With the very damp weather we have had here in the UK, and the reduced amount of sunlight, this time of year provides the perfect conditions for moss to thrive. But whilst a touch of moss can lend a rustic charm, an overgrowth in your lawn can quickly cause a problem to your healthy grass so now is the time to consider Moss Control.
At Lawntech, we provide a moss treatment in autumn and winter to reduce the amount of moss in your lawn, help to keep your lawn green, and make your grass hardier to withstand the autumn and winter months. In this blog post, we are sharing some useful information to help you understand moss and moss control for a healthy winter lawn.
Understanding Moss in Autumn and Winter
The cool and damp conditions of autumn create an ideal environment for Moss to thrive. With the temperature drop and the reduced amount of daylight, grass growth slows down, allowing moss to creep in and take advantage of these conditions. As winter soon settles in, moss becomes more noticeable, especially in areas where grass struggles to grow.
Allowing moss to take over can result in a patchy, weak lawn that is more susceptible to Lawn Disease so Moss Control in autumn and winter will help your lawn to fight moss and flourish this season.
Moss thrives in damp shady conditions, so we find in Britain moss usually appears during autumn and winter as conditions this time of year become damp and dull.
How Does Moss Control Benefit the Health of My Lawn?
In the right weather conditions, moss can quickly invade a healthy lawn, suffocating your grass plants from the vital nutrients, air, and sunlight required to survive. Moss can trap moisture, creating a damp environment that is conducive to the development of diseases that can harm your lawn. By controlling moss in autumn and winter your lawn has a better chance of survival and withstanding the harsher environmental stressors of this season.
Moss left untreated in your lawn can rapidly take over. A thick layer of moss spread across your lawn will prevent vital water and nutrients from reaching the grass roots leaving your lawn starved and weak.
Moss Control in Autumn
At Lawntech, we carry out moss control treatment in autumn, the time of year when moss begins to make an appearance given the weather conditions. This treatment is typically carried out between October and December using our specialist blend of liquid iron moss control to harden the grass plant and reduce disease. However, one treatment during these months is not enough to give complete moss control so we carry out a second moss control treatment in winter.
Moss Control in Winter
Moss is typically stubborn and often requires a second treatment for effective control. As your grass goes dormant for winter, moss becomes more noticeable. This period offers a strategic opportunity for moss control without harming actively growing grass. Not only will this second application of moss treatment help to tackle moss but will harden the condition of the grass plants throughout these colder, harsher months. This treatment is applied in January or February and is the final treatment in our lawn care year as part of our March to February Annual Lawn Care Treatment Programme.
A moss treatment in the autumn and again in winter will blacken moss as it dries out. This will effectively control moss and harden the grass plants for winter.
Can I Prevent Moss Growth in My Lawn?
Mosses are non-flowering plants that produce spores. These spores can be brought into your garden through wind and animals and given the right weather conditions and amount of moisture, moss can quickly thrive. Although we can’t control how moss appears in your garden, there are some factors to consider in order to prevent moss from spreading.
Too much thatch, poor drainage or acidic soil conditions, and cutting your grass too short can all encourage the growth and spread of moss. Scarification will help to get rid of excess thatch, Lawn Aeration will benefit your soil and drainage conditions, and ensuring you cut your lawn to a height that is suitable for your grass to avoid damaging the roots will all help to prevent moss from taking over.
You can find more information to help with moss control and prevention here.
A poorly fed lawn can pave the way for moss so feeding your lawn a good balance of nutrients will promote healthy growth that can compete better against moss.
Feed Your Lawn and Apply Moss Control this Autumn and Winter
Feeding your lawn a good balance of Nutrients will promote healthy growth that can better compete against moss. At Lawntech, our Annual Lawn Care Treatment Programme will supply your lawn with the nutrients, and moss control it needs at the appropriate time of year from your dedicated technician to maintain your lawn’s health all year round.
As part of our annual treatment programme, we offer a moss treatment and an autumn feed to suppress moss, increase disease resistance, and green up your lawn for a hardy lawn through winter.
To find out more about our treatments and how this programme can benefit your lawn this autumn and winter, you can contact our friendly team here or use our easy and unique measuring tool to get your free, online quote sent instantly to your email address today.
