My beautiful green lawn upon closer inspection was filled with moss rather than grass. I had to get rid of this moss fast before it overcame the rest of my grass and I was left with a green layer of moss rather than grass, which led me to this research.
Moss is caused by the presence of acidic soil, poor drainage/excessive water, unfertilized soil, excessive shade or a combination of these. To eliminate the moss without killing the grass requires identifying the cause and strategically combating it by reducing moisture and improving soil quality.
If you don’t mind how long it takes to kill the moss you can simply change the environment, but if you want the moss gone and now you can kill it or remove it with quick means discussed below. It will, however, likely damage the grass surrounding it as it requires you to manually remove every piece. This also means that unless you remove the conditions that are allowing the moss to grow, it will likely return shortly.
Eliminate The Cause Of Moss
The presence of moss in your yard is an indication of several factors. It could be all, some, or only one of them.
- Acidic Soil
- Poor Drainage/Excessive Water
- Unfertilized Soil
- Excessive Shade
These are the main reasons moss is growing. Each has a simple solution and once these conditions change the moss in your yard will slowly disappear. At the same time your grass will get stronger because you will be altering the conditions too allow your grass to grow stronger and your moss to grow weaker. Moss tends to grow in poor grass conditions.
How do you tell if your soil is too acidic? Good question. There are a few different ways. Some using purchased kits and some using DIY methods. We will talk about one of each to cover our bases.
pH kit test
- Dig 6 inches deep for a soil sample(remove non-dirt debris)
- Place about 2 teaspoons into a clean glass
- Mix with distilled water
- Mix vigorously
- Filter into a clean glass(coffee filters work fine)
- Dip your pH strip
- Compare against pH key
Repeat the process in different areas around your lawn to see if you have a localized problem or your backyard needs a little TLC. It is critical to take several measurements so that you can average out the readings. A single local test will not provide all of the needed information.
The DIY Method
DIY methods are a little bit more laborious, but if you prefer than please be my guest. pH test kits run around $10-$15 though…
- Dig 6 inches deep for a soil sample(remove non-dirt debris)
- Place soil into 2 clean glass’ and make muddy with water
- Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to one and 1/2 cup baking soda to the other
- Stir slightly
If you see fizzing, foam or any type of bubbles with the vinegar than your soil is alkaline, if it does the same when you add baking soda than your soil is acidic. It should not be both, however different areas of your yard could certainly be different. If nothing happens then likely you have a neutral pH(pH of about 7). This means you don’t have this problem.
Soil Acidity Solution
To make your soil closer to a neutral pH if your soil is too acidic then add garden lime or limestone. You need to till it in, but once you do this problem will be solved and possibly your moss problem with it since this is the type of soil moss loves.
Quick Note – if your soil is too alkaline than add a soil acidifier(normally something like sulfur or sphagnum peat moss). This may not solve moss, but it will help keep your grass healthy and may be why your grass is turning yellow. If you want to read more about the causes of yellow grass, check out our article.
Drainage Solutions
Drainage may also be your problem. Moss loves moist environments and many things could be the problem as to why water is staying in that area. Some common reasons why water is not draining are hard soil(compacted, high clay content, etc) and grading problems. If you want to know how to get rid of your hard soil and level your lawn than why not do it all at once.
Fertilizing your soil. Lets be honest, when was the last time you fertilized your lawn? If you have done it recently or at least bi-annually than you are a significantly better home owner than I and I applaud you. This is a good idea regardless of your moss issue because it provides a terrific environment for your grass to grow. It just so happens that this also strengthens your grass and hence kills your moss.
To start off, aerate your lawn. This can be done in many different ways, and a bunch of very cheap ones too. It is simply punching a bunch of holes in your yard which not only loosens your soil but also allows for the fertilizer you do put down to effectively penetrate deeper into your soil. Spread your fertilizer evenly and let time and watering do the rest.
Setting up good habits for lawn care can be the best thing you could do. This will also stop you from dealing with a dying lawn or discolored grass.
If you want to browse different drainage solutions than we also have solutions for you that explain every possible way to drain your lawn and the different reasons your lawn is not draining.
Eliminate excessive shade. This can be part of the reason moss is growing like wildfire, but generally is not the only reason. This also has a simple answer because it just deals with pruning whatever bush or tree is providing all this shade. Don’t be careless, however during your pruning process as it can severely damage your plants if done improperly. Pruning in the early spring can set your plants up for good growth and won’t take away from the growth to come.
These small actions can have a big effect not only on your moss problem now, but also for years to come as the war with moss and dead grass continues.
Quickly Remove Moss
Let’s be honest, the reason you are looking this up is because you want this moss gone and now. Here are some simple ways to eliminate moss as quickly as seconds and a little bit easier ways that may take a day or so.
Manually remove the moss using a metal rake or motorized rake. The first can be hard on your back, especially if it has already taken deep root. It does pay to get rid of this problem early. The second is a tool you can generally rent for about $75 a day and will eat your lawn alive. If you want it gone it will do it, but at a cost, Your grass will need quite a bit of time to get back to its full lush self.
Chemically Remove The Moss
There are off the shelf moss killers out there that claim to do everything, but it can be a challenge finding out whats right. Just be careful to check out a good number of reviews online to tell the difference. There will most certainly be people telling of how it murdered their grass and they are highly disappointed. Don’t be that guy or gal, it’s just more work.
Iron(commonly called iron sulfate, ferrous sulfate or something else) is very good at killing moss while at the same time not killing your grass. In addition to that it also is an important nutrient for your lawn health. Be careful if using near concrete, stone or brick as it will stain the surface and be very hard to get out.
Certain fungicides can help to kill moss and some are also environmentally friendly. If you are dealing with mushrooms too, as they also love to thrive in these sort of lawn conditions, it may be killing two birds with one stone.
Sulfate herbicides(copper sulfate, ammonium sulfate, etc) can also help, however this can also cause your soil to become a little more acidic. I would recommend this less as you have to apply it in a very particular way. It is not wrong to do it, but if you apply it wrong you could be cultivating your moss rather than killing it.
There are also some home remedies like combing certain parts dish soap or baking soda and water then spraying it directly onto the moss. I would recommend against it, because it will simply cover up your problem if it works. All of the ways above simply put a nice sugary coat over the issue. You need to follow the steps in the beginning to ensure this problem does not become deep seated.
Removing Moss From Hard Surfaces
This is another big point as it is very likely if you are struggling with moss in your yard you are probably also struggling with it in other places as well. If you have moss on pavers, decks, bricks or any other hard non-living surface then you are about to have a field day.
My favorite is the power washer. This will eliminate moss fast as well as clean your surface. I literally just did this on my backyard patio and it was very satisfying.
You can use harsh chemicals like bleach, herbicides, detergents, commercial moss killers, vinegar and even boiling water. Just get it out of there the cheapest way possible because the next thing I will tell you will be the final solution once and for all.
Use a paver filler to get in between the cracks and solidify. This will keep your walkway or relaxation area looking clean and free of moss, weeds, etc. Also, reduce the constant shade over the area, and if you really need to get a cover or large umbrella to compensate. This allows you shade while your out, but eliminates the problem of constantly killing your ever creeping moss.
When it comes down to it making it harder for your moss to live is the best way to kill it. The environment is everything and a little work now will save you a lot of work in the long run.