This will be our third summer in our house, and the moss in the backyard has gotten steadily worse. There was little/none when we bought it, but the seller also left a big bag of RidMoss in the shed, so I know it was an issue before. We're in the PNW. The retaining wall faces west, and there is a tall treeline to that side. The house is 3 stories on the east side. So there isn't much direct sunlight. The side of the yard with the barrels (north end) is overhung by a large maple, and there is a root at the surface in that dirt patch. Last summer I raked out all the moss, seeded, and covered. Got pretty good growth for awhile, including under the maple, but it eventually all died (thanks largely to an automatic watering system issue while we were traveling). This winter, moss grew back stronger than before. The south end (top of first picture) had some extensive mole tunneling and is pretty spongy in spots. This end is usually especially wet, perhaps because the side yard slopes down 1 storey from street level to the back yard (never standing water though). Any advice? Is it worth maintaining grass, or is there some way to have a nice-looking moss yard that can stand up to kid traffic?
by Moto302
4 Comments
I look at that yard and recognize it might not gross grass well in some places, but it can in most. Rather than mumbling over seeding again, what’s the soil situation for the easiest areas?
Compacted? Fertilized? Soil tests? What do you know?
Looks like you aren’t getting much air circulation back there either. Thinning out or raising the canopy of as many trees as you can will help it some. Or even remove some if possible. Get good seed to soil contact when you seed it.
I honestly think the moss gives it a kind of charm
I can’t help much, but kudos for the reference.