Gardening help. Moss!

[Pondrew]

It needs doing with a hollow tine machine each year to improve the drainage plus twice a year treatment with moss killer. Then apply a good lawn feed at least twice a year. There is no short term solution. It took me three years to make our grass anything like decent and it is an ongoing battle. Good luck!

I've seen your grass, don't forget, Ian. Both back and front look like bowling greens. Makes me sick!

[Pondrew]

Sorry just realised you have ants not moles but have ants as well in the kitchen I use Dethlac spray which is pretty good.

Tim.

No moles, had those at the last place. I made a beautiful hand-sewn 1/2 acre lawn. Second year the moles moved in and trashed it. I never got rid of the bloody things, despite trying everything.
I had rats in the garden of the place before that. They moved in the day we got chickens!
I haven't had a lot of luck with gardens.

[TitanTim]

Sorry just realised you have ants not moles but have ants as well in the kitchen I use Dethlac spray which is pretty good.

Tim.

No moles, had those at the last place. I made a beautiful hand-sewn 1/2 acre lawn. Second year the moles moved in and trashed it. I never got rid of the bloody things, despite trying everything.
I had rats in the garden of the place before that. They moved in the day we got chickens!
I haven't had a lot of luck with gardens.

Good thing with moles though is they make great potting soil

We had rats at one point living under the shed, they would come out if we left the kitchen window open and allow the waft of the Sunday roast go down the garden and they would line up standing up on their back legs

My only concern is mice especially when storing the other car over winter so some poison and traps are scattered around the car.

Tim.

[IRD]

It needs doing with a hollow tine machine each year to improve the drainage plus twice a year treatment with moss killer. Then apply a good lawn feed at least twice a year. There is no short term solution. It took me three years to make our grass anything like decent and it is an ongoing battle. Good luck!

I've seen your grass, don't forget, Ian. Both back and front look like bowling greens. Makes me sick!

Bowling greens is a bit of an exaggeration to say the least. But when we moved in twenty years ago the grass was awful. My father in law was convinced that the only solution was to excavate and start again. We just persevered with improving the drainage, moss killer and feeding. I bought a hollow tine aerator to pull behind the ride on mower and gradually things improved. The trouble is it isn’t a one off job where you do it and that’s it. It is a continuous process and does take a fair amount of time each year to keep it right. Plus the cost of the relevant chemicals.
I’m not a keen gardener but don’t mind keeping the lawns decent. Then everything looks tidy.
Your biggest problems are poor drainage and insufficient sunlight to some parts of your lawn. You need to consider what you can do to improve those things first. If you don’t solve these problems to some degree you will be wasting your time, effort and money. The moss will just keep coming back.

[Pondrew]

It needs doing with a hollow tine machine each year to improve the drainage plus twice a year treatment with moss killer. Then apply a good lawn feed at least twice a year. There is no short term solution. It took me three years to make our grass anything like decent and it is an ongoing battle. Good luck!

I've seen your grass, don't forget, Ian. Both back and front look like bowling greens. Makes me sick!

Bowling greens is a bit of an exaggeration to say the least. But when we moved in twenty years ago the grass was awful. My father in law was convinced that the only solution was to excavate and start again. We just persevered with improving the drainage, moss killer and feeding. I bought a hollow tine aerator to pull behind the ride on mower and gradually things improved. The trouble is it isn’t a one off job where you do it and that’s it. It is a continuous process and does take a fair amount of time each year to keep it right. Plus the cost of the relevant chemicals.
I’m not a keen gardener but don’t mind keeping the lawns decent. Then everything looks tidy.
Your biggest problems are poor drainage and insufficient sunlight to some parts of your lawn. You need to consider what you can do to improve those things first. If you don’t solve these problems to some degree you will be wasting your time, effort and money. The moss will just keep coming back.

I would just move house but the Duchess isn't having any of it, unfortunately.

[enuff_zed]

Paint it silver and tell everyone it's Stirling Moss.

Yes I do know it's spelt differently.

