Moss is one of the most common causes of what we call a ‘squelchy-lawn’ – because it absorbs water like a sponge. When it comes to lawn weeds and moss, there’s no need to worry. We’ve got a great selection of weed killers and moss killers available at Homebase. Or, if you prefer the more traditional and organic gardening methods – there’s a range of weeding tools and scarifiers to help you remove moss from your garden. Without the proper know-how, it can be quite tricky getting rid of these persistent lawn pests – but whatever the size of your affected area, just follow this guide to get rid of moss and weeds from your grass for good.
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How to remove moss
Removing moss from your lawn requires a two-step attack – firstly, removing the moss and secondly, preventing it from coming back.
Option 1: Remove moss by scarifying your lawn
Physically removing moss from your lawn can be done by scarifying. This isn’t as scary as it sounds! It simply means giving your lawn a good rake to tease out the plant. For a small garden, this can be done by hand using a garden rake, or an electrical scarifier for larger areas.
If the moss is only mild, simply scarifying and improving your lawncare can be enough to stop it from coming back. If your moss problem is more severe, you’ll need a stronger combination of scarifying, moss killer and lawncare.
Option 2: Combine scarifying and moss killer
The best time to use moss killer is on a dry day in the Spring or Autumn.
- If the moss is thick, scarify your lawn first before applying moss killer to open the area up. This will allow the product to penetrate to the bottom of the plants.
- Apply the moss killer by hand (with gloves on) or with a sprayer, but always check the instructions on the back of the product you choose.
- After treating with a moss killer, the moss in your lawn will turn black (usually after two weeks).
- Then, use a rake to remove the dead moss from your lawn.
Top tip: Go green and make the most of your garden waste by adding the raked-out moss to a compost bin.
Prevent moss regrowing with lawncare
The best way to prevent moss from coming back is to get your grass growing vigorously. With some care and attention, you can turn a mossy lawn into a beautiful green garden that you’ll be proud of.
- Aerate your lawn by spiking holes into the soil at regular intervals using a garden fork or lawn aerator.
- Re-seed any sparse patches of your lawn and increase the resilience of your garden with grass seed.
- When mowing your lawn, be careful not to cut the grass too short as this will stress the grass and encourage moss.