Moss Control in Lawns and Turf

Why do I have moss in my lawn?

Moss growing in lawn areas is a common problem that can have several causes. Keep in mind, however, moss is not likely to invade or crowd out vigorous grasses. Instead, it develops as lawns thin due to poor site or management practices.

Some of the most commons factors that allow moss to develop in a lawn are: Low soil fertility, poor soil drainage, compacted soils, excessive shade, poor air circulation, high humidity, general neglect, irregular mowing, lack of adequate nutrients, and over watering. More often, there are a combination of these conditions that promote moss.

Short term, what can be done about the moss?

Moss can be eliminated if a diligent effort is made before it gets a strangle hold on your lawn. The winter or early spring months (November through early March) are the best time for treatment. 1.) Apply ferrous sulphate or iron sulphate at a rate heavy enough to completely cover or penetrate into the moss. Usually 20 gallons of mixed liquid or 5 lbs of the granular formulation per 1,000 square feet. Make sure the temperature will not exceed 75 degrees after or during treatment or you will burn your grass! Follow with another treatment 4 to 6 weeks later. The iron will also green your lawn without a lot of new growth and reduce most lawn diseases. 2.) Using a commercial lawn aerator (one that will aerate at least 2 inches deep), and while the soil is still wet (allowing proper penetration of the aerator) plug your lawn. You do not have to remove the plugs. They will provide additional soil for seed germination and will dissipate as time goes on. 3.) Reseed your lawn in the spring and apply a small amount of slow release starter fertilizer. Make sure it has less than 10% nitrogen and at least a 25% slow release or you will burn the new seed as it germinates. Rhododendron food is an excellent choice.

KEEP THE IRON ON THE GRASS ONLY! BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW ANY IRON TREATMENTS TO COME IN CONTACT WITH WOOD, CONCRETE, BRICK, OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS. IT PERMANENTLY STAINS!

A Permanent Solution?

In some cases, you can permanently eliminate moss but it is unlikely. However, you can keep it to tolerable levels by implementing sound cultural practices, by being diligent.

Evaluate the site. Get enough soil samples for a cross representation of your soil structure. A two to three inch deep sample is adequate. Have the samples evaluated by a professional lab. Most extension offices, farm supply stores, or garden centers, will send the samples in for you if properly bagged and marked. So, check with them before taking your samples in for their requirements. There are also kits available to purchase that will give you the basics.

1.) After your sample has been precisely evaluated, apply the recommended rate of lime to raise the ph and lower the acidic level and make all necessary corrections to favor healthy lawn growth. Moss likes a high acidic, shaded, and wet soil and by eliminating these conditions, you will rid your lawn of this menace. For example, prune trees to allow more light to reach the lawn and remove excess vegetation to improve air circulation over the site.

2.) Improve drainage and soil compaction by plugging or aerating at least twice yearly.

3.) Fertilize according to the type of grass growing on site and type of site. Lawns in full sun require more fertilizer than those in shade. Avoid excessive watering and mowing too short. Mow between two and three inches, preferably at the high end of the range for summer.

4.) Use iron in your granular fertilizer program every time you feed your lawn. Usually 5% is adequate.

5.) Check for reinfestation during the winter months and apply iron, if needed.

KEEP THE IRON ON THE GRASS ONLY! BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW ANY IRON TREATMENTS TO COME IN CONTACT WITH WOOD, CONCRETE, BRICK, OR ANY OTHER MATERIALS. IT PERMANENTLY STAINS!

Finally, make sure the proper grass is growing for the site conditions present. For example, Kentucky bluegrass is ideal for full-sun areas but does not typically do well in shade, thus tends to thin out and allow moss to invade. Fine fescue, such as red fescue, is a better option for shade.

Meanwhile, back at the farm...

