Treating Moss

I need to commence battle with the moss that's running riot . I realise this is going to be a fairly long process, no ' quick fix '. The grass has grown a bit since it was last cut, so I'm wondering if I should just give it a light cut before I begin my attack?

 

I definitely recommend giving it a mow before starting any moss treatment. But if you're using feed & weed,you may need to leave it 3-4 days before or after mowing.

What "method of attack" are you planning on?

 

I have more moss than grass (and I am on free draining sandy soil). I intend using Mosstox but should I scarify first as well as afterwards?

 

My thoughts are to use a Ferrous Sulphate based mosskiller, give it a good rake through after a couple of weeks or so and then reseed. Once its taken ( depending on how long it takes as things can sometimes take longer up here ) I'll apply some fertilizer and then give it a cut. The area I want to treat is used by the buns, so I will be making a temporary run for them elsewhere. I was looking at it today and realised how bad its become . Come the autumn I plan to scarify it :rasp: and then give the lawn some top dressing.

 

I put some iron sulphate on moss on my lawn only the other day. I did not mow the lawn previously due to two reasons. First, there was hardly any grass to mow, and secondly the ground was a bit too wet to use the mower on.

In a week to ten days I'll scarify and then do any reseeding if necessary using a shade grass blend mixed with sand.

 

Misread the title, thought you'd said treating moos

 

As Sandy ground , I use iron sulphate to kill moss . Far Far cheaper than patent Mosskiller.
You can buy 1kg or more on Ebay for a fiver to treat 200 square metres of lawn. Dosage is 5gm per metre diluted in water. Moss goes black after 10 minutes , then leave it 2 weeks before raking out.

LAWN FERTILISER & MOSS KILLER 1KG TUB - Iron Sulphate Lawn Feed 200-1000 Sq mtr | eBay

 

The moss will soak up the ferrous sulphate and will go brown and then black within minutes. If the buns mean rabbits (not some body part ) IMO, you would be best to scarify the lawn soon to remove as much as possible.

Springy turf moss is like a sponge, which is why it out-competes grass in many lawns. When conditions are too dry, grass will die without enough water. Moss just goes to sleep in our climate and when it rains, it rehydrates and goes about taking over the lawn.

When the weather's too wet, grass roots rot and moss makes seizes the opportunity for another take over.

Moss killled with ferrous sulphate will stay black and not disappear for months, so it's possible that your bunnies could end up eating moss that has soaked up iron sulpate, which is labelled as harmful. Just saying as a precaution.

 

I did actually say that the buns will have a temporary run elsewhere. They will be nowhere near anything harmful. But thanks for your concern

The moss in the rabbit run is likely to be an ongoing problem but I am hoping to eradicate it altogether rather than just kill it off for awhile.

 

We all hope to do that Lucius ! Moss is a tricky blighter to kill , best I hope for is some form of control.

 

@luciusmaximus, I have the perfect cure for moss....I had a really bad problem with the dam stuff, we treated it with everything & it kept coming back then I bought myself some chickens! There is no moss anywhere in my garden now! They love moss, they've scratched it all up...So there we are you need a few hens who will clear your moss, lay you an egg & give you plenty of poop to fertilise the garden! Honestly it's the best cure I can find!

 

I would love some ex battery chickens . The front garden would be a perfect large, freerange area for Chickens but it would have to be made chicken proof first. People on another lane have free range chickens who are able to escape and 4-5 have died on the road as a result. At the moment I have other things to spend money on but its on my wish list.