Lawns can often become ridden with moss in autumn due to the rainy weather as this spongy maintenance feeds on moisture, but it is incredibly important to remove it quickly.
Moss competes with grass for nutrients and in autumn lawns need to be fertilised to store away energy to keep strong during the upcoming harsh frosty weather.
If moss and weeds are not cleaned up from lawns before winter then the grass will not have time to develop stronger roots, leading to thin damaged grass next year.
Rob, a gardening expert from Taylor Weed Control, has shared that removing moss from lawns is simple if you feed the soil an iron supplement.
He explained: “Moss doesn’t fare well in iron-rich soil…which is great if you have high levels of iron in your soil. For those who don’t – if you’re reading this, that probably includes you – giving your mossy tenant a dose of iron is a great way to ensure it has a rocky stay.
“Now before you begin pouring gallons of Guinness all over your lawn, there is an easier way to supplement iron. Besides, that’s a colossal waste of perfectly good Guinness – save that for a celebratory toast to a job well done later on.”
Iron sulfate dehydrates moss so the spores cannot draw moisture from its environment which means it will quickly turn black and die.
It also blocks with moss’ ability to photosynthesise so it cannot generate energy which will starve the moss which will then be easy to rake away.
Rob added: “Most lawn moss killers contain iron sulphate, so a simple spray of any good moss-killing agent should provide more than enough iron to kill your moss.”
However, many people avoid using moss killers on their lawns as they can be poisonous to pets and local wildlife which makes gardens less environmentally friendly.
If you wish to use a safer option then simple washing-up liquid is one of the best ways to kill moss as it contains surfactants which can deeply penetrate the moss spores and suffocate them.
Robb said: “Another great lawn moss treatment is one that is easily achievable by any self-respecting homeowner. Everyday washing-up liquid is something that any household should have readily available and can also make for an effective partner in lawn moss control.”
One natural and highly effective moss killer from the kitchen is line juice as it contains citric acid which is also able to get deeply into the moss to draw moisture which will dehydrate and break down the moss cells.
Rob said: “Moss isn’t great with lime either, so adding lime to your sprayer may also be helpful in eradicating your unwanted garden guest. This will make the soil less acidic, which is more favourable to grass as well.”
Any one of these solutions will quickly kill moss so that your grass will be much lusher, stronger and healthier to be able to survive winter.