Red Thread

Let's discuss a common disease that occurs in lawns mostly during the fall and winter months. It’s called Red Thread (Laetisaria fuciformis). The disease is very easy to correct with a simple application of iron (no nitrogen is necessary), which will also help control moss. In severe cases, you will need to apply iron three to four times (or more) from fall through late spring. Most diseases (whether it be on lawns or any other kind of plants) happens when plants are weak from lack of proper nutrients. The disease is especially severe on slow-growing and iron deficient turf. All turf and lawn grasses are susceptible to this disease especially bluegrasses (Poa sp.), fescues (Festuca sp.), ryegrasses (Lolium sp.), and bentgrasses (Agrostis sp.) can be affected. Fine-leaved fescues and some ryegrasses are particularly susceptible.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW THE IRON TO COME IN CONTACT WITH WOOD, CEMENT, BRICK OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL. IT WILL PERMANENTLY DISCOLOR AND STAIN!

Symptoms

The first noticeable symptoms are water-soaked patches of grass in the fall through spring. Infected grass blades soon die and fade to a bleach-tan color when dry. The infected leaf blades, are often mixed with healthy unaffected leaf blades giving the grass a ragged appearance (the left picture). In severe cases, most leaf blades may be killed and diseased grass looks scorched or yellowed in irregularly-shaped or circular patches. The patches may be widely scattered or, if close together, may combine into larger spots.

In humid weather, the fungus grows visibly on the infected grass blades and leaf sheaths. The fungus produces thread-like strands or web-like areas of coral-pink to blood-red hyphae on the tips of brown grass blades (the picture to the right). The strands can protrude up to 2 cm upward from the blade tips and are easily seen, hence the name "red thread disease".

Disease Cycle

Laetisaria fuciformis may produce spores for dispersal, however, the primary means of dispersal is the spread of infected tissue and bits of the "red thread" (sclerotia) to healthy areas of grass. This type of spread depends upon mowing, foot traffic, and other activities which occur on the diseased turf. However, wind and cool, moist temperatures are the biggest culprit in spreading this disease. Invasion by the fungus is very quick, and leaves may begin to die within 2 days after becoming infected. Dried pieces of the fragmented "red thread" enable the fungus to survive when conditions are not favorable for disease development (winter, mid-summer, etc.). During dry conditions, the "threads" may live for up to 2 years.

Treatment Options

Maintain adequate soil fertility. The actual fertilization rates will depend upon the types of grass(es) grown, soil texture, and the specific rates recommended in your area. Maintain a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.0.

Avoid overwatering. Do not water the lawn in the late afternoon or evening. Provide good soil drainage. Plant trees and shrubs far enough apart so that large areas of grass do not remain shaded for long periods during the day and so that dew and other moisture on the grass will readily evaporate. Selective pruning of established trees and shrubs may also help.

Do not allow thatch levels to become excessive. As I said earlier, correction of this disease is very easy and does not need any fungicidal treatments! Start your iron treatments before the cool, moist, fall temperatures start happening (usually around mid-November) and follow again every 6 to 8 weeks until warmer temperatures (75 degrees plus) occur. The iron will darken your lawn without the heavy growth rate that you’ll see with a nitrogen based fertilizer and you will not need to mow at all! You'll be amazed how dark green it will be and just how long it will stay that way (usually up to eight weeks!). The iron will also kill any moss present in your lawn. Always include iron with your normal fertilizing program during throughout the year.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO ALLOW THE IRON TO COME IN CONTACT WITH WOOD, CEMENT, BRICK OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL. IT WILL PERMANENTLY STAIN!

Meanwhile, back at the farm...

Save Those Coffee Grounds!

Used Coffee grounds are very helpful as fertilizer and as an insect repellant for indoor house plants as well as outdoor plants and lawns. Many places, such as drive through coffee stands and restaurants, are more than willing to give you their used grounds, FREE!

