The Grass Doctor

How to remove moss from my lawn?

The side of my house has significant shade and is mostly moss at this point, so I'm looking to remove the moss and plant grass in its place. I have no experience with lawn care and have done a little research on what to do, I'm primarily looking for any extra tips or experiences people may have had. Here's my plan of action- Use a moss control product to kill existing moss. Rake out dead moss. Overseed bare areas with a mixture turf type ryegrass. Topdress seeds with about l/4 inch of loose weed-free soil. Keep moist until seedlings are established. Maintain higher soil pH with agricultural or dolomitic lime. Thanks for any advice, especially with any extra steps to maintain the shaded area.

Public Comments

1. good plan, but start with a soil test, if you can. Among other things, it will tell you how much lime you need to add. some other suggestions: 1. lime right after removing the moss. moss usually means the soil is too acidic. add lime sooner to help the soil use the fertilizer 2. aerate before overseeding. It will loosen the soil and allow the seeds to drop into the holes. They'll get a better start that way. By the way, don't do this in the summer -- wait until very late summer or early fall. Young grass can't handle the heat stress. 3. put a starter fertilizer down before seeding 4. mix a fine-leaf fescue (like creeping red) with the perrenial rye grass. 5. use compost or mushroom soil, if available, instead of topsoil for the topdressing. 6. mow high, at least 3 in. since light is at a premium, longer grass blades = more light absorbtion surface area. Use a mulcher and leave the clippings on the lawn. 7. shred and remove leaves asap in the fall.
2. You will need to trim out some of the shade in order to keep the grass growing and the moss from not growing. Make sure that the grass seed is for shade and or high traffic.It will be more durable.