[Sadgit]

Hello,

I am sick and tired of my front garden and lawn. They are always covered in a thick blanket of moss. I have just been out there and everything is covered in it and I am at my whits end. What is the best method for killing it please?

I am happy to dig anything out of my beds I want to keep then go crazy with something to kill the moss.
For the lawn, I am going to try (again) some feed and weed, moss stuff, but I guess it is way too early for that yet

any advice is gratefully welcomed.

Cheers
Mark

[Yorkie]

I've learnt with moss that it will keep coming back unless you can tackle the underlying issues causing it.  So, poor drainage and shade are the two most common.

Sulphate of iron is a good moss-killer; I seem to recall using it on lawns and it not killing off the grass, but I'm not sufficiently confident about which plants it attacks to suggest that you use it among prize border plants.

Other than that, weedkiller of some sort in a few weeks' time, applied judiciously / carefully.

[Fairy Plotmother]

My front lawn is on it's last warning. I also have fought against moss for years...various moss/weed killers, raking, aerating and applying sand, grit and fertilizers, seemingly all to no avail. I'm sure there is more moss than grass. So, one more year of trying, then it wil be dug up and replaced with.."..? Answers on a postcard please........

[JayG]

I can add excessively well-drained poor soil to the list of moss-creating conditions. 

The moss thrives in autumn and winter when even my soil is usually damp, and in the summer just about hangs on because the grass is too choked and undernourished to out-compete it. Can't use weed/feed/mosskillers on it because I dug some of the lawn up to construct my pond, and it gets very expensive having to keep throwing fertiliser on it to keep the grass growing. At least it's nice and springy to walk on though! 

Does your front garden face north Sadgit? If so I suspect it's a drainage issue made worse by a relative lack of light as Yorkie has already said - forking and brushing sharp sand into the lawn will help, as will regular cultivation of the borders as much as you are able to (not to mention some prolonged dry weather!)

[fatcat1955]

As well as all the remedies already mentioned, make sure you put some lime on it.

[Sadgit]

ahh yes it does face north and the drainage isn't the best. I will try to kill it using the methods listed 1st, then some how tackle the drainage issue.

The beds and front lawn have always been an mess and I just want it sorted once and for all. Anyone fancy popping round?? :D

thanks all.

[bravemurphy]

Don't cut the grass too short leave it longer to stop the light getting at the moss.

[mobilekat]

Having moved in November I am currently watch the lawn trying to grow on my moss...

Have let the dogs scarify the lawn this winter, and am devoting this year to attacking the moss, trying to get the lawn level and fill in bald patches, and work on drainage and feed the grass too, think this may be a long term job.
Did offend a guy who knocked on the door in December, apparently he has been 'maintaining' the lawn, and treating the moss for the previous owners, maybe I shouldn't have said that having seen how bad the lawn is that I didn't think he had done a very good job....
Previous owners were not gardeners!

[RJR_38]

My dad uses an electric scarifier on his lawn and he swears by it

[MrsPea]

We've also had a lot of bother with moss, I think you'll find a lot of people have it's due to all the rain we've had, we found this and it works a treat. We also had our lawn scarified last year and were very pleased it's taken all the thatch away and looking so much healthier, good luck. I hope this helps 




EverGreen Mosskil ...

£5.48

Agratech


EverGreen Mosskil ...

£5.48

Agratech

[Beetroot Queen]

We used to have moss and then we had chickens and no more moss, okay we had no more grass too inbetween but hey ho moss free now.

[Totty]

Anything that contains ferrous sulphate will sort the moss out. On the lawn, get the moss killed, then get the grass growing nicely this season. Cut often and feed a couple of times.
 Next autumn I'd heavily scarify and aerate the area, brush some sand into holes and keep working on it like that until you can't remember what moss looks like.

Totty

[fatcat1955]

But if you want to get rid of the moss for good lime your lawn annually.

[Headgardener22]

My next door neighbour employed Green Thumb for 12 months. They scarified, weed killed and moss killed his lawn and it now looks beautiful and grows really well. Cost him a small fortune though.

[Goosegirl]

Funny you should mention Green Thumb - they have been recommended to me in the past by a friend who swears by them and she didn't think it was expensive; also the little team of gardeners helping me out mentioned them the other day as doing a very good job, well worth it, and they use them too.