The grounds are an excellent source of compost and being "green" (organic) material, contain Nitrogen and other essential nutrients, they provide much needed food for all plants. Providing a great recycling use of a by-product of coffee drinking, not only satisfies and feeds grass and plants organically, but keeps just one more item out of our land fills. You will usually see results after only three days!

As a lawn fertilizer: Wearing gloves, hand spread the free gathered used coffee/tea grounds all over the grass, especially the "dead" places, like you might when using a granulated fertilizer, but as evenly as possible and about twice as much than with a granulated fertilizer. Do this just before an expected rain, because nothing good happens until the grounds are watered in, and because it is another free resource.


You can also fill in cracks left by the dryness by looking for any road/swim pool/fence construction and ask for any left over top soil. Sand is another option for cracks and low areas. Add a top dressing of these materials over the coffee grounds.

You can even use the heavier used filter paper, other than in the compost: stuff them into the cracks in the lawn and around your foundation. The residual grounds will repel pests as well, and since most used grounds have a significant number of used filters to dig out, it helps to close the gaps. Caffeine is a natural insect repellant and works quite well to repel many crawling insects such as ants.

The secret is to find the proper balance for whatever you apply it to. For an area of approximately 40'x90' feet, it takes about 15 gallons of grounds. Apply a little more around the drip line of evergreen trees/shrubs, NONE around fall leaf-losers. Do that in the spring. For a 20 inch pot, mix into the soil one to one and a half hand full of coffee grounds. Remember to decrease the amount of coffee grounds when applying to smaller potted plants. I usually will use one teaspoon in a six inch pot.

Meanwhile, back at the farm...

Weed Control without Chemicals

"Weed control without chemicals" may bring up unpleasant thoughts of getting down on your hands and knees in the yard on a hot day and pulling out stubborn weeds by hand or other means. But weed control without chemicals needn't be so primitive or back breaking work. Below I will discuss a variety of weed-control methods to be used in planting beds and should be used in conjunction with each other. Weed control without chemicals can be tough work, and I want you to work smarter, not harder. No need to revert to the Stone Age!

Weed Control Without Chemicals: The Foundation

The first smart idea in a project of weed control without chemicals is to prepare the plot of ground in question. Just as in a construction project, laying a good foundation is very important. By "foundation" I mean the state of the ground where your plants will be growing. Implement these ideas before you plant, so that you'll get off to a good start in your project of weed control without chemicals.

Killing Weeds Through Soil Solarization

Soil solarization is a preventive, organic method of killing weeds and their seeds…before they sprout! This method is usually used BEFORE planting your plants and shrubs.The advice below is meant for homeowners wishing to start out with a clean slate, or re-landscaping a weed-filled patch of land in such a way as to reduce to a minimum the hassle of weed control in the future.

For those in need of soil solarization, installing landscape fabrics can be difficult in existing landscapes but with a little patience and ingenuity, it is possible. As I said above that “weed control without chemicals wouldn't mean going back to the Stone Age”, and landscape fabrics are a case in point. Landscape fabrics are a hi-tech ally in the battle against weeds.

Using Garden Mulch

As the final element in a good "foundation" for your bed of annuals, perennials or shrubs, you should apply garden mulch on top of the landscape fabric. Many skip right to mulching in the project of weed control without chemicals, but I do advise you to lay the landscape fabric first: it will lengthen the life of your garden mulch.

Any decomposing mulch will work: Bark dust is an excellent choice. It not only provides mulch, but as it decomposes over the years, will provide additional organic material, and eventually natural fertilizer. In some cases, it provides a natural barrier to certain insects too.

If you can tolerate the odor as it decomposes, grass clippings from your mowed lawn are good. However, if spread thin enough the odor will be limited.

Fallen leaves from trees is another source. However, they will promote mildew or mold which will spread into your plants and even your house. So, maybe not a good choice unless fully decomposed.

