Hello and Help, It seems that there are different methods prescibed for this moss. I have a corner lot in Surrey, with the back yard facing east and surrounde by some large trees. The previous owners just cut the lawn and did not do anything for the maintenance, it appears that my moss is two inches thick in places. If I read correctly, I should Rake, then aerate and then Moss kill?? or should that be Moss Kill Rake and the Aerate.
I wouldn't say there is any written rule of order. If you are raking out the moss, then I would say apply the moss killer after. Moss killer can take some time to fully soak through the moss and turn it black. When you rake you may expose the green again where you don't get all the moss out. If you rake it out first, then apply the moss killer to the remaining moss that may be left, you will be able to get a better longer lasting control. Jim.
