Moss removal? Hard surfaces AND grass
brian stoat
Posts: 111
Up until recently, I have used Armillatox as a product for "cleaning" moss from hard surfaces. Essentially, all you do is water it on and forget it; and it dies very quickly. As an aside, it has no harmful effect on any nearby grassed or planted areas (in fact it very effectively gets rid of moss there too).
Armillatox is currently off the market (it's had a chequered history! - and yes, I know that it's not the most "eco-friendly" of products - but it WORKS!) and I've tried any number of alternative products, but haven't found one which is either as effective or doesn't kill off the grass nearby if it gets splashed over.
I'm looking for something which isn't going to cost an arm and a leg, is going to actually work! without having to return to the area and spend another day scrubbing away at it with a brush; and isn't going to kill other vegetation that it gets splashed onto.
What are other people using?
Posts
Power washer for the terrace and paths and a scarifier/electric lawn rake for the lawn. Seems to work.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Yeah, I'm using the power washer where I have slabs, but not keen on blasting the block pavers.
So, still looking for a "product" to chuck at it and forget it. It's a "lazy option" I know, but I've just spent a solid 4 days on the jet washer and its starting to be not quite so much fun any more
£24 for a litre! I should coco...
I was buying it at £60 for a 5 litre tub at last count.
I see plenty of alternative products, but those that I've tried present the problems mentioned in my original post.
Have a look at progreen.com they all sorts of chemicals at sensible prices.
Thanks for the pointer, John.
Unfortunately, I have already tried some products by this supplier and have had similar (lack of) results to those posted in the poor reviews on their own site.
Stop using quotes then. They clearly don't work very well and are completely unnecessary.
Iron sulphate kills moss on grass, but it can turn the moss black and can stain paving. Nevertheless, it works. I've recently used 1 part bleach (the cheap thin stuff) to 9 parts water on my patio to kill algae (just pour it on - no scrubbing needed) and I think it would work on bleach. It's not eco-friendly though.
You can use a pressure washer on block paving if you want to go down that route. You may want to try the patio attachment. It directs the spray sideways so is less harsh, which means it's quicker but doesn't clean quite so well. It also means you lose less sand from between the blocks. If you use a lance you'll get it coming up like new, but make sure you brush sand into the gaps afterwards.
I love moss, so many different species. Interesting group. Worth studying
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks for all of the suggestions, but I've yet to have anything that actually answers specifically what I'm after...
A chemical product treatment which:
1. Actually works, killing moss on hard surfaces
2. Without having to scrub away at it either before or after
3. Which doesn't kill the grass if it gets accidentally spilled
4. Which doesn't cost an arm and a leg
5. And which isn't jet washing! I've got a jet washer and use it very successfully on some areas, but I want an alternative that I can just water on with a watering can and forget about while the chemical does its job.
The bleach suggestion seems to be the most fitting so far, but I'd be guessing at mixing ratios with a product that shouldn't actually be used for killing moss.
Surely somebody makes something that actually does this job that can be tackled once a year, rather than monthly?!
I've tried so many of the bottles of stuff on the market, I'm astounded that any of these companies are still in business. Do any of the work? Not in my experience.
Anybody?
Have you tried Jeyes Fluid? It used to be sold for killing moss, but now they're not allowed to sell it for that purpose. It's probably worth googling how to apply it. I assume they didn't change its formula
Other than that, personally I would give bleach a go. 10% bleach is a pretty standard solution (1:9 dilution) that shouldn't harm surfaces (test a small area first). I used it on my patio next to the grass and didn't notice any harm to the grass. Again, you could test it first. You could maybe go up to 20% if needed (1:4). My only concern is harm to the environment - worms didn't like it so I rescued them when they surfaced.
http://www.pavingexpert.com/maintain_02.htm