Weed Control Without Chemicals: Pre-Emergent and Post-Emergent Organic Herbicides, Selective and Non-selective Herbicides

“Selective herbicides” refers to herbicides that attack only certain plants or grasses. Unfortunately, your resources for selective herbicides are extremely limited. You may have to revert to “man made” herbicides. If you do, ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS!

“Non-selective herbicides” refers to those that attack or kill whatever they contact, so be very careful here. There are several options to choose from on the organic or non-man made herbicides.

"Pre-emergent herbicides" refers to applying herbicides that attack weedy plants at the source: their seeds. That is, they act to inhibit seed germination before the plants in question even have a chance to announce themselves to the world above! Corn gluten is a pre-emergent herbicide used for weed control without chemicals. Remember, corn gluten will inhibit the seed of "good" plants from germinating, too, so don't use it in planting beds where you're starting plants from seed.

“Post-emergent herbicides” refers to herbicides that attack and kill weedy plants after the seed has germinated and the weedy plant is above ground with leaves.

For weed control without chemicals, distilled vinegar is an excellent choice! If the weeds are relatively young or small, mix with water at a 50% rate and a few drops of liquid dish soap. The dish soap is a wetting agent making penetration faster and better. For older or larger weeds, use the vinegar at 75% or full strength with the same rate of dish soap. Even plain old household vinegar is effective if you have only young weeds to deal with in your planting bed. However, be careful here. It’s non-selective so don’t use it in your lawn (unless spot treating weeds) or any where else that you want to keep desirable plants. When using vinegar as an herbicide: apply it directly onto the weeds ONLY!

Again, VINEGAR IS NON-SELECTIVE and will harm plants that are inadvertently exposed to it. For this reason, vinegar isn't especially effective for battling lawn weeds: you'd almost inevitably end up with too much collateral damage to your grass. But vinegar is a fine organic alternative in planting beds, as long as you watch where you're spraying!

It's the acetic acid in vinegar that gives it its herbicidal abilities. The higher the percentage of acetic acid in the vinegar, the better. Vinegar used for cooking purposes is relatively low (5%) in acetic acid, so repeated applications will be necessary if you'll be applying it on full-grown weeds. Alternatively, you can try to buy the super-strength vinegar in stores that cater to the agricultural community.

In Case You Still End Up Pulling Weeds

With landscape fabric and garden mulch in place, the bad news is that, even then, you may still get weeds. But the good news is that those weeds will be very easy to pull out. Pulling weeds embedded in mulch is not nearly as difficult as pulling weeds embedded in soil. Thus with a good "foundation," you may not even feel the need to bother with the corn gluten and vinegar: 5 minutes of easy pulling here and there should get the job done.

One exception to this may arise: if the integrity of the landscape fabric has been compromised, weeds may strike down roots in the soil beneath, making them difficult to pull out. In this case, water the area in question beforehand. It's usually easier to extricate weeds from moist soil than from dry soil.

New Year

Well, here it is! The beginning of a new decade and the beginning of a new year. I hope all is well with everyone!

Soon the snow will be gone, warmer temperatures will be coming and with it new life will begin to emerge. I am looking forward to that!

This u-cut tree season was ok, considering the economy and new farms for people to visit around me. The wholesale tree market is hurting and more farms are opening for u-cutting. I wish them well and hope they can become as successful as I am. Having a tree farm is very rewarding...I do not look at it 100% as an income producer. Rather an ecosystem that provides (to all different kinds of wild life) many benefits.

Now is good time to get out into the yard and trim those fruit trees, trim your Rhodies, roses, and many other shrubs. Spray your weeds, lay down a pre-emergent weed control, take care of moss in the lawn - on roofs - and in trees and shrubs. Don't forget a dormant treatment as there are several diseases occuring now that cannot be treated later in the spring. Remember to wear protective gear and follow label directions! There are also a lot of natural products you can use but they are usually more expensive and require more treatments, so keep that in mind.

Thanks to all for following and reading my blog!

Meanwhile, back at the farm...