March Moss Removal Critical
Renowned gardener Monty Don is urging anyone with a lawn to perform one critical task in March: remove lawn moss to enable grass to grow thicker and healthier as spring progresses. The timing is crucial as grass begins its active growing season. Don emphasizes this single task can dramatically improve lawn quality for the entire year.
Moss thrives in conditions where grass struggles, including compacted soil, poor drainage, heavy shade, and acidic soil. Its presence often signals underlying issues that prevent a lawn from being dense and vigorous. The most common removal method is scarification, which involves vigorously raking the lawn with a spring-tined rake or a mechanical scarifier to pull the shallow-rooted moss out. This process is most effective in spring or autumn when the grass is growing strongly and can recover quickly. Chemical treatments, typically containing ferrous sulphate (iron), are also widely used. These products work by drawing moisture out of the moss, causing it to dry up, turn black, and die, often within a few hours. Once dead, the blackened moss can be raked out. After removing the bulk of the moss, it's crucial to address the soil compaction that likely encouraged its growth. This is done through aeration, the process of creating small holes in the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate to the grass roots. The bare patches left behind should be overseeded to establish new grass before weeds or more moss can take hold. Applying a fertilizer, particularly one with potassium, will help both the existing grass and new seedlings grow strong and resilient. Long-term prevention involves changing the conditions that favor moss. This includes improving drainage, pruning trees to reduce shade, avoiding mowing the grass too short, and maintaining a regular feeding schedule to keep the turf healthy.
