If your lawn has become a furry moss-filled nightmare then make sure you’re not spraying too much of this one common ingredient, as an expert warns it can make it grow like crazy
If your lawn is covered in slippery green moss then make sure you’re not accidentally spraying too much of this one liquid. According to an expert, it allows moss to grow out of control.
Summer is nearly here and for most of us it can’t come soon enough. Unfortunately, the brighter weather is also exposing the damaged parts of our gardens. Over the long, cold months, you may find that moss has grown like wildfire. This furry green plant thrives in damp cool conditions and can make your garden a slimy nightmare.
Worse still, moss leeches nutrients from the soil, leaving less for your other plants. This can leave gardeners with an underwhelming blooming season in summer. While there are solutions to getting rid of moss, there are things you might be doing that could be making it worse. One of the main culprits is overwatering your garden.
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Moss loves wet conditions – it’s why you often see it growing beside streams or on river rocks. The fuzzy green plant requires lots of minerals to survive, which it saps up easily from fresh water. Flooding your lawn with too much water, even in warm weather, could be encouraging its growth. Especially if the soil isn’t draining efficiently.
Chris Mcllroy, a gardening expert from The Grass People, explained: “Moss loves moisture, so water your lawn with care and avoid flooding the lawn. Avoid watering your lawn at night as it is cooler, and the moisture may sit on the soil.”
Of course, some lawns naturally retain more moisture than others – especially if you live in a rainy part of the country. In this case, Chris says that you should regularly aerate your lawn.
This can be achieved by spiking holes in your garden using either a garden fork or garden plug. Doing this increases the circulation of air throughout the soil, allowing it to dry much faster.
If you’re taking these preventative measures but are still being plagued by moss, there are other ways you can stop the spongy green menace from taking over. One effective hack involves vinegar.
Vinegar is highly acidic, which creates a hostile environment for moss to grow. As a bonus, it also breaks down its cell membranes, making it easier to remove once you start scrubbing it away with a stiff brush.
It’s probably best not to go straight in with vinegar, as it could damage your surrounding plants. Instead, mix it with water to create a diluted solution.
Then pour it into a spray bottle. This will allow you to spritz the moss-killing mix directly onto the affected area, without catching the rest of your garden in the crossfire.
