Rakes generally have needle-type sprung-loaded tines whereas a scarifier has fixed solid blades / tines. The scarifier is more vigorous in its action. Some machines come with inter-changeable rake and scarifier fixtures.
My husband has been treating the moss in our lawn over the last few weeks. We have two lawn areas totalling about 1400m2 and we use ferrous sulphate as recommended by the Lawnsmith website. He did go over one area with our electric lawn rake but it seemed awfully harsh so he has raked all the rest out manually.
We have an old Jewson's bag in which a ton of gravel was delivered and he fills that, we lift it into the back of our vehicle and he takes it to the tip. The guy at the tip has joked that he should have a season ticket because so far he has taken 16 bags and still hasn't finished. He is 58 and doesn't know how to sit still so it's just as well he's quite fit!
Our garden is in a bit of a dip on what was a flood plain and though it isn't terribly shady it is just damp enough that the moss thrives. Also it hasn't been properly treated to get on top of the moss for over 15 years and this year is the one in which we hope to make the difference.
We are not so optimistic as to think we will cure the problem but as my husband told a friend this morning, he would rather have some moss in the grass than some grass in the moss, so hopefully that's where we'll end up.
Good luck to anyone treating moss this year, regardless of the size of the garden
Last edited: 15 April 2017 18:08:11
No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.
What about feeding the lawn? I presume the ferrous sulphate only kills the moss.
I used Evergreen complete on some of our lawns, till I ran out of the product, and unfortunately missed a few bits. The difference in the colour and vigour of the grass between the hit and missed is amazing so I shall have to go over the missed bits manually. I have discovered a bag of "moss killer" in the shed but I presume that wouldn't solve the problem of the difference in the colour. Is there any suitable fertiliser I could water or scatter on to the missed bits?
Go to the Lawnsmith website. He has loads of tips and videos on how to do it right. He recommends treating then feeding, not trying to do the whole thing with one product as they don't really work in harmony. You can order goods from his site or some things are cheaper elsewhere so shop around. We live in a postcode area classed as the highlands so our postage costs can be really high, especially when buying moss killer and fertiliser in bulk, but I know we recently took delivery of a big sack of fertiliser that my husband bought after looking at the lawnsmith. He's not here just now for me to ask what it was, but I know you could easily lose a few hours learning loads from the website so I'd suggest that's the place to start.
Good luck!
No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.
Hi Bouleversee - don't worry too much about bits you've missed. If you've caught the bulk of the moss, the grass will gradually spread anyway as you get into a regime of cutting through the season. You can manually treat small areas again, but don't do it too soon. Mine looks a bit patchy too and it's the main problem if you don't use one of those spreaders. Alternatively, just scrape those areas of moss out if thye're not too big, and do a bit of overseeding. If you do that - wait for a good few weeks so that any residue from the moss killer has dispersed.
Ideally - giving the grass a feed only, early in the season, is a better way of tackling the problem. It encourages everything to grow - weeds included - and then you can use a weed and feed product which works better when there's plenty of growth to work on. Don't cut the grass to short either - little and often. Scalping it only encourages weeds as it weakens the grass and gives them a better environment to thrive
To be honest - in a big area like Stephanie has - as long as it's tidy and green - that's usually good enough, unless you have endless hours and the inclination to spend every waking moment tending it! It was for me in my last garden as we were constantly keeping the fields at bay
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
Rakes generally have needle-type sprung-loaded tines whereas a scarifier has fixed solid blades / tines. The scarifier is more vigorous in its action. Some machines come with inter-changeable rake and scarifier fixtures.
My husband has been treating the moss in our lawn over the last few weeks. We have two lawn areas totalling about 1400m2 and we use ferrous sulphate as recommended by the Lawnsmith website. He did go over one area with our electric lawn rake but it seemed awfully harsh so he has raked all the rest out manually.
We have an old Jewson's bag in which a ton of gravel was delivered and he fills that, we lift it into the back of our vehicle and he takes it to the tip. The guy at the tip has joked that he should have a season ticket because so far he has taken 16 bags and still hasn't finished. He is 58 and doesn't know how to sit still so it's just as well he's quite fit!
Our garden is in a bit of a dip on what was a flood plain and though it isn't terribly shady it is just damp enough that the moss thrives. Also it hasn't been properly treated to get on top of the moss for over 15 years and this year is the one in which we hope to make the difference.
We are not so optimistic as to think we will cure the problem but as my husband told a friend this morning, he would rather have some moss in the grass than some grass in the moss, so hopefully that's where we'll end up.
Good luck to anyone treating moss this year, regardless of the size of the garden
Last edited: 15 April 2017 18:08:11
I hope you see a big improvement, Stephanie.
What about feeding the lawn? I presume the ferrous sulphate only kills the moss.
I used Evergreen complete on some of our lawns, till I ran out of the product, and unfortunately missed a few bits. The difference in the colour and vigour of the grass between the hit and missed is amazing so I shall have to go over the missed bits manually. I have discovered a bag of "moss killer" in the shed but I presume that wouldn't solve the problem of the difference in the colour. Is there any suitable fertiliser I could water or scatter on to the missed bits?
Go to the Lawnsmith website. He has loads of tips and videos on how to do it right. He recommends treating then feeding, not trying to do the whole thing with one product as they don't really work in harmony. You can order goods from his site or some things are cheaper elsewhere so shop around. We live in a postcode area classed as the highlands so our postage costs can be really high, especially when buying moss killer and fertiliser in bulk, but I know we recently took delivery of a big sack of fertiliser that my husband bought after looking at the lawnsmith. He's not here just now for me to ask what it was, but I know you could easily lose a few hours learning loads from the website so I'd suggest that's the place to start.
Good luck!
Hi Bouleversee - don't worry too much about bits you've missed. If you've caught the bulk of the moss, the grass will gradually spread anyway as you get into a regime of cutting through the season. You can manually treat small areas again, but don't do it too soon. Mine looks a bit patchy too and it's the main problem if you don't use one of those spreaders. Alternatively, just scrape those areas of moss out if thye're not too big, and do a bit of overseeding. If you do that - wait for a good few weeks so that any residue from the moss killer has dispersed.
Ideally - giving the grass a feed only, early in the season, is a better way of tackling the problem. It encourages everything to grow - weeds included - and then you can use a weed and feed product which works better when there's plenty of growth to work on. Don't cut the grass to short either - little and often. Scalping it only encourages weeds as it weakens the grass and gives them a better environment to thrive
To be honest - in a big area like Stephanie has - as long as it's tidy and green - that's usually good enough, unless you have endless hours and the inclination to spend every waking moment tending it! It was for me in my last garden as we were constantly keeping the fields at bay
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...