Question:
How do I get rid of moss in my lawn?Answer:
Mosses in lawns are usually a sign of poor growing conditions. Turfgrasses have a difficult time growing in heavy shade, compacted soils, or other poor sites. However, mosses are adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. Mosses in lawns are usually associated with heavy shade, low fertility, poor drainage, compacted soil, or any combination of aforementioned factors.
Mosses can be temporarily removed by hand raking. However, the underlying conditions responsible for moss development must be corrected to achieve a permanent solution. Conduct a soil test of the area and follow the fertilizer recommendations. Some mosses are favored by highly acidic soils. However, this is not true for all mosses. Add lime only when recommended by a soil test. Prune low-hanging branches of trees and shrubs to allow more light into the area. Improve soil drainage by aerating with a core aerator. Plant fine-leaf fescue grasses in shady areas. Creeping red fescue, hard fescue, and chewings fescue are more tolerant of shade than Kentucky bluegrass.