How To Overcome Moss In Your Lawn

Posted on: 7 September 2017

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Few people want to contend with moss growth in their lawn. It can look unattractive, especially since moss tends to brown out in hot weather, leaving behind large brown or bare patches. Yet even with all the moss treatments on the market, many homeowners find themselves in a loosing battle with moss. Knowing the causes and the property strategies for combating moss can save you a lot of time and expense.

Moss indicates a cultural problem

Moss cannot out compete a healthy lawn, which means it will only begin crowding out grass if the grass is dying or thinning out for other reasons. In other words, moss is a result of lawn issues, but not the root cause. If you use a moss killer, you will temporarily kill the moss, but your lawn won't recover unless you fix the underlying issue causing it to thin out. This then leads to the moss growing back later since it can easily colonize any bare areas without grass competition.

Drainage and light are key

The most common issues causing your lawn to die are lack of light and too much moisture. These also happen to be the key components to healthy moss growth. When drainage or wet soil is the issue, you may be able to fix the problem by aerating the area or amending the area with compost to increase soil porosity. If the area is exceedingly wet, then installing a drain tile beneath the soil may help.

The other issue is light, which is why moss and thin grass is often more common on the north side of the home. You may be able to increase light if the reason for the shade is removable, such as by thinning out the branches in the trees in your yard. Otherwise, you may need to look into shade-tolerant grass varieties.

Don't overlook the alternatives

There are alternatives to grass if it seems to difficult to alter the area for better grass growth. The natural choice would be to install a moss and rock garden, replete with decorative moss varieties and shade-loving plants like creeping time or bright pink impatiens. You could also mulch over the area and turn it into a foliage bed, as many types of hostas and other decorative leafy plants can grow well in damp, shady area.

Work with a landscaping company like Wilson Garden Center & Landscaping to overcome the moss or learn to work with it. Either way, your yard will look better.