Moss is a problem many of us encounter on our property. Moss is a non-parasitic organism that thrives on environments that are not hospitable to most plants. Moss primarily takes advantage of bare areas in a lawn and it generally will not kill off existing grass but it can be an eyesore to someone who wants a healthy and lush green lawn. Determining the cause of these bare areas is an important step in ridding our lawns of moss.

The bare areas are often caused by poor drainage, drought, soil compaction, excessive shade, thatch accumulation, poor fertility and/or disease. Improving these conditions will often help eliminate your moss problem however, getting rid of the existing moss is usually the first step. Moss can be killed with products that contain ferrous sulfate or ferrous ammonium sulfate. These materials do not pose serious threats to the environment and iron and sulfur are actually essential nutrients for grasses and will tend to improve the grass color. Once the moss is dead (it will usually turn black in color), it can be physically raked out and removed. The bare soil should be loosened by hand raking or can be core-aerated (usually in two directions). Next the area should be over-seeded with a turf grass mixture containing rye grass species or a mix of rye and fescue. A starter fertilizer should be applied and the area can be covered with a shredded straw to help protect the seed and retain moisture. These steps will help establish a healthy lawn, however, the underlying conditions that caused the moss in the first place still need to be addressed to prevent the moss from reappearing.

Re-routing the drainage in the area, pruning overhead tree limbs to allow more light and air circulation to the area, core-aerating the area to reduce the soil compaction and thatch buildup and applying lime to adjust the soil pH are all steps to improve the area for turf growth. By addressing these problems and following the steps above, you will be on your way to a moss-free lawn.