Follow our tips on how to get rid of moss

Moss loves to grow in moist and shaded areas. It can spread quickly to take over your lawn and will slow the growth of freshly planted grass seed! We know moss produces spores during April and September. So to tackle the problem before it spreads, follow these steps below in early spring or late summer, learn how to get rid of moss and follow our tips on lawn maintenance for a moss free lawn.

1. Spread a chemical moss killer

A Feed, Weed & Mosskiller is an effective way of removing moss. This is a granular fertiliser that works over two weeks to kill off weeds and moss and feed your lawn. Feed, Weed & Mosskiller will fertilise your grass, giving it a beneficial boost to its growth. It will also kill most common weeds, such as dandelions and plantains, over approximately 2-3 weeks.You can read more about fertilisers in our fertiliser guide.

2. Remove existing moss

After the moss has gone black and died it is time to remove the dead moss by scarifying your lawn. Depending on the size of your garden, you may wish to scarify with a spring tine rake for smaller lawns or an automated scarifier for larger lawns.

An automated scarifier can be bought or hired. It will remove more material at a quicker pace than by hand. When raking by hand, aim to rake in one direction, then at slightly different angles to extract the remaining moss.

After scarifying, you may notice patches in your lawn, and this is just where the moss was. These patches need a little overseeding, meaning it's time to apply some new grass seed to get your lawn growing again.

3. Overseeding your lawn

Overseeding will fill in any bare patches in your garden from the moss removal and will fill out your grass. Keep reading for advice on what grass seed mix is right for your garden:

Consider what grass seed mix you require for overseeding

For families and pet owners, we offer SUPERSTAR: Back Lawn / FAMILY: Kids and Pets. If you have a fine ornamental lawn, then our STATEMENT: Front Lawn is ideal. For shaded gardens, we have two seed mixtures: STEADFAST: Shade and SUPER STEADFAST: Ultra Shade. And for clay soils, we have IMPRESS: Clay Master. We also have a seed mix for sandy soils: our THRIVE: Sandy Soils. Finally, to cut out the need for regular reseeding, we have our RESTORE: Self-Repair Lawn.

How to get rid of moss in the long term

Below, we have outlined a few other lawn care tasks you can do to reduce moss growth on your lawn:

Aerate your lawn

Moss growth is usually a symptom of compacted, poorly aerated soil. To fully alleviate moss in the long term, it is advisable to regularly aerate your lawn, paying particular attention to the areas it affects most. Soil aerating will also improve drainage and fix the growth problems commonly caused by compacted soil.

Test your soils acidity levels

Test your soil’s pH level; if it is below six, it is acidic. Moss often sneaks in when soil becomes too acidic, and grass nutrients are low. Spreading agricultural lime will control the acidity of your soil.

Let the light shine

Your lawn could well be restricted by the number of shaded grass areas. Grass struggles to grow in areas of little sunlight, whilst moss will thrive. Try to cut back large bushes or overhanging trees which are blocking the sun from shining on your grass. If this is not possible, consider planting flowers and other plants that thrive in shaded areas to prevent moss from growing.

Watering your lawn

Moss loves moisture, so water your lawn with care and avoid flooding the lawn. Avoid watering your lawn at night as it is cooler, and the moisture may sit on the soil. If your lawn is naturally moist, you should regularly aerate it.

Now you know how to get rid of moss using moss killer and switching up your lawn care checklist; you may wonder if the process for removing weeds is similar or if regularly feeding your lawn is a good idea. If you have any questions regarding your lawn, please let us know, and we will be happy to help!