Moss covered lawn

peter.brydges · March 2022

Hi.

I've been struggling with Moss on my lawn for some years. Each year it gets worse and now my lawn is almost entirely Moss.
I'm after advice as to how to restore the lawn to grass. I've tried various all in 1 lawn feed/Moss killer/grass seed and had little success.
Not sure whether it is even possible to repair a lawn in this state or if better to just dig the whole area up and start again with new seed.
I think problem is causes by poor drainage, although the entire garden in built on a raised structure which isn't really possible to change.
We have pets in garden so need something which is pet safe.
Any tips much appreciated. Thanks.

Fairygirl · March 2022

If it's shady, it's always going to be a battle. It's hard to see the first photo well because of the angle of the sun, but it looks very shady. Drainage is probably a factor too. Those two things are what grass, regardless of the type, doesn't like.
You can add soil to the existing plot, which can make it easier to re sow, but unless you can sort, or mitigate, the other things, it's difficult.
The only other alternative is to raise the grassed area further, but that could be expensive if you can't do it yourself, and may not solve the problem anyway.

foxwales · March 2022

You are mowing your lawn too short. Longer grass will hinder moss. Mow on a higher setting. Treat your lawn with a strong solution of iron sulphate. When the moss has died back, rake it out and then reseed with grass. Once the new seed has established if you see moss still, treat again with iron sulphate and always mow on a high setting. You can also add sand to help drainage

Fairygirl · March 2022

Mine is full of moss. I'm afraid I can't get too excited about it. Once the weather warms up, and it gets more light, the grass takes over.
In colder, wetter areas, moss is prevalent through winter, and in a shadier site there can be virtually no grass at that time of year. Mine isn't cut beyond September normally, but at least the moss is green

The problem with grass is that it can become the be all and end all, and you could spend countless hours faffing with it.
Keeping it [the grass] longer certainly helps, but longer grass also takes longer to dry out, so that can be a nuisance unless the conditions and aspect mean it dries out quickly. It means spring and autumn use is more limited

Unfortunately, in a shady, damp site, it just means staying off it for a lot of the year. You may need to rethink the area altogether @peter.brudges.

It's so sculptural isn't it @pansyface? I love it when it covers stone walls. Some of the hawthorn round here has clumps of it on the branches, so it looks like mini topiary. It's beautiful. It grows in the sunnier parts of my garden too, just because of the conditions. We're used to it.

Moss covered lawn

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