How To Kill Moss In Lawns?

Moss on the Lawn

Even though the unsightly weeds may not actually kill the grass you have, you no doubt still want to get rid of it. According to the article, “How to Kill Moss,” at e-how, moss can be caused by a variety of factors, including unsuitable types of grass, drought, improper mowing, other cultural practices, a poor pH balance in your yard, too much shade, a lack of fertilizer, poor drainage, and an accumulation of thatch. Like all weeds, moss takes advantage of bare areas in your lawn. If you have moss, you have an unhealthy lawn. You will want to overpower the moss, if you want to strengthen your lawn.

According to the article, “Moss Control in Lawns,” at WSU, there are a variety of products that can be used to kill moss. These include products that have ferrous ammonium sulfate. Some of them include Moss-Out, Rid-Moss, and Moss-Kil. Safer’s, or other algae and moss killing soaps, may also be used. These products are safe for the environment. If you use the products, you will actually be using sulfur and iron, which are essential ingredients for grass. They also improve the color in grass.

You should know, however that killing moss is not enough. You will also have to work to solve the problems that caused it in the first place, or it will reappear. You do first need to kill the moss. Your next step is to detach and rake out all the dead moss. After that, you need to add new grass seed to the bare areas. You need to overseed any bare areas with a mixture of ryegrass/fescue blend or turf type ryegrasses. It is also good to top dress the seeds with l/4 inch of loose sand, potting mix, or weed-free soil. You will have to keep the area moist until seedlings begin. Because a poor pH balance in your yard could have caused the problem, you need to use a good lime containing fertilizer. The grass will need more sunlight, so you need to trim back trees. This will not only kill moss, it will also prevent it from returning.

If your soil is compacted, the use of a wetting agent or aeration may help. You will need to maintain careful watering. If lime has not been used for several years, use 20 to 30 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

You will need to kill the moss in the late winter or early spring.

Poorly adapted varieties of grass can be caused by cool temperatures, prevalent diseases, or inadequate drainage. This can also be caused by soil compaction and poor drainage. This can cause roots to suffocate or even diseases. Drought stress can be caused by impeded water movement to grass roots caused from thatch and soil compaction.

If you have moss on your roof, you can place a zinc strip along the peak of your roof. This will kill moss and prevent it from coming back for many years. There are also products containing zinc sulfate in liquid or granular form you can apply to your roof. These will also kill the moss.

Do you have moss on your sidewalk, driveway, or pavers? The simple solution is to apply a solution with one part water and one part bleach to the affected area to kill the moss. Be sure you do not get any of the solution on nearby shrubs or plants, or even worse, on your clothes. It is also good to pressure wash and scrub with a brush. You will need to repeat this procedure every year.

You will need to kill the moss in its early stages to keep it under control. This will also help prevent widespread problems.