Natural ways to deal with weeds and moss

DiggerUK

We do indeed remember The Good Life times in the 70's/80's, because that's what those days were like, very liberal minded and open to change. The fact that Tom and Barbara had cleared their mortgage and could sustain such a folly was overlooked. Can you imagine the local council ignoring a council house tenant with goats, pigs and chickens in the garden, even if they weren't in arrears and always paid the rent.

The other folly of the day was daydreaming of organising ones life on The Complete Book of Self - Sufficiency by John Seymour. As more than a million copies were sold I imagine he was, like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, able to be entirely self sufficient on book royalties and nettle wine made with water drawn from ones own well, which the book thoughtfully gave instructions in how to dig. 

In the book were complete instructions for digging your own well in earth, soft rock, soft sand and rock. Thankfully they did warn you that you may have to blast through rock with gunpowder, but helpfully pointed out that gelignite is much better..._

Edit, just to keep the thread on track, Mr. Seymours book made no comments on lawn care so is an entirely pointless read for anyone interested in dealing with lawn moss..._
Edit 2, guess who writes the forward to the latest reprint.....couldn't make it up if I tried. £25 from Waterstones..._

twopenny

Well as it's still raining I have more moss than grass.

Thinking of making it a Japanese moss garden . End of problem, end of mowing..

Farway

twopenny said:

Well as it's still raining I have more moss than grass.

Thinking of making it a Japanese moss garden . End of problem, end of mowing..

Nah, then it'll be leaves on the moss

twopenny

Almost no leaves around here. I have tidy neighbours. Well, till I came along.

Now my last place, sacks full thanks to the council planting the wrong trees in the road. Had discussion about the leaves belonging to the council so legally not mine and I should 'give' them back. Putting them back is an offence and keeping them is.

But they gave me lovely compost and so the evidence was got rid of

Davesnave

With the prevailing winds here, the great majority of the leaves in our garden eventually find their way across the fields and down to the far end of our land. There are no major stands of trees for some distance upwind, so our garden is self clearing.

I admit I've not actually tagged any leaves to prove this, but small flower pots originating from my neighbour's property are similar in size and may be collected at the end of every winter from the 'drop-zone;' a small stand of trees and laurels beyond the fields.

Anja

To get rid of the moss you need to scarify (rake) and aerate using a garden fork. I think you should then brush sand into the holes but I never have!

theoretica

There are special dandelion weeding tools - if you don't have one already I find them far easier than trying other ways to get them out - and you leave a hole helping your aeration. 

twopenny

I have spent a year on hands and knees digging up dandelions. Also the Self Heal.

I spent last spring raking 7 bucket loads of moss.

I have aerated the lawn throughly.

The moss loved it and flourished.

Currently trying Jjah's idea. It looks promising.

JKD23

twopenny said:

I have spent a year on hands and knees digging up dandelions. Also the Self Heal.

I spent last spring raking 7 bucket loads of moss.

I have aerated the lawn throughly.

The moss loved it and flourished.

Currently trying Jjah's idea. It looks promising.

what is Jjh's idea ?

twopenny

On page 1 JKD. Maybe not for all! Seems to be working though. The grass is getting stronger and thicker and the moss is getting squeezed out.

"Don't forget that urine makes a fantastic fertiliser for grass.  Just dilute the fresh stuff before application.

(Weeds dominate more easily in poor soil.)

Pee-riodically applying this liquid gold is an easy way to wee-d"

BTW you find a way to collect it. Much to cold to be outside making a personal contribution