Move over, moss

Moss is either one of those plants that you love or hate. There seems to be no in between. There are individuals who grow and sell moss to garden centers and florists. Since their moss turns to dollars, I'm sure that they really like moss.

My front lawn is now a moss garden. Since I live in the woods, most of the area around my house is shaded. It does have its advantages. Very seldom do I have to mow the "front lawn." It sure is nice and soft to walk on.

In fact some people like moss so well that they have actually paid landscapers to plant a moss garden in some areas around their house. They just couldn't find anything else that would grow and thrive in these difficult areas.

On the other hand, most people want to get rid of moss in their lawn. They have found that moss will compete more aggressively than lawn grasses and will eventually take over a lawn area. If you are someone who wants to have that perfect lawn and are plagued by moss continue reading.

Moss is found in lawns that suffer from low fertility, excess moisture, compaction, poor surface water drainage, soil acidity and shade. Even though excess moisture is required to establish moss in an area, it should be noted that moss, once established, is able to withstand drought conditions for long periods of time.

If moss is present, it can be removed mechanically by raking. In addition it can be killed with an application of copperas (iron sulfate) at the rate of 4 pounds per 1000 square feet. I doubt if you find a bag of iron sulfate that will explain its moss-killing function. You can apply it either as a granule or in solution with water.

If you kill the moss with iron sulfate, or remove it mechanically, it will soon return unless the adverse environmental conditions are alleviated. I can't stress this point enough. In our world of instant gratification, it is easy to assume that one application of iron sulfate will eliminate your problem. If you don't address all of the adverse conditions that enhance moss development, you will soon have a lawn full of moss again.

In order to alleviate the adverse environmental conditions that favor moss development you should first increase the amount of light reaching your lawn. Remove some trees in the landscape. If this is not an option, then eliminate lower branches on your trees. You can also take out some branches on the taller trees. Thinning will allow more light to reach your lawn.

You should also provide additional nutrients through fertilization. Trees demand lots of nutrients to grow and thrive. Their demand will reduce the nutrients available to your lawn grasses. Be sure to apply 3 to 4 pounds of actual nitrogen per year to your lawn.

Aerate the lawn area spring and fall for several seasons to reduce soil compaction. Not only will aeration reduce soil compaction, you will find that your lawn grasses have a better root system that grows deeper into the soil. In addition your lawn will hold more moisture after rains. This will surely be welcomed during drought conditions.

Make sure that surface water drains off the area. Regrade your lawn so moisture doesn't "pond." You may also have low areas that need filling. Elimination of problem areas will reduce the ability of moss to thrive in your landscape. Eliminate excess lawn sprinkling. Try to apply enough moisture to get about 1 inch of rainfall each week. More than this will encourage weed germination and development along with creating the right conditions for moss to thrive.

Finally be sure to apply lime to the lawn to counteract acidification due to the iron sulfate application. Apply at least 50 pounds of lime to your lawn area per 1,000 square feet. Do this about a month after you have applied iron sulfate to your lawn, and then repeat either the following spring or fall. If you have moss in your lawn, you can easily get rid of it with an application of iron sulfate. Remember, moss thrived in your lawn because of adverse lawn growing conditions. Correct these conditions or the moss will return in a few months.

Send your gardening and landscape questions to Paul Schnare at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0699 or by e-mail to news@semissourian.com.