Moss on lawn

[Popsicle30]

Hi All.

Just looking for some advice on when I can start attacking the moss on my lawns? Is March too early?

Local independent gardening centre suggested to use iron sulphate instead of a moss killer included in weed and feed products. Do you think that sounds right?

I have a scarifier to remove once the moss has turned black. I’m just worried what my lawn is going to look like once it’s all removed as we seem to have a lot and worried there won’t be much grass left 😬.

Many thanks in advance.

Do you need to remove it? - walking barefoot on moss is so lovely! and it's low maintenance as doesn't need mowing. We have a big patch of it in one corner and I just leave it to do its thing.

I managed to do a cut on a decently dry day about a month ago - some areas of my back 'lawn' are terrible as they never get direct sun. Yes, the grass was growing at the time.
Do the same as me, although you might have to wait a while. Put on weed and feed when you are reasonably confident of rain in the next few days. Then leave it until you know the weather is good enough to be able to take and then put down seed with a decent chance of growing - it's too early just yet.
I can already see the benefits of the fertiliser and the moss is dying off.

I want to remove it because it’s just taking over and it’s at the point it doesn’t look nice. Especially in my back garden. I can cope with the front lawn as it isn’t as big. I find mowing the lawn quite relaxing 😂 (well a good excuse to get in the garden).

Thanks @vipersnest1. I learnt last year not to start too early with lawn seed. So I was hoping to focus on moss in March and then look at grass seed from April onwards.

Don’t.
It stays lusheshly (is that a word?) green through torrents, ice, snow and droughts. Moss is the new grass.

I've done mine in early spring the last couple of years, around March/April. Raking (very hard work), then iron sulphate, and 2 years ago we reseeded. No point in reseeding before April-May where we live.

I don't like it full of moss as then it's always soggy.

Sorry @MrsSkylerWhite and @Gowithme I’m just not in to the ‘moss’ look. I’m not getting that lusheshly vibe or feel on my grass.

Thanks@DuesToTheDirt. I have a scarifier so hoping that takes some of the hard work of raking out of the picture. I think I may start this weekend on the front lawns as a test and move on to the back the following weekend.

I was told to sprinkle soil over the mossy grass. Grass will grow through soil whereas moss won't and will die.

Sorry meant to say I have a raker on my scarifier so it’s that bit I’ll be using :)

I wouldn't scarify yet as it can make the lawn look very patchy, so it's better to wait a bit until the grass is growing strongly. I'll probably do mine early April, and overseed and bare patches immediately afterwards.

I wouldn't scarify yet as it can make the lawn look very patchy, so it's better to wait a bit until the grass is growing strongly.

Yes, I agree with this. Scarifying is tough on the grass, and you always remove some grass along with the moss. There can be a few weeks difference in timing around the country though, so it depends where you are.

If you have funds you can get a special lawn person who comes in and does it all for you. I used to do this but now I am embracing the moss!

How big is your lawn?
Our front lawn is huge so I just leave the moss.

The back is a neat square, I divide it in to 4 and scarify on my hands and knees. I do a section a day while the ground is reasonably soft.
It's very therapeutic.
As soon as the grass starts growing the bare patches are filled with fresh grass.
I like to do it early , then I can enjoy the garden in the summer.

We used Richard Jackson’s Moss Remover last year and it really improved the lawn. You sprinkle it over the affected area and it gradually kills the moss with no raking or scarifying needed. This post has reminded me that I need to get some more!

@ARabbitisaBunny that sounds amazing! I’m going to take a look 😂

Can you offer it on Freecycle or similar to those trying to cultivate a moss garden? It's very easy to slice out of the lawn with a knife.

Iron sulphate (in solution) will help control moss whilst stimulating chlorophyll production in the grass plants. To thicken the grass see if the garden centre has sulphate of ammonia. It's a maniacal source of nitrogen which will help the grass grow. Don't scarify too hard or you'll damage the grass, leading to more moss

Ammoniacal, not maniacal

Thanks you @Onesmallstepforaman some really helpful advice.

We have a lot of moss in one garden in the winter when it's damp and in the summer it disappears all on it's own when it's sunny there. I like it and do nothing at all to it. Weed\moss killer is horrible it affects the wildlife adversely (when we're all supposed to be caring for it). The birds are disappearing because of weedkillers etc.

Sulphate of iron or ammonia is NOT a chemical weedkiller. Moss is prevalent during the wetter months when grass is partially dormant. It tends to indicate an underlying problem such as shade, compaction or overstressing the grass by cutting too short or overscarification.

@ppeatfruit

We have a lot of moss in one garden in the winter when it's damp and in the summer it disappears all on it's own when it's sunny there. I like it and do nothing at all to it. Weed\moss killer is horrible it affects the wildlife adversely (when we're all supposed to be caring for it). The birds are disappearing because of weedkillers etc.

Thank you!

It's pretty reprehensible to use poison on something innocuous and natural like moss.

Try to change your mindset rather than adding toxins and detrimental gardening practices to our already dire environmental problems. Is moss in the garden really such an urgent problem in need of a solution???

If you’re getting moss, it’s because the conditions are better for moss than for grass. You won’t be permanently rid of it unless you change the conditions

A bit tricky if your garden is in the damp shade all winter Mere . Though it is odd that we don't get it anywhere else.

Moss-green, soft and slow growing. Sounds ideal!