Show moss who’s boss

Moss, some people love it while others loathe it. Although beautiful in some surroundings, our lawns not so much. Moss can be problematic for those who want a thriving lawn because the presence of moss can sometimes suggest underlying lawn issues. Moss will compete against your grass for growing space and if you have poor lawn care, it will win. It’s vital to have good lawn care maintenance to remain moss-free. 

Moss can be caused by several factors, such as: 

• Excess thatch

Our lawns naturally build up a layer of dead grass, roots and other matter which is known as thatch. Unfortunately, thatch creates an environment on your lawn which moss cannot resist. The best way to combat thatch is for us to carry out Aeration and Scarification. These processes help to reduce both surface thatch and below the surface thatch, relieving your lawn of thatch and subsequently moss. 

• Moisture

A main cause of moss is the retention of water on the surface of the lawn. Moss thrives in wet soils with poor surface drainage, commonly caused by soil compaction. Aeration is the best way to treat this. It creates open spaces in the soil, greatly assisting surface drainage and preventing waterlogged conditions on the lawn surface. This will then reduce the moss loving environment. 

• Shade

Too much shade creates moss-loving conditions, especially beneath trees/under debris on the lawn such as leaves. You need to allow as much sunlight to reach your grass as possible, so it’s important to cut back overhanging branches, shrubs etc. Along with cleaning up any fallen leaves that cover your lawn as they form a barrier that blocks out sunlight and air, making it a perfect place for moss to thrive.  

• Mowing

If you scalp your lawn, this allows moss to take over. A scalped lawn weakens the grass plant and makes it more vulnerable to moss invasion. We recommend to never cut your lawn less than 1’’ in height. 

• Impoverished Lawns

Good lawn care is essential to maintaining a healthy, moss-free lawn. An unhealthy lawn will struggle to compete with moss. For your lawn to maintain optimum health, it needs regular feeding. Our nutrient and micronutrient-rich feed encourages a much stronger-lawn which allows the grass to compete better with moss. 

It is simply not enough to only rake out the moss, the conditions favourable to its growth need to change. That’s where GreenThumb can help! Show moss who’s boss with our NutraGreen Autumn Long Treatment. It not only prepares your lawn to cope with the Winter weather, but it also dehydrates any moss which is present in your lawn, slowing down its growth and spread. Once the moss is dehydrated, it will turn black, meaning it is now ready to be removed from your lawn. 

If you are having trouble with moss invading your lawn, contact your local branch to discuss the best treatment – they will be more than happy to help!