lawn full of moss

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conradmum wrote: »

Any lawn will gradually become a mixture of grass and other plants that grow well in that situation and that can withstand constant cutting. This is normal and the biodiversity is good for your garden as it provides good conditions for a variety of invertebrates. Maintaining a lawn that's pure grass is labour-intensive and expensive, and I can think of a lot more interesting things to do in the garden!

In Japan, they grow lawns of moss and pick out the grass.

I agree this fascination with pure grass lawns seems really pointless to be. You might as well get some astroturf. Grassland is by nature a mixture of species including moss so you'll always going to fighting against nature. There's nothing more depressing in a garden than a grass only lawn not even with a daisy.

Kay_Peel

The main objection that I have to moss has nothing to do with appearance or the growth of creeping campion, dandelions or daisies (I like daisies!) - it's to do with the grass clippings.

Moss doesn't compost. I may as well throw the grass clippings in the green bin for the council.

Zanderman

Kay_Peel wrote: »

Moss doesn't compost. I may as well throw the grass clippings in the green bin for the council.

Moss doesn't compost? Why ever not? Of course it will compost down, it's just another plant. It doesn't even have any vascular tissue - so it should, in theory, break down quicker than grass. If your's isn't composting there's something wrong with your composting method.

ixwood

I actually find moss composts beautifully. i used a load I got off the garage roof to part fill a new raised bed and there's lovely soil there now.

knithryn

I saved handfuls of the moss and packed it around the edges of my hanging baskets...the rest went into the compost heap where it rotted down no probs.

Kay_Peel

There's another way of getting rid of moss in your lawn, but I haven't tried it yet:

Keep chickens or borrow a couple for a day. :rotfl:

conradmum

hwalkerh wrote: »

Thanks for everyones help and advise. I think i might leave it now it has had one treatment.

To be honest i like gardening but more about plants then lawns. We live next to my partners 86yr old nan, and the lawn runs across in front both houses. She put the moss killer on so i felt i had to rake it out for her.

I am a bit confused why the moss seams to have taken over in the last couple of years. The lawn has the sun all day and it so dry underneath i am surprised it stays green, i wouldn't have thought the moss liked it.

It could be to do with the acidity of the soil increasing. I think moss prefers an acid soil, so you could try sprinkling it with lime. Lawns also become compacted with time and moss will grow better than grass if the ground's hard.

On the other hand, if the moss is helping to keep it green in dry spells, maybe you're on to a good thing!