Introduction

According to Mark Roemer Oakland, moss on your lawn isn’t always a problem. Some homeowners even use it for ground cover. However, unintentional moss growth on your lawn suggests poor soil conditions or the lack of sunlight in certain parts of the lawn. Let’s check out how to get rid of moss that is invading your lawn. 

The Explanation

1. Identifying moss – There are thousands of species of moss, and their color may range from green and yellow to blue and black. Moss may even have structures that look like tiny branches and leaves growing from them. However, moss never has roots, stems, and other parts seen on regular plants, grass, and shrubs.

Common moss can easily be identified by how they look. For instance, sheet moss can be peeled back like a sheet and grows flat on the ground. On the other hand, rock cap moss grows in clumps on the ground while cushion moss also grows in clumps, but directly on the soil. If you have a body of water in your garden, look out for sphagnum moss. Confirm it’s moss by the lack of roots, stems, and other parts of a typical plant vascular system. Once you identify moss, you can use the following methods to get rid of it.

2. Chemical herbicide – Usually iron-based herbicides are targeted towards moss and the good ones even add a bit of nutrient to the soil. While weed killers can get the job done, they lower soil quality. You need to apply the herbicide during spring or fall, peak moss growing seasons to get rid of them for good. You need to be careful while spraying the herbicide. Stay away from hardscapes. Otherwise, it’s going to leave a rusty look.

3. Organic DIY herbicide – If you don’t like the idea of spraying random chemicals on your lawn, you can make a potent herbicide at home with organic ingredients. You’ll need to mix around 2 gallons of water with 2 to 4 ounces of dish soap or baking soda and put that mix in a sprayer. That amount would be sufficient for around 1000 square feet of moss.

4. Scarifying rake – Sometimes, moss can also be removed without any liquid spray. You need to buy a scarifying rake that goes a bit deeper than a regular rake. Begin by testing your soil and mowing the lawn and then proceed to rake away moss and then make appropriate soil amendments based on the result of the soil test. Once that’s done, you are free to reseed the raked area with grass. Raking the lawn also brings other benefits. It helps to aerate your lawn and prevent fungal diseases. 

Conclusion

Mark Roemer Oakland suggests that you use the above-mentioned tips for getting rid of moss from your lawn. Since certain moss growth may appear like lawn grass, you need to identify it carefully before using the above-mentioned methods and targeting the right spots.