Lawn completely, infested by moss, thinking of starting again, but I'm clueless

[CADS]

Hi

I have a small shaded garden which has been over taken by moss. I have put down some lawn feed, moss and weed killer but I'm starting to feel that a should just dig it all up and start again with shaded lawn seeds. However, I don't know where to start and what to use. The garden is a little waterlogged and compacted, what can I do? This all needs to be done as cheap as possible, because I rent.

Thanks
CADS

Could try to prick the lawn all over with a- garden fork- AS FAR AS IT WILL EASILY GO. gIVE THE FORK A WIGGLE before you pull it out yto open the hole. then sprinkle on some sharp sand to improve the drainage.
Also as you have already applied a moss killer you could rake it out, then apply some grass seed to the bald patches.

we have a similar lawn to you & I have an ongoing moss fight ... indeed, we did battle today.
Frquently raking through with a garden rake will help (pulls out the moss, gets sunlight into the grass)
Then do chestnutty's fork thing - do this prob twice a year (now & late autumn)
Then reseed & add fertiliser to give it a bit of a boost too. You could try reseeding with strong tough seed too!
We can just about keep ours undercontrol over the summer, but this time of year it always looks shit...

Grass doesn't like growing in boggy, shady, compacted soil. Moss loves it. Unless you can change the basic conditions, you will always have a battle on your hands. How much do you care? Funnypeculiar's advice is spot on - you are not looking at a problem you can 'cure', you are looking at ongoing guerilla tactics to stem the tide (please excuse many mixed metaphors). Good luck. Personally, I would go Japanese - they cultivate moss deliberately. A couple of artistically posed stones and raked gravel 'ponds' and you will be the height of good taste.

Our garden consists of bare patches, moss and bits of grass. We assumed we needed to get it all dug up and re-turfed, but if we can keep the cost down, so much the better. Once you have put down moss killer, done the stuff with a rake and fork, and sown grass seed, how long do you need to avoid walking on the lawn?

Am totally clueless and something of a plant killer. So it needs to be very very easy

Sorry, I didn't mean to take over your lawn!

keep off, darn ya!

MrsDarcy, it depends on how much new grass you have among the old and how fast the new stuff is growing. If you have huge bare patches that need reseeding you should keep off them for a couple of months then take care. If you're just thickening up existing grass you can be much more brutal.

BUT i warn you, it will probably be something you have to do every year - if moss is happy, grass won't be, and it will be an ongoing battle. Still, better than redoing the whole thing and watching it happen again to your lovely new lawn.

I wish I was Mrs Darcy!