Why is There Moss in Your Lawn and How Do You Get Rid of It?
Why is There Moss in Your Lawn and How Do You Get Rid of It?
Moss is a fairly common issue in lawns, and it’s one that not everyone pays attention or wants to get rid of. However, many homeowners discover it and try to get rid of it without realizing that there are probably underlying issues causing it as well.
We are going to be discussing some of the more common issues that cause moss to grow in your landscaping, as well as how you can easily get rid of it.
First let’s start with what having moss means in your yard.
Why Does Your Lawn Have Moss?
So why does moss become a problem in grass lawns and landscaping?
Having moss in your lawn typically is an indicator that you don’t have the ideal conditions for grass. Moss is really never a cause of a problem, but it is definitely the effect of an underlying one.
However, there isn’t just one answer as to what is causing this growth in your landscaping. You could be experiencing one or more of the following issues we will discuss, and it may take a few adjustments to prevent it in the future.
A few potential issues that could be causing the issues are a general lack of the necessary nutrients in the soil that your grass grows in, a low soil pH, poor or no drainage in your yard, or even too much shade.
To get rid of the moss once and for all, you have to do more than just simply removing the noticeable patch of it that caught your eye. This is a temporary fix, and it doesn’t remove the root of the problem. To do this, you will need to investigate a little further.
In order to get to the root of the problem, there are a few things to test out. One thing to easily test is the pH is your soil to see if it is causing problems. Also make sure you consider how much shade and drainage your yard is getting as well. We will discuss this in more detail in the following section too.
How to Get Rid of Moss in Your Yard
Once you have figured out the root of your problem, you will have a much easier time preventing moss from growing in your backyard. However, you still have to remove the moss that is already there.
Moss does not have an extensive root system, and it is fairly easy to simply pull it or rake it out to remove it completely. You can also use a herbicide to get rid of it as well, even baking soda works well for this.
Like we talked about previously, you will need to remove the cause to permanently keep moss off of your lawn. There are many different issues that could be causing the moss to grow, so a good way to start your investigation is by testing your soil. You can do this easily by sending some of it to a local cooperative extension and explaining that you are trying to get rid of a moss problem.
If you are worried about a drainage issue, one tell tale sign of this is your soil having high clay content. This is because water tends to seep slowly through soil with a lot of clay, and that can lead to muddy puddles and no way for that water to drain. Another more obvious sign of this problem is standing water in your yard after a rain.
For those of you who experience issues because of clay in your soil, this can be remedied with amending the soil to make it more friable.
Drainage issues can also be caused by soil compaction, and this is typically caused by too much foot traffic. The best solution for this particular problem is lawn aeration – depending on the type of grass you have there are different times throughout the year that you should attempt this.
If your moss issues seem to be caused by an excessive amount of shade in your backyard, there are solutions for this as well. You can either remove trees and shrubs from your yard that cause too much shade, or you can choose a shade-tolerant grass to grow there instead.
Our Final Thoughts on Moss in Your Lawn
We hope you were able to find some solutions for your moss issues in your backyard. While it may seem disheartening at first, the root of the problem is typically going to have a practical solution.
If you do find that you need additional help dealing with your lawn and soil, contact Homescape Now today for assistance if you are in the San Francisco Bay Area!
