The appearance of foam is favored by many conditions. If we are not careful, it gradually invades the lawn and harms the aesthetic appearance of the garden. However, there are effective solutions to have a beautiful lawn all year round. Here is what the gardener must do in order to permanently eliminate moss from his lawn and the solutions to adopt to prevent rather than cure.
What promotes moss on the lawn?
The factors favoring the development of foam are the following:
- A acid earth,
- Poorly drained soil, which therefore remains wet too long since rainwater or irrigation water drains poorly,
- A land not very fertiledeficient,
- A grassy area too shadycrucially lacking sunshine,
- And poorly ventilated floor,
- Of the cuts too close,
- The poor general maintenance lawn,
- The trampling turf because it hardens the ground. This is undoubtedly one of the main factors favoring the development of moss, especially if it is associated with high humidity and the soil is clayey, because the more compact the soil, the more chances moss has to appear.
When moss invades the lawn, it is therefore necessary to act on all fronts to get rid of it.
Removing lawn moss by addressing the cause
There was a time when we weren’t always concerned about the harmlessness of an anti-moss product, and we then treated the lawn with fer sulfate because it made the foam quickly disappear. However, we now know that this is not the best solution because, in addition to being irritant for the skin and the eyes but also toxic to the bodyby increasing the acidity of the soil, iron sulphate promotes the return of moss.
We now understand that it is not enough to treat to remove it momentarily, but that it is essential to tackle the cause of its development in order to be rid of it in the long term, and without danger.
In order for the lawn to regain its original beauty and be completely free of moss, it is necessary to draw up an inventory and identify the cause or causes of the problem in order to resort to appropriate solutions.
- Analyze the soil in order to know its pH (Hydrogen potential) which is most certainly around 6.5 or even lower. This means that the earth is acidic. If so, it is necessary to lower the acidity level thanks to natural solutions such as the addition of wood ash or lime.
- fill the deficiencies possible in potash, magnesium and calcium since they promote the development of foam. A contribution of rock powder is welcome in this case.
- Add some sand if the earth is too heavy and quickly becomes compact, because this material helps to lighten it.
- Avoid over-trampling the lawn if it is not intended for heavy traffic.
- Mow the lawn regularly taking care to always adjust the cutting height to 5 or 6 cm. The grass should not be shorter than this.
- Proceed totree pruning if they bring too much shade to the lawn or put in place any possible solution to promote its sunshine.
- Perform a terreautage, an operation which consists of spreading a layer of soil of around 5 to 10 millimeters directly on the lawn. An excellent result is also obtained with a compost-type fertilizer. Topdressing has different benefitsto know :
- lighten the earth,
- Improve soil structure,
- Allow better retention of rainwater and watering,
- Increase the porosity of the soil, which is positive for the development of the roots of the plants that make up the lawn, thanks to the gas exchanges which are amply favored.
We can take out a maintenance contract with a landscaper so that he himself takes care of the maintenance, or even the restoration of the lawn. The operation does not cost as much as you think since it is possible to benefit from a significant tax advantage by entrusting this type of gardening work to a professional.
Lawn moss prevention
You don’t have to count your time if you want your lawn to look like green the Golf of one stunning beauty. And we can avoid seeing it invaded by moss by using natural means of prevention accessible to all, namely:
- When preparing the ground on which you intend to sow grass, install a drainage system composed of several looks when necessary.
- Reserve the most shady parts of the garden for cultivation of flowering plants which do not like full sun rather than grass them because it will be difficult to avoid the appearance of moss or it will be necessary to spend a lot of time to fight against this invader which likes shade.
- Fertilize regularly because moss proliferates in poor soils. We prefer organic organic fertilizers. But we stop all fertilizers between June and the end of September to resume them only in autumn, which will help the lawn to be more resistant to face the winter.
- Scarifier with a manual or motorized scarifier since the rotating knives and tines of this device make it possible to:
- Unpack the earth,
- to aerate the soil,
- To tear up the old thatch,
- To lacerate the moss from which we are then rid.
These actions increase the lawn resistance which remains beautiful and they prevent moss from developing again.
Finally, before sowing your lawn, we must always choose its category according to its use. For example, it is better not to transform it into a playground or a sports field if you have not chosen a seed resistant to intensive trampling. There are specific lawns for this type of activity because they don’t come off. For example, they combine fescue, English rye grass and Kentucky bluegrass. Sown in slightly acidic, well-drained and humus-rich soil, on regularly aerated sunny ground but also provided that the grass is mowed not too close, not only will it remain beautiful despite trampling, but in addition it will not be invaded by the mousse.