Many yards in the Marietta and the Atlanta area have moss. We receive calls all year long about moss and how to control it. Many people mistake moss for a weed. Moss is a product of its environment. If moss thrives in an environment, then it is difficult for turf to grow.
I have listed some ways to control moss in your lawn.
- Allow the turf to get plenty of sunlight - This may require removing lower limbs or removing trees all together. If you are getting 6-7 hours of direct sun it is likely you will not have moss. Moss likes to grow where it is damp and shady, and these conditions are not favorable to grow grass. Shade and Your Lawn
- Improve drainage – check and see if you can re-route water so it isn’t too damp for grass to grow.
- Aerate – aerating your lawn yearly will break up the compaction and allow water to drain.
- Seeding – If you are growing Fescue, reseed yearly to encourage a thicker lawn. If you are growing Bermuda, or Zoysia refer to tip number 1, because you need that amount of sunlight to establish these types of turf. Seeding Bermuda?
- Mowing – When mowing your lawn raise your mowing height. Mowing your lawn too short will encourage moss to grow.
- Fertilizing – Fertilizing regularly will help to keep the turf healthy and strong. This will help the grass thicken and choke out potential moss growing areas.
- Moss Control – You can purchase a moss control at a local nursery or home improvement store. The moss controls are a temporary fix to the problem but can be dangerous. Moss controls are made from Iron Sulfate, these products carry a Signal Word of DANGER. The reason for the Danger label is: It is harmful if swallowed, causes skin irritation and most importantly serious eye damage, for these reasons Greenfeet Lawncare will not apply these products.
A Safer alternative is Dawn Dish washing liquid. A homeowner can apply a mixture of 1oz Dawn to 1 gallon of water and spray it on the moss. It will temporarily burn off the moss.
- Landscape- Fighting moss can be an ongoing losing battle. If you can’t increase the sunlight; for example the house shades the area. I recommend making a landscape bed of plants that are shade tolerant, Azaleas and Rhododendrons work well. If the area is shaded and extremely damp I recommend Hydrangeas. You can also incorporate the moss into your landscape, it is used in many beautiful gardens.
So if your lawn has a moss problem and you want to grow grass you need to change the growing conditions so that the lawn will thrive. You can try the other things listed and they will help but they will never actually eliminate the problem.
If you need help with a fertilizer program please give us a call. We can put together a program to help your lawn grow and thrive. Request an Estimate or Give us a Call 770-619-2929.
Greenfeet Lawncare Services- North Fulton, East Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth Counties - including Alpharetta, Canton, Cobb, Cumming, Dunwoody, Gwinnett, Johns Creek, Marietta, Milton, Roswell, Sandy Springs
