[whitespirit66]

I recently moved into a house. The front lawn had lots of weeds and moss. Verdone sorted out the weeds, but the moss still remains.

Should I rake it out, or use something on it?

Thanks

[mumofstig]

Treat the lawn with lawn sand, widely available eg:-

http://www.gardendirect.co.uk/lawn-sand-p-370

[Yorkie]

If you don't rake the moss out of the lawn, it will eventually take over from the grass.

I've always been taught to use lawn feed / weed / mosskiller.  This contains something (sulphate of iron ) which kills the moss, turns it black, and then you rake it out with a lawn rake or scarifier.  The lawn looks awful for a while but eventually the grass regrows. 

After scarifying, you also improve the aeration and/or drainage of the lawn by stabbing it with a fork every few inches and then brushing in lawn sand.

[Sadgit]

I must get round to doing this as my front lawn is almost pure moss. Will lawn sand help in a section at the side of the house? it is always very very wet and the grass hardly grows. Not sure what to do with it...

[Yorkie]

I don't have a lawn but I would say that if you do the stuff with the fork, i.e. stick it in about 4" deep every few inches, wiggle it around a bit, then brush lawn sand into the holes, it will supposedly improve the drainage - as well as give you blisters on your hands and make your back hurt 

[Trillium]

As mentioned, do rake out, even brush out, as much moss as possible. Then attend to the existing conditions which moss loves: acidic soil and poor drainage.
Moss detests lime so wear protective glasses and gloves, and apply some garden lime to the trouble areas AFTER you have corrected drainage problems. It may not seem wet there but that's where moss will grow.

[deejay]

I suffer from MOSS in my lawn because my soil is about 18 inches deep and on top of the Chalk (North Downs) which leaches the Fertiliser away.

I buy a bag of Sulphate of Iron (FE) in the smallest amount I can but still a big bag 25 kg's and keep it stored dry to last for several years.
During Spring and a week of dry weather I mix a certain amount (not sure but by trial and error, I now have it) in with water in a 2 gallon can with a "Fine" rose and swing this about on the lawn.
The Moss turns Black and the Grass becomes a nice dark green colour.

I do this before I start to rake and Scarify (electric motor) the lawn because the moss spores  travel through the air and spread.
The FE has killed the moss and the spores but if you don't scarify and get rid of the moss it will be a good base for the next lot to grow.

I then feed the Lawn with Sulphate of Ammonia (another 25 kg bag) when the rain is about to start.
There is no problem with composting this lovely grass until I have to use the weed killer.

[Ice]

My lawn had a lot of moss and I do what Yorkie1 said.  I treat with weed feed and moss killer in the spring and autumn.  The bare areas get a sprinkle of grass seed and the lawn gets lots of drainage holes.  Scarifying the dead moss is hard work but well worth it.  I also also don't cut the grass too short as I read somewhere it helps to block the light from the moss.

[Christine]

From a squillion years of experience I will tell you that it's cutting the lawn as short as possible in hot, dry weather that starts off the moss problem. It also let's the weeds get a hold. Oh and walking on a lawn that has just been given a number 1 will do further damage.

Leave your lawns a little taller folks but mow it regularly. If you get a long hot period try not to mow it at all unless you water it regularly (hosepipe bans usually stop this happening but if you have grey water then you can water your lawn).

I seem to have spent years telling Madam that you can't mow your lawn that short in this weather and that you must not mow it in the same direction every cut but mow "round the clock" i.e.  up and down, diagonal, across and the other diagonal then start again. This encourages the grass roots to spread and produces a sturdier crop.

But if you care for the grass you will need less effort in combating moss (years of blisters from doing that) and weeds in the lawn.

There's a very good Lawn Expert by our friend D.G Hessyon that gives many tricks on how to care for your lawn.

[Sadgit]

thanks for the advice... Will give the sand and fork trick on the wet area and might just put some feed/weed down on the other areas for now and start fresh in the Autumn and try and get hold of a scarifier.

[Yorkie]

my dad just uses a lawn rake to scarify, one with the flexible metal things splaying out in a triangle shape (as opposed to a rake for the earth)

[Sadgit]

yeah I have one of those... Oh boy it is hard work on my lawn since it is 99.99% moss

[Kristen]

my dad just uses a lawn rake to scarify, one with the flexible metal things splaying out in a triangle shape (as opposed to a rake for the earth)

Called a "Springbok Rake" I believe (no idea why, though, reminds me of the S.A. Rugby Team!)

[Stripey_cat]

You have to sort out the problem that's allowing the moss to outcompete the grass, or the moss will simply grow straight back.  Usually it's poor drainage, leading to acidic, waterlogged soil that the grass can't get the nutrients out of.  Spike and rake in sand, and if that doesn't work dig a land-drain of some sort.  If that's not possible, get rid of the lawn!  Or resign yourself to pouring chemicals all over it several times a year and still ending up with a scrubby, poor result.