Moss and weeds in lawn

Budsgardens2012

Hi there,

Please, please, please can someone help me! I have an area of lawn that is mossy due to being shadowed by a large tree that has now gone (storms!!) so gets plenty of light now. I want to treat the moss so that it dies but my lawn is also covered in dandelions.

I have googled what to do so much i have blisters on my fingers, all i really need is someone to offer me some step by step advice as to what to do!

It was suggested on one site that i first kill off the moss only and once dead rake off. It says to then apply a lawn feed BEFORE applying the weed killer! I see there is a 4in1 complete treatment by evergreen however it can cause burning???

So, what would you suggest and how in a step by step guide! Help me out!!!

Thanks in advance!

Fairygirl

The grass will be quite weak due to lack of light which is the reason for feeding initially before using a weed and feed product. It gives the grass a boost. I used that method last year as the grass in this new garden was very poor - like yours- lots of moss and weeds.

You could scarify first to remove as much moss as possible, then use a feed only. There are lots of different ones available - just choose one to suit your budget and apply it when the ground is damp. Wait several weeks to let it take effect, and to allow the grass to grow a bit, and most importantly, when you mow - don't scalp it. Little and often when you cut. Once the grass is growing well - about 4 to 6 weeks after you've fed it, apply a weed and feed product which will kill the weeds and feed the grass again. That should get the grass growing well which is what helps to give it the upper hand and prevent weeds dominating. You may need to give it another application later on in summer. The reason for applying to damp ground is to avoid scorching which is what all chemical weed/feeds will do on dry ground. Timing is quite important with them too - if there's no rain a few days after applying you'll need to water it in. The ground might be a bit compacted too, and you could spike it to help open it up, but you can do that later on in summer if  you prefer. Hope that's a bit of help and I've not confused even more! 

Budsgardens2012

Honestly fairygirl, i don't think I could get more confused!

So, should I firstly kill the moss with one treatment (they say so as otherwise the pores will spread???!), then scarify (its only a small area of moss so i could rake it, or should i just scarify the whole lawn anyway?), then feed only and about 4-6 weeks later apply the weed and feed combo?

- this really is a concern!

Fairygirl

It really depends how big an area of moss and how fit you feel! I didn't bother scarifying till I'd used the weed and feed. If you don't want to faff about too much, give the mossiest bit a scrape out and apply a feed to the whole lawn to give it a boost. Once you've done the weed and feed later on you can scrape out the dead moss then. It's easy to get a bit worried about grass, but to be honest, unless you're aiming for a look that would grace the 18th tee at St Andrews - as long as it's reasonably green and weed free it'll look good! Keeping it maintained after treating it is more important - keep cutting regularly and don't cut it too short. The big mistake most people make is letting the grass get too long and then scalping it. It's an ongoing job anyway - you'll always get weeds seeding in from other gardens or surrounding areas but the healthier your grass is, the easier it makes the maintenance. Don't worry about it too much.