Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

Moss in Your Lawn, Symptom of a Problem

By Jos Van Hage

Moss in lawns, on the upswing in the region 


Over the past few years there has been an increase of moss in the lawn. 

Moss is a tiny non-flowering plant which is low growing and grows side by side forming a thick velvety mat which will eventually take over the lawn if left untreated. Having moss in the lawn is a sympton of other things that may be wrong in the lawn as moss does not grow in a healthy lawn. 

One cause of moss is too much moisture in the lawn during the spring and fall along with poor drainage and/or compact soil. Another problem could be poor soil which is low in nutrients, or a pH problem with a pH reading of 6.5 or lower. Another thing to check is the layer of thatch, which is a layer of dead grass on the soils surface. If it is too thick ( 1/2 inch or more) it prevents water and nutrients from reaching the grass roots.

You can get rid of the moss but if you do not treat the sympton of why you got the moss in the first place you will only get the moss back again. 

To kill the moss you can either rake it out or treat it with a chemical. Chemical treatment could be done by using the liquid 5-0-0 which is attached to the garden hose sprayer and sprayed over the lawn. You can also spread the granular 1-0-1 over the lawn, or use the fertilizer 13-5-7 with moss control which is spread on the lawn and kills the moss and feeds the grass. After you have killed the moss you need to fix the problem of why you got the moss in the first place. 

If the lawn is too wet because of poor drainage due to compact soil it should be aerated by using either a handheld aerator or renting a commercial aerator. An aerator is the machine that pulls small plugs of soil out leaving small holes in the ground allowing water, nutrients and air to flow through to the plants roots which aids in the breaking down of organic matter. 

If thatch is too thick it needs to be removed by attaching a thatching blade to the lawnmower or using a good garden rake. 

pH is raised in the lawn by adding ’Doloprill lime’ or the slower acting dolomite lime. This is done after the moss has been killed. Never use ’Hydrated lime as this will cause the lawn to burn. 

Moss does not grow on a healthy well fertilized lawn so fertilizing it regularly with a good quality lawn fertilizer that has the added nutrients added to it is best. As soon as the grass is actively growing you should fertilize it with 13-5-7 or 13-16-10. Wait for 4 weeks and then fertilize again with a slow release fertilizer such as 24-4-16 which will slowly feed the lawn for 6-8 weeks depending on soil type and weather. 

The more rain and quick draining soils will use up the fertilizer more quickly. Use 24-4-16 until mid August and then in September switch to a fall fertilizer that has a lower first number (nitrogen) such as 6-3-12.

If you have a shady area in the lawn you may find that moss may grow there more easily as moss enjoys shady conditions. To help with this, grow grass that is specific for shady areas. This grass seed blend contains 50% creeping red fescue, 30% perennial rye, and 20% Poa Trivialis.

-Jos 


Jos Van Hage owns and operates three Art Knapp’s Garden Centres int he Prince George region:
-Highway 97 South at the Old Cariboo Highway
-Highway 97 North
-Highway 16 west




Previous Story - Next Story



Return to Home