I have seen some very mossy lawns this year throughout the Surrey area that Lawn Crew services. Every lawn is different and as such posses different challenges to keep the persistent moss plant at bay. Some moss on a lawn isn’t necessary the end of the world for most lawns but if the moss isn’t dealt with a lawn with just some moss can quickly become a moss dominated lawn which possess its own challenges.
This seemingly inconspicuous spongy plant can take an irreversible foothold during the colder, darker, wetter winter months when grass growth slows down. A lawn that looked like it was doing a good job against the onslaught of this opportunist before winter sets in could tell a very different story as the days get longer and warmer, by which point it might be too late to just perform lawn maintenance, renovation might be required.
One of the most moss dominated lawns I have seen this year was large lawn in the Guildford area, this particular lawn had a very heavy build up of thatch through decades of neglect and as a result walking on the lawn was a similar experience to walking on a sponge. The moss was at least 3 inches thick in a large shady part of the lawn to the south-east which receives very little sunlight throughout the winter months.
Cutting the lawn was a rather unpleasant experience for the customer as the mower would sink into the spongy ground and, of course, being a family household the lawn was less than ideal for use throughout the summer. For this specific customer’s lawn it was necessary to first remove a majority of the moss and thatch through scarification, this was a very slow process as the moss had to be carefully thinned over multiple passes as to leave as much grass a possible and to not create divots, the waste produced was vast over 2x one tonnes bags were filled and over 60 sacks. Once enough moss was removed ferrous sulphate was applied to killed any remaining moss, this is a very important next step to perform after scarification (not before) as moss spores, which are invisible to the naked eye, can spread easily throughout the lawn. Once the moss has been removed and controlled using ferrous sulphate the task of aeration, feeding and seeding can be performed. In some instances applying a high quality top dressing can really help improve and speed up germination rate and of course level the surface.
This customer now has a lush moss free lawn that the family can enjoy whenever they wish, however, the renovation task was considerable and took time to complete and get results, a well thought out regular lawn care programme can prevent the need to renovate or re turf a lawn that has been taken over by moss.
The first step towards a moss free lawn is to identify what is causing the moss to develop and thrive in the first place.
This may seem like an obvious point, but if you’re reactive rather than proactive, you’re going to have an uphill struggle.
It is important to remember that moss takes hold where grass can’t, so if we can successfully produce a healthy sward this will considerably reduce the chances of moss taking a foothold.
Every lawn is different and comes with its own challenges but there are some common causes for that lead to moss being a problem which I have noticed whilst providing lawn care in Surrey, such as:
Too much thatch
Ideally ¼ inch of thatch at the start of spring is the ideal amount to protect the soil from drying out but not too much to absorb water and nutrients away from the soil. Too much thatch acts a sponge preventing strong root development and can keep the surface of the lawn damp encouraging moss growth and affecting overall lawn health.
Too much shade
With Surrey being labeled the leafiest county in the UK with up to 40% of its 642 miles2 covered by trees, it has come little surprise to me to see lots of shady areas whilst caring for lawns throughout Surrey. If reducing canopy cover through pruning and felling isn’t an option, alongside regular aeration and scarification, consider seeding a lawn seed mix of fine fescues including strong creeping red fescue, chewings fescue and tall fescues as they do particularly well in shade and need far less light than other cultivars.
Compaction
Soil particles squeeze together throughout the year as a result of general traffic and mowing. Just as it’s important to turn over soil in flower beds the lawn is no different. Regular annual aeration is integral to keeping the root system healthy (in turn the grass plant) and to keep moss at bay.
Poor aeration
When a lawn is hollow tined, fracture tined or solid tined an important gas exchange occurs; Carbon dioxide is released and oxygen is let into the root development system which encourages strong and healthy root development – integral to lush lawn.
Incorrect mowing
Having a good mowing strategy will make a massive difference to health and appearance of your lawn. I regularly see lawns in Surrey which are suffering from incorrect or infrequent mowing. Cutting the grass plant is cut too low – especially down to the crown – creates an opportunity for moss to take a hold as the grass is weakened. Other factors such as the ⅓ rule and keeping the mower blade sharp will help keep moss at bay.
Debris
Throughout the warmer months try and move an objects on the lawn, such as trampolines, to prevent weakening the grass. As the leaves start to fall – usually Maple trees are first to drop their leaves in October – it’s important to sweep any heavy debris left on the lawn for longer than 3 days. A big pile of leaves left on the lawn for longer than a week starts to act as an incubator, encouraging disease such as fusarium or snow mold and moss to develop.
Using inferior products
Try and stay away from the 3-1 in one or mult-purpose products. The lawn will not only be more susceptible to being scorch due to their high salt content but generally they encourage a flush of growth weakening the plant. Try and use the best professional products within your budget for a specific task or purpose.
Incorrect use of products
Over application and under application of a product can lead to weakening the lawn’s resistance to moss. When designing a lawn care programme for my customers in Surrey I make sure no more than 100kg/Hectare of nitrogen is applied over 12 months, anymore will encourage soft growth and will be detrimental to over lawn health. If the lawn hasn’t been fed with a good balance of nutrients at the right time it will become weak and susceptible to moss, weeds and disease.
Moss is a problem of the past for my customer’s lawns throughout Surrey and it can be for you lawn too, I hope you found the information above about how to keep moss at bay, if you have any questions please get in touch.
