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Gardening help. Moss!

Pondrew

Pondrew

Lifer
Spaldingski
Need advice from any keen gardeners please.
My front lawn is being taken over by moss. This year it's so bad there are big areas with no grass left at all. I don't really know how best to tackle it and keep it away. We also get multiple Red Ant nests in the front lawn each Spring/ Summer which look like mole hills when mowed. I have absolutely no idea how or if I can deal with these.

I am thinking of drastic action if there is no other easy solution; That is spraying the whole lot with strong weedkiller then getting tonnes of top soil and starting again.

The yellowy/ brown areas in the photo are all just moss now.
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I have the same problem with my lawn, I apply moss killer at least twice a year, rake all the dead moss up leaving the lawn looking terrible and then reseed, by the time the grass is getting established the moss is coming back, it just seems to be a vicious circle, I think the main problem is having a very heavy clay soil and a lot of shade from neighbouring trees, in the past I’ve even removed all the grass and re turfed but the moss is still back again to following year, it makes me sound sad but when the weathers been nice I’ve even sat picking the moss out by hand :headbang:
In the past I’ve seen lawns laid on pebbles, presumably to help with drainage.
 
I think you need to regularly rake over the lawn to remove the moss, then with a fork make holes all over to air and help drainage. Long and boring work. Have you thought about one of those lawn firms that maintain the lawn for you.
 
MikeyH said:
Have you thought about one of those lawn firms that maintain the lawn for you.
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Too tight for that TBH.
I don't really care but the lawnmower doesn't like cutting moss and because the lawn fronts the main road, my wife is worried 'what the neighbours will think'.

For a town centre, our front lawn is quite big and a waste of space IMO. No-one sits in their front garden (especially on a main road), there are loads of trees on the path which are all a mess, as all Council owned so they do nothing to look after them.

I may look into hiring one of those machines with the big tines to help aerate it. I ain't doing it by hand!
 
Feed and weed April and September, keep at and in a few years it will improve, if after four weeks of the April treatment, you see little improvement, treat again. Looks like you have a Northish facing garden and unfortunately this is a byproduct of little sun on shorter days. For the ants nest use Nippon ant killer, soon as you see those raised earth patches sprinkle it on liberally.

Quick question do you have lots of birds picking at your lawn? If so this is a whole different and bigger problem.
 
sars said:
Feed and weed April and September, keep at and in a few years it will improve, if after four weeks of the April treatment, you see little improvement, treat again. Looks like you have a Northish facing garden and unfortunately this is a byproduct of little sun on shorter days. For the ants nest use Nippon ant killer, soon as you see those raised earth patches sprinkle it on liberally.

Quick question do you have lots of birds picking at your lawn? If so this is a whole different and bigger problem.
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Front faces due West. We do have an issue with drainage in both gardens. High water table as we are at (or below) sea level. That and it hasn't stopped raining for months!

I will get some bulk Nippon! Cheers.
 
pvr said:
And don't cut it too short as that will allow the moss to grow even more
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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 :thumbsup:

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

I just want an easier life :D
 
I used to get moss on the back lawn along with moles as we had a field next door. I tried to get rid of the moles at first using mole smokes and finding the run into the garden. It didn't really work and they returned the following year so contacted a pest controller who set traps, caught them and took them away to release them elsewhere. They never returned after that.

On the moss, like others would rake it out and re seed every year and in the end said enough and took the front and back lawns up and gravelled it all. Best thing I did, no dreary mowing and a constant battle trying to keep on top of it. The front lawn would just dry out to a crisp each summer anyways and would never really recover. It was just better getting rid of it.

We've also been getting alot of badgers and foxes lately who like to did holes so getting rid of the lawn was the best thing.

I know gravel can be boring but some choice planting of shrubs and grass plants softens it all up.

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

Tim.
 
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! :thumbsup:
 
When I was at RAF Marham back in the 80s we were expecting a visit from the Queen. They went all along the kerbs and sprayed to kill the weeds. The overspray left a perfect strip of brown grass beside the kerb. Next day all those who'd been naughty were sent out with green paint! I kid you not!
 
IRD said:
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!
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I've seen your grass, don't forget, Ian. Both back and front look like bowling greens. Makes me sick! :lol: :lol:
 
TitanTim said:
Sorry just realised you have ants not moles :roll: but have ants as well in the kitchen :) I use Dethlac spray which is pretty good.

Tim.
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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.
 
Pondrew said:
TitanTim said:
Sorry just realised you have ants not moles :roll: but have ants as well in the kitchen :) I use Dethlac spray which is pretty good.

Tim.
Click to expand...
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.
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Good thing with moles though is they make great potting soil :D

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 :lol:

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

Tim.
 
Pondrew said:
IRD said:
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!
Click to expand...

I've seen your grass, don't forget, Ian. Both back and front look like bowling greens. Makes me sick! :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...
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.
 
IRD said:
Pondrew said:
IRD said:
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!
Click to expand...

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

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