Moss

Moss is probably the most common problem in British lawns. It will grow mainly in areas where grass struggles, i.e., shady, damp parts of a lawn where over winter it stays wet, and is starved of any natural light. Discouraging moss will usually require a number of measures such as cutting back any overhanging shrubs to improve light levels, not cutting the grass either too long, or too short, removing leaves during autumn etc. There is no magic solution when dealing with moss. It can be controlled, and even discouraged but ultimately if you have it, to some extent you probably always will. Moss however does have a growth cycle, and once the weather warms up during spring it becomes less of a problem. It thrives on surface moisture, and dies back as the grass starts to grow.

Moss killers

This area is a little misleading because moss is made up of two main parts, the fern like plant and the spore. It is the spore that spreads the moss through the lawn, and sporing happens twice per year, spring and autumn. Unlike grass it is not temperature dependent and moss will continue to spread through winter. Any moss killers will affect the fern like plant, but will not kill the spores. So the only effective way to remove both plant and spore is to physically remove it by either scarifying or raking. Every spore removed is one more that cannot re-infect your lawn.

Scarifying or raking

If the moss is widespread then it is likely that scarification will be required. This is an operation where we can physically remove the moss and also dead grass and thatch. If moss is a major issue it is best carried out late winter / early spring so that the moss does not have a chance to recover before the new growing season begins. If you only have small patches of light moss, then a good raking by hand will suffice.