The lawn can suffer not only from weeds, but also from moss. This perennial plant has no root system and flowers. It multiplies through spores, the maturation of which occurs in the box. The parasite is activated if it falls into favorable conditions.
Getting rid of moss is quite difficult. It is much easier to carry out preventive measures in time. For this you can use organic and chemical agents. Before deciding on the restoration of the lawn, you need to identify the cause of the moss. Treatment should be timely and correct. Ignoring all the recommendations will lead to a slowdown in the growth of lawn grass, and in the future to its death.
The reasons for the appearance of moss on the lawn
The factor that gave impetus to the development of moss can be determined by carefully examining the grass and the moss itself.
A parasite plant appears on the lawn for the following reasons:
- lack of moisture, high acidity of the soil. In this case, the moss acquires a deep green hue;
- deficit of sunlight. The parasite spreads along the ground, preventing other plants from receiving ultraviolet light;
- lawn mowing too short. This is evidenced by the rapid growth of moss on a green carpet.
This list can be supplemented with such items as soil compaction, lack of nutrients, poor soil drainage.
Ways to get rid of moss on the lawn
The order of actions depends on what exactly became the root cause of the problem.
- If the area on which the lawn was planted was not leveled at the preparation stage, water will accumulate in the remaining depressions. To get rid of the moss, formed due to its stagnation, it will be necessary to carry out land surveying. For more effective drainage, sand should be added to the soil.
- Inadequate ventilation will require aeration. If the lawn is small, ordinary pitchfork will be enough. To handle a large area, you need an aerator. It can be either manual or mechanical.
- The increased acidity of the soil is reduced by liming. With a lack of nutrients, complex feeding is carried out. When choosing fertilizers, they are guided by the composition and condition of the soil.
- If the cause of the moss was an insufficient amount of sunlight, there are two ways out of the situation. You can remove objects that prevent the penetration of light (for example, cut down a tree) or plant a lawn with red fescue, meadow bluegrass and other shade-tolerant crops.
- Running lawns are freed from moss with herbicides. They often include ammonium sulfate and iron sulfate. Mixtures based on diclofen are especially popular among summer residents who broke the lawn. Spraying should be carried out only in warm, dry weather. 2 days after treatment, the lawn needs to be watered. The moss will turn black after 14 days. If necessary, the grass is sprayed again. The affected moss is collected by a fan rake. Care must be taken so that the green lawn does not suffer even more. The resulting bald patches remove fast growing grasses by overseeding (annual ryegrass).
How to prevent moss from growing on the lawn
To avoid the appearance of moss, regular prevention is necessary. You should think about future problems with parasitic plants when preparing a designated area for sowing lawn grass.
The territory needs to be leveled: to fill in holes, and to remove hillocks. Do not forget about the drainage system.
The more unpretentious the planted grass will be, the better. A powerful root system, rapid growth, shade tolerance, resistance to cold and sharp temperature changes are properties that are unlikely to be superfluous. The plants that possess them are able to resist the negative effects of external factors for a long time, including the influence of parasites.
Fertilizing is a stage that you cannot do without. Timely feeding the lawn will avoid the lack of nutrients needed by the grass at any time of the year. They are of particular importance during the period of active growth and disease. Please note that nitrogen is not added in the fall, as it stimulates growth, which the grass does not need at this time.
Also follows:
- To control watering. It is forbidden to expose the lawn to additional moisture at night, in late autumn and early spring.
- Avoid mechanical damage. The lawn can suffer from frequent movements, active games and even the invasion of insects, in particular, mosquito-centipedes.
- Mow the lawn in full accordance with the recommendations, do not make it too low (below 3 cm you don’t need to, and only if you have a mantle lawn, and it’s worth stopping at 5 cm). After mowing, it is best to clean the mowed grass immediately.
