Why Does My Lawn Have Moss?

Have you been scalping your lawn during mowing?

Do you mow your lawn infrequently?

Does your lawn grows on compacted soil?

Is your lawn poorly fertilized?

Have you been neglecting your lawn?

Have the moss formed in a shady part of the lawn?

Does your lawn grows on acidic soil?

Is the air circulation around your lawn poor?

Scalped lawn is a perfect environment for moss to form, and in some cases, take over. It usually happens due to the inexperience of the mower who cuts grass too close or due to a bumpy lawn. When mowing grass, you should follow the "one-third rule", which means you should cut only the top third of the grass blades. This will encourage stronger grass roots.

Frequently cut grass will have stronger roots that discourage moss forming. During the growing period you should maw your lawn at least once in a week, this will keep your lawn healthy. While mowing, you should follow the "one-third rule", which means you should cut only the top third of the grass blades.

Compacted soils are a good place for moss to start growing because of poor drainage. Aerating the soil from time to time will reduce soil compaction and discourage moss forming.

Lawns that are poor in nutrients, especially in nitrogen, are encouraging for moss to form. When feeding grass you should use high-nitrogen fertilizer, because grass uses lots of it for its growth.

Not repairing damage in the lawns, or not removing excess thatch and not removing leaves in the fall can cause moss to form on the lawn. By maintaining good growing practices in your yard you will lower the chances of moss forming in it.

Moss often forms in a shady part of the lawn because some grasses cannot grow well in the shade so the soil is free for the taking. Reseeding with shade-tolerant varieties of grass should fix this problem.

Acidic soils are a good environment for moss to form. If your soil is acidic you can improve it by adding lime, bone meal, compost, or wood ash to it.

Poor air circulation and heavy morning dew are encouraging for moss to form. Try to increase air circulation around your lawn by thining surrounding plants.

Moss will often form in dry areas of the lawn such as lawn edges. When watering, try to water the whole lawn, all the way to the edges of the lawn and the moss will not form there.