Moss in Lawns and How to Treat It

About Lawn Moss

Moss in gardens and lawns is a common problem. The good news is that there are commercial products on the market to kill lawn moss.

Your local garden store has products to kill moss. After it’s dead, rake it out of the lawn. Then, sprinkle some grass seed on the area.

To keep moss from growing back, you need to determine and eliminate the causes. Most importantly, the key defense against moss in lawns, is to maintain a neutral to slightly acidic soil pH.

Important note: Do not use moss-killing products in vegetable or herb gardens.

Did you know? Moss grows on the north side of trees and boulders. You will never be lost in the woods again!

Major Causes of Moss Growth

Too Much Shade– Moss thrives in the shade. That’s why it grows best on the north side of trees and boulders. Bring bright sunlight to the affected area, and the problem usually goes away. Trouble is, that increasing sunlight is often not an option.

Wet soil– Many plants do not like wet soils. However, moss does. Conversely, moss won’t grow in drier soils.

Compacted soil– Nature has all sorts of plants for all sorts of conditions. Lawn Moss is one of the few plants that like heavy, compacted soil….. most notably, clay soils.

High alkaline soil– Every plant has its ideal pH range. Moss, it’s alkaline soil. That’s to be expected, as heavy, clay soils are usually alkaline.