How to Get Rid of Moss in Lawns

Many people will experience having moss in their lawns with it often being a sign of poor growing conditions and possibly not as healthy as it should be. Moss tends to establish itself in lawns and paddocks for a number of reasons - when grass growth is slow due to lacking nutrients, wet or damp soil, high humidity and shading from trees, buildings or fence lines. Scarification is a non-chemical and natural way of removing loose moss during spring time or the autumn months (September/October) which, on smaller lawns, can be done by hand with a spring-time rake. If cultural methods are not feasible there are different ways you can kill moss in grass, either with spreadable granules (through a granule applicator) or a sprayable liquid (from a knapsack sprayer or watering can). Both product types usually have some fertiliser or seaweed added to encourage the grass to re-establish after the area has been controlled and also give the turf a quick green up. Moss control treatment should be applied during the spring or autumn. Once the product has taken control of the moss and it has blackened, you will then need to use a spring-tine rake to remove it. The next steps after removal of the moss would be to reseed any bare patches to try to prevent further moss infestation. Take a look at our range of lawn moss control products here.

The best time to control moss is in spring and autumn, when it is cold and damp. This timing is ideal whether you wish to use cultural methods to control the moss or chemicals. Deciding on what to do will depend on how much moss is present. If there are small patches of moss these can simply be scarified or raked out. However, if the infestation level is too great, it is recommended that you initially scarify the moss out with a rake, but then apply a moss killer such as Amvista G4 Feed, Weed & Moss Killer or Maxicrop Moss Killer & Conditioner. Both of these will blacken and kill the moss, and in the case of Amvista G4 kill the weeds at the same time.

Moss killer if used in excess can scorch your grass. Some chemical moss killers contain herbicides that may be more aggressive and could damage grass if not used carefully. Always check the product label and follow the instructions closely. To avoid harming your lawn, consider using a gentler, more natural approach, such as improving drainage, aerating the soil, and encouraging healthy grass growth to outcompete moss. You can also use Amvista G4, Feed, Weed & Moss Killer, a multi-purpose treatment that not only removes weeds and moss but also provides essential feeds and nutrients to strengthen your grass.

Once the moss has died and been raked out of the lawn, the best practice is to dispose of it via composting. Moss can be slow to rot down if put into compost in bulk, however, if it is mixed in with other compostable products it will rot down a lot easier. Moss can be stored and added at a later date once other compostable products come available.

Fertilising and feeding your lawn can help to prevent moss from returning. The healthier and thicker your lawn is, the less room there is for moss to grow. Moss is also usually a sign that your grass is lacking in certain nutrients, so if these are replenished with fertilisers, the risk of moss returning will be lowered. If your moss is a result of damp, wet, shady conditions then removing overhanging branches, aerating your lawn and trying to create a clearer area will help to improve the turf's robustness against moss. Take a look at our range of fertilisers here.

When the moss has been killed and you have raked it out of the lawn there will be some bare patches. In these cases you will need to overseed the sections where there is no grass with our grass seed. When you are reseeding, you should wait around 4-6 weeks after moss treatments have been applied.

There are a number of products on the market that will control moss but also kill weeds at the same time. Products such as Amvista G4, Feed, Weed & Moss Killer are a granular formula that will kill moss, kill weeds that are present, green up your lawn and fertilise it all at the same time. To find out more about how to remove moss from your lawn, take a look at our How to Control Moss in Grass and Turf problem page.