Manage that pesky moss

You know that green color in your lawn right now? I hate to tell you this, but it may not be grass. In fact, it’s probably moss – moss that had a field day for most of our wet, mild winter. I know you didn’t want to hear that, but it’s one of the effects of our warmer winters over the past few years.

Just why is moss so persistent and hard to get rid of?

First, moss, in its dozens of varieties, has survived on Earth for hundreds of millions of years living through numerous extinctions and climate changes. It has done this by adapting to environments from the Arctic to the tropics; to moist and dry places; next to hot springs and even in bottoms of lakes. Its simple biology allows it to take nutrients and water from the surrounding environment and live on almost any surface.

Second, moss has several methods of reproduction. It sends out spores (think seeds only simpler) that travel to new locations; it sends out shoots in the spring from parent plants and finally it can reproduce by fragments which break off the parent plant and find their way to new locations.

Moss in lawns is usually indicative of poor growing conditions for other plants. Low soil fertility, high soil acidity, heavy shade, improper watering practices, diseased grass, poorly drained or compacted soil or any combination of these, will slow other plants and give moss the chance it needs to take hold.

To control moss, you need to maintain a healthy environment for the lawn to grow properly. This means that in addition to raking the moss out or treating it with a moss killer, you must adjust the cultural environment of the lawn. If you just treat it with a moss killer, it will come back.

First, check for poorly drained soils or improper watering practices. Moss thrives in damp places that grasses don’t like. Find a way to drain excess water from any soggy areas by rerouting downspouts or other sources of water. Check your sprinkler system and adjust timer settings or spray patterns to reduce over watering and ponding.

Aerate mossy areas of the lawn in the spring and fall to help break up compacted soil surface layers. Compacted soils keep water and air from getting to plant roots so the plants can’t grow properly. Add an inch or two of good quality compost every year to the lawn to improve fertility and provide new soil for the grass to grow in.

Plant the right kinds of grass. Kentucky bluegrass does not do well in shade and will thin out allowing moss to move in. There are a number of grasses like the fescues that can tolerate more shade.

Lastly, you could also consider letting the moss become an element in your landscape. The Japanese have made a fine art out of creating moss gardens that are incredibly beautiful in their simplicity and surrender to the forces of nature.