What is moss control?

Moss is a tiny non-flowering plant and yet it is for many the worst of all lawn troubles. The basic point you must realise is that moss is a symptom and not the primary cause of run-down turf. This means that just using moss killer is not enough - the only way to ensure permanent freedom from moss is to find the cause or causes and correct them.

Dampness is essential for the spread of mosses, so spring and autumn are the main periods of rapid colonisation in lawns which have one or more high-risk factors such as soil compaction coupled with poor drainage. Waterlogged patches almost always develop moss.

But too much moisture is not the only high-risk factor - moss is a common sight on infertile sandy soils which drain very freely. Underfeeding can be the cause - so can over acidity, too much shade, and cutting the lawn too closely. Less well known is drought as a high-risk factor - yet failure to water in the dry days of summer is a common cause of an autumn moss problem.

Large patches call for a moss eradication programme. Removal of the causes will result in the slow disappearance of the problem and the prevention of its return. Eradication can be greatly speeded up by the use of liquid iron. This works quickly, so large patches of bare earth may develop before the grass has had a chance to grow back. This is an open invitation for weeds, so scarification, seeding, and topdressing should follow soon after the moss has been treated with moss killer.