Unsightly moss can ruin the well-kept appearance of your lawn. However, with a little TLC you can transform a mossy lawn into beautiful green patch to be proud of.
Understand what causes moss and how to prevent and treat moss in lawns.
Moss in lawns is a sign of an underlying problem. Therefore, the moss will keep coming back if you don’t fix the reason for it.
Common causes for moss
- Poor drainage
- Heavy clay soils
- Shade from buildings, houses or trees
- Lack of nutrients (feeding)
- Heavy foot traffic causing compacted soil
- Excessively wet weather
Preventing moss in lawns
A healthy lawn is the best defence against moss. While we can't control the weather, regular lawn care will help encourage healthy growth and reduce the chance of moss establishing.
- Aerate and open up compacted soil by spiking with a garden fork (5–10cm deep) at regular intervals, or using aeration spikes that can be attached to shoes. Place a layer of Tui LawnForce® Lawn Preparation Mix over the lawn to fill the holes, this adds organic matter to the area and helps to improve soil structure.
- Apply gypsum to heavy clay soils to will break down the clay, improving soil structure and drainage.
Reduce shade where possible, or consider alternative landscaping in persistently shaded areas. - Fill out your lawn by over-sowing bare or patchy areas. Follow our guide to patching a lawn.
- If the lawn is on the south side of the house and shade is a problem, you could consider paving that area if the moss is persistent.
- Feed your lawn in autumn and spring with Tui LawnForce® slow release lawn fertiliser to promote dense growth.
Treating moss in lawns
The best time to treat moss is in spring and autumn.
Light moss infestations
- Scarify by raking firmly to remove moss and dead material.
- Improve lawn health with Tui Lawn Fertiliser, which contains Sulphate of Iron to help control moss and stimulate grass growth.
- Rake out the dead patches of moss.
Widespread moss infestations
- Apply Tui Moss Control for Lawns is a specialty moss control product with the active ingredient Sulphate of Iron to eliminate moss. Once the moss turns black, rake it out thoroughly
Aerate compacted areas, add drainage channels to improve water movement. - Oversow bare patches.
- For shady areas, Tui LawnForce® Superstrike Shady Place Lawn Seed is ideal for improved results.
Once the moss turns black rake it out and over-sow with lawn seed. Tui LawnForce® Superstrike Shady Place Lawn Seed is a good option for shady spots in your garden.