Having a beautiful lawn that looks like a golf green takes a lot of work. Preparing the soil, sowing the lawn, watering, mowing, all this work is however reduced to nothing if moss forms. Wet, poorly aerated or clay soil, it is possible to remedy this by using an anti-moss product and a scarifier.
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The moss easily invades lawns for many reasons.
Know the factors favoring foam
Stagnant humidity is one of the major factors. The ground is constantly wet when it is located in a shaded zone, in particular under a tree with dense foliage or in a yard surrounded by high walls. The lawn thus lackssunshine and the humidity generated by thewatering or by the rain stagnates. Added to this is the lack of ventilation.
Trampling a lawn frequently compacts the soil and blocks root aeration. A lawn suffocated by thatch also prevents the infiltration of water into the ground. In addition, clay soil is heavy, compact and therefore poorly aerated. Additionally, a floor acid promotes the proliferation of moss.
It is possible to measure the acidity level of the soil with a pH kit available in the garden centers. Soil poor in nutrients, either in potash, magnesium and in calcium, will be easily invaded by moss. Mowing too short also encourages its appearance.
Fight against moss
Removing the moss keeps a beautiful lawn. To do this, use an anti-foam product. Generally referred to as “anti-moss lawn fertilizer”, it is available from garden centers. This dual action product is harmful to moss. It also feeds the lawn in such a way as to promote its growth to the detriment of its enemies. Nevertheless, prefer an organic formula.
The market offers antifoam fertilizers containing sulphate of iron. True, this component quickly extracts moss patches, but at the same time it strengthens the acidity of the soil, which is conducive to its subsequent reappearance. The beginning of spring and thefall are ideal for applying anti-moss fertilizer.
It’s necessary to mow the lawn short enough before spraying or pouring the product over its entire surface. Use ash from drink is another alternative. Rich in calcium, it fights againstsoil acidity. Ash also promotes the activity of microorganisms in the aeration of the ground. However, these methods are optional. A blow of scarifier, in the spring and in the fall, mechanically removes the moss from the lawn. This operation removes the felting and a large amount of foam. Thus, it regenerates the grass by improving the exchange ofair and water with the basement.
Prevent the reappearance of moss
Limiting the reappearance of moss involves pruning the trees that shade the lawn, avoiding mowing too short and aerating the lawn regularly in depth. A organic fertilizer input slow release encourages lawn growth. A contribution of sand allows the soil to be more clayey. Applying lime rebalances the pH in the case of acid soil. A soil drainage is necessary if the humidity constantly stagnates.
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