Moss, a shallow-rooted plant that spreads through spores and rhizoids, thrives in damp, shady environments. While it won’t kill your lawn, it can fill in thin areas and compete with grass for nutrients and water. If moss is a persistent problem in your lawn, there are several mistakes you could be making that create a favorable environment for its growth.
Lawn specialist and gardening expert Luke Taylor recommends an organic method for moss removal: dish soap. This safe and eco-friendly alternative to chemical treatments involves creating a homemade solution by mixing 2-4 ounces of gentle dish soap with 2 gallons of lukewarm water.
Once the solution is prepared, apply it to the moss-covered areas using a garden sprayer, ensuring thorough saturation. The dish soap solution is gentle on turf, so don’t worry about harming your grass. After 24 hours, the moss should turn orange or brown, indicating that it’s dead and ready for removal with a rake. Gardeners should dispose of the dead moss in sealed bags to prevent spores from spreading.
Tom Monson from Monson Lawn and Landscaping also advocates using dish soap to control moss. He advises that early detection is crucial for the solution’s effectiveness. As soon as moss is noticed, mix 2 ounces of dish soap with a gallon of water to create a gentle solution. Apply this solution to the mossy areas, using approximately 2 gallons of water for every 1,000 square feet of grass. The dish soap solution kills the moss without harming the grass.
Once the moss is eliminated, gardeners can sow lawn seeds to fill in bare patches and restore the lawn to its lush and healthy state.