[obewan]

And don't cut it too short as that will allow the moss to grow even more

This and reduces burning in summer

The house we stayed in Nidderdale last year had the lushest of lawns, it was kept at a constant height by a robot lawnmower, just skimming the top off and allowing the mulch to decay in the lawn, no moss at all

I would have purchased one as soon as I got home but he who shall not be named wants those damned stripes

I just want an easier life

I was at a robotic mower demo recently (volunteer club groundsman) and the new ones have updated software that will cut stripes/diagonals/chequerboard patterns

Re moss Pondrew, as others have said: treat, scarify, cut, aerate. Repeat

[jock156]

EZ! You ain’t wired up right!

[enuff_zed]

EZ! You ain’t wired up right!

I’m doing my best.
Wibble!

[IRD]

I've seen your grass, don't forget, Ian. Both back and front look like bowling greens. Makes me sick!

Bowling greens is a bit of an exaggeration to say the least. But when we moved in twenty years ago the grass was awful. My father in law was convinced that the only solution was to excavate and start again. We just persevered with improving the drainage, moss killer and feeding. I bought a hollow tine aerator to pull behind the ride on mower and gradually things improved. The trouble is it isn’t a one off job where you do it and that’s it. It is a continuous process and does take a fair amount of time each year to keep it right. Plus the cost of the relevant chemicals.
I’m not a keen gardener but don’t mind keeping the lawns decent. Then everything looks tidy.
Your biggest problems are poor drainage and insufficient sunlight to some parts of your lawn. You need to consider what you can do to improve those things first. If you don’t solve these problems to some degree you will be wasting your time, effort and money. The moss will just keep coming back.

I would just move house but the Duchess isn't having any of it, unfortunately.

I think she’s got you well and truly sized up!

[john-e89]

Bowling greens is a bit of an exaggeration to say the least. But when we moved in twenty years ago the grass was awful. My father in law was convinced that the only solution was to excavate and start again. We just persevered with improving the drainage, moss killer and feeding. I bought a hollow tine aerator to pull behind the ride on mower and gradually things improved. The trouble is it isn’t a one off job where you do it and that’s it. It is a continuous process and does take a fair amount of time each year to keep it right. Plus the cost of the relevant chemicals.
I’m not a keen gardener but don’t mind keeping the lawns decent. Then everything looks tidy.
Your biggest problems are poor drainage and insufficient sunlight to some parts of your lawn. You need to consider what you can do to improve those things first. If you don’t solve these problems to some degree you will be wasting your time, effort and money. The moss will just keep coming back.

I would just move house but the Duchess isn't having any of it, unfortunately.

I think she’s got you well and truly sized up!

[ekimj10]

A good quality lawn is IMO the most difficult to achieve in any garden, I've spent a lot over the years on motorised scarifiers, wheeled sprayers, hollow tine forks, chemicals for weeding, feeding etc not forgetting ant killers. Gave all that up and now have a company visit 4 or 5 times a year to do all the treatments (no scarifying or aeration etc) for around £50 per visit, we do all the cutting and edging. Cost of the chemicals alone was way more than £200 and they do it quickly but best of all know what the lawn needs.
Despite all this, moss still grows and thatching is always there unless you rake out/scarify to remove all the dead stuff. Fortunately the back lawn is a good driving range and football practice area plus pool and trampoline in the warmers climes.
Everything is against you having a perfect lawn, kids, cats, dogs and all wild animals (foxes, squirrels, pigeons etc and we have them) plus the weather, trees etc but at the end of the day we all seem to to want to have a go.
No wonder 'fake grass' (grand kids terminology) is so popular, I priced up the showpiece at the front and the cost with all the excavation and preparation was similar to having the area professionally paved.
No answers on the best way forward I'm afraid but best of luck whichever way you go.

[TitanTim]

I looked at fake grass before gravelling it all and it seemed to me to need a fair bit of maintenance in its own right, hosing down etc to keep it looking good otherwise it will look rubbish after time especially if you have trees etc.

Tim.

[Big Andra]

When I did have grass, it was absolutely covered in moss. I used a company called green thumb and they used to come round quarterly and put stuff down on it. Never had any moss in it for years. Got rid of all the grass a few years ago as both the kids have their own cars now.

[Nanu]

The only way is to let the lawn dry out, hire or lend a tool the fits onto your mower and rake out the moss which will leave your lawn looking horrific.

Re seed in areas that are left bare and top dress the lawn.

Repeat every spring.