I live in the Midwest and have been battling this moss for 3 years. I used Moss Out last year and it worked great. But as this snow melts, it's back ten fold. The obvious areas are shady and it's completely ruined the lawn. There's a lot of moving parts with that area, the grass is similar to a bent grass and transitions to a different type as you enter to the front yard, which the moss doesn't seem to lurk that direction.
Back to the mossy area, the root structure for the bent grass is super shallow, so when I did a core aeration a few years ago, it damaged the grass and didn't quite recover. I am open to any ideas/suggestions/criticism…. thanks in advance.
My plan before posting was to treat the moss again and slit seed the shit out of the area with a dense shade mix. I already know a soil sample will help identify a lot, but I'm on a budget here.
by jeezbuddyoh
3 Comments
If you’re asking for help with identifying a weed and/or type of grass, please include close-up photos showing as much detail as possible.
For grasses, it is especially important to get close photos from multiple angles. It is rarely possible to identify a grass from more than a few inches away. In order to get accurate identifications, the more features of the grass you show the more likely you are to get an accurate identification. Features such as, [ligules](https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/styles/image_gallery_mobile/public/2024-03/180.png.jpg?itok=D5yNs0l8) (which can be hairy, absent entirely, or membranous (papery) like the photo), [auricles](https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/styles/image_gallery_mobile/public/2024-03/Grasses%20at%20a%20Glance%20Blog%20Pictures.png.jpg?itok=PLrWX4q-), any hairs present, roots, stems, and any present seed heads. General location can also be helpful.
Pull ONE shoot and get pictures of that.
[This page from MSU](https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/grass-photography-tips-for-id-help-us-help-you) has helpful tips on how to take pictures of grasses for the purposes of identification.
u/nilesandstuff
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Treat moss with ferrous sulfate now. (Moss Out is potassium soaps if I remember correctly. It works, but it “wears off” quickly. ferrous sulfate works for a bit longer)
Get an at home kit to test the pH of the soil. Sending it off to a university extension lab would be better, but the home kits can be okay for pH if you follow the directions.
IF the soil is acidic, apply lime. How much lime depends on how far off the pH is and the texture/type of soil you have.
In the spring when the grass begins to wake up, Aerate and immediately spread organic matter (.25-.5 inch of compost or 3lbs of biochar per 1,000 sqft)
Mow as high as you possibly can over the summer.
Lightly but frequently (every 6 weeks) fertilize through the summer.
Fight weeds as you see them.
And THEN at the end of summer/early fall, slit seed.
Bam. Saving this one, my best comment about fighting moss to date.
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