When we asked our clients what you wanted to know about your landscape, many of you asked about moss. Moss is a very successful plant in the Pacific Northwest. But you knew that already.
If you have moss in your lawn, it means the lawn does not have the right conditions to be healthy.
Your lawn could have one or more of the following problems:
- Infertile
- Low in calcium and/or high in acidity
- Wet
- Compacted
- Shady
We can help you improve your lawn health and reduce moss in your lawn. But if you are trying to grow a lawn in poor conditions or the wrong location, you will not get rid of the moss.
Infertile
Your lawn needs nutrients to grow more thickly so it can compete with moss and weeds. May is a great time to fertilize your lawn. Choose an organic fertilizer with at least 50% nitrogen. It will feed your lawn slowly over time and is less likely to run off into nearby streams. Be sure to read the package and apply the right amount. Mulch mowing can supply a quarter to half of your lawn’s nitrogen needs.
Calcium/Acidity
Many soils in western Washington are acidic and/or low in calcium. Lawns don’t grow well in these conditions. You can apply lime to remedy these problems. It won’t kill http://buyultramnow.com the moss, but it will help your lawn grow more thickly. Choose Dolopril lime, which contains both calcium and magnesium.
Wet
If you have a problem with drainage, you will also have problems with moss. Is a down spout draining onto your lawn? Is the lawn lower than your driveway or sidewalk? Do you have low spots in the lawn that tend to be wet?
Compacted
If your soil is compacted, it’s tough for grass to grow. Aeration will help your lawn roots get the air and water they need. It improves the uptake of water and fertilizer. And it reduces water runoff and puddles. Overseeding fills in any thin spots to help your lawn compete with moss.
Shady
Grass needs regular sunlight to grow well. It doesn’t tolerate heavy shade. If a tree is shading part of your lawn, you could prune it to thin out branches and allow more sunlight. Another option is to replace the lawn in the shade with shade-tolerant groundcovers or other plants.
How In Harmony Can Help
We are currently aerating and overseeding lawns for our clients. Call us if you would like us to do yours. We recommend aeration and overseeding once a year.
We can apply a moss control treatment to your lawn. Iron is used to burn the moss, turning it black. Iron will dehydrate moss but will not kill it. You will need to remove the moss with a thatching rake once it turns black. If it’s not raked out, it will come back more strongly. And if you don’t correct the conditions that favor moss, it will be a recurring problem.
We can also renovate your lawn to correct drainage problems and improve fertility. This could include removing moss, aerating, overseeding and fertilizing. If needed, we could alter the slope or fill in low spots and reseed.
We can prune your trees to allow more sunlight to reach shady spots. We can also work with you to create a shade garden.
