GETTING THE PERFECT LUSH LAWN

A perfect lawn really is the ‘Holy Grail’ of gardening. Who wouldn’t want a lush, green lawn with Wimbledon stripes?

But here in the UK our attempts are often thwarted by our cold, wet, damp climate and...MOSS! Yes, moss really is the enemy when it comes to achieving that perfect lawn.

It gets everywhere; on the front drive, the roof, in the guttering, but especially in the lawn. Due to our climate, and limited sun in the winter, moss can develop and spread very easily. But why does moss spread into the lawn?

Poor drainage is often a big problem. Do you have areas on your lawn where water lays on the surface? You’ll probably find moss there. Similarly, shaded areas - particularly under trees - can be susceptible, and the type of soil that you have in your garden can also be a contributing factor. Moss is a lover of clay soil, but also loves soil that is very acidic. You tend to find it most in areas that have limited air movement, too, such as the sides of the house, garage, fences or trees.

So, it’s a lost cause, right? Wrong! There are lots of things you can do to prevent the spread of moss spoiling your lovely lawn. We spoke to Phil Adshead of Supagrass for his thoughts. He told us, “A lawn with heavy moss can look really unsightly, especially in the spring when it comes to life. It can have a bright green look, and unless it is controlled and physically removed from the lawn, it can regenerate itself year after year.” Thanks to Phil, we have some top tips on controlling moss to share with our readers:

Prune and trim trees right back to allow more air movement through the lawn.

Apply moss killer in Autumn and early Spring.

Use a Iron Sulphate material to kill moss. Once moss is dead it must be removed by raking by hand or machine scarification.

Aerating the lawn helps drainage allowing grass roots to strengthen.

Apply Autumn and Spring feed with nitrogen.

In some cases over seeding where the moss was removed is necessary.

Don’t cut your lawn too short. The general consensus is to keep the blades of grass between 2.5cm and 3cm.

Following these steps will help keep moss under control and will allow the grasses in your lawn to do what they are designed to do, which is to grow strong and be healthy.

If you need some further advice, Phil is happy to help. You can call him on 01256 461388 or email rbf@supagrass.co.uk