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Moss - Make it Stop!

13 years ago

Hi all!

I need some advice about what to do with our moss problem. Last fall we raked all of the moss up in our backyard - a LOT of it (this has been a problem for 2 years), and aerated, reseeded and fertilized. Nothing came up this spring so we opted for hydroseed ($600). In addition to the hydroseed, it was slit-seeded and fertilized. It all came in great, but now the moss is back in FULL force! Our lawn is quickly returning to the sparse patchiness that it originally was. We have had our soil tested - it's 6.5 ph which I was told is OK. Our backyard is quite shaded (some spots are full sun, but 75% of it is filtered sunlight), it faces east, it's surrounded by trees (3 of which are large white pines) and the overall backyard sits low. We've been in the house for 6 years and I don't remember having this much moss. We've trimmed trees, even cut one down! Please help me! Is there a way I can prevent the moss from developing or spreading? What are we doing wrong? All we want is a decent backyard for our little toddler. Thank you in advance!

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Comments (5)

tiemco
13 years ago
The thing about moss is that if you get rid of it by raking then you will inevitably get small pieces that are left behind. These small pieces will reestablish the moss plant, especially if you have a lot of shade and damp soil. Since you seeded immediately after raking up the moss then the ground was wet for at least two weeks from watering, which the moss loves. Moss also likes acidic soil, but 6.5 is pretty weakly acidic, so you are ok there. Home depot has a product called Moss Out that is essentially an iron sulfate solution. You use it with a hose end sprayer. It is inexpensive, non toxic, and good for the grass, but it kills moss quite effectively.
botanicalbill
13 years ago
Buy a bag of yard lime for $4 and spread it as directed. This will make your soils pH higher. This will kill the moss once you get into the low 7's for pH. Your grass will do fine with this.
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saysay
Original Author
13 years ago
After I kill the moss, how long do I have to wait to reseed those spots (and is there an "optimum time of year to do all of this...now or the fall)? Obviously it didn't work last fall when we raked, reseeded, aerated and fertilized.

Also, is there a way to PREVENT moss from growing? I hate to treat it after the fact...I'd rather prevent it from growing. I don't want this to happen again next year.

THANK YOU in advance!!
tiemco
13 years ago
While moss favors low pH, lime is not fast acting, and cool season turf prefers soils in the mid to upper sixes. Buy the Moss Out, it's 13 bucks for a gallon which treats about 2000 sq. ft, and kills moss quickly. It will turn black in a matter of hours. It won't harm your grass, in fact it will probably help its color. You should seed when daytime temps are in the seventies, and night temps are in the 50's. This is probably pretty soon for you in MI, probably in a few weeks. My only concern is the amount of shade your yard has. Shady lawns are tougher to establish and limit your choices of turfgrass. What type of grass are you using?
bpgreen
13 years ago
Moss may favor low pH, but trust me, if you have moisture and shade, you'll get moss on high pH soils, too. Until I convinced my neighbor that her lawn was brown because it was drowning, I had moss issues along the fence that bordered her lawn (the fence kept it nice and shaded). Keep in mind that my soil will fizz if you add vinegar to it, so low pH is not contributing to the moss.

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