You have arrived at this page because you want to know when the best time of year to remove moss from lawn is.
Moss tends to thrive in cool and damp conditions and it is best to tackle your moss problem when it is actively growing, however, you do want the grass to also be growing so it can take over the areas that you remove the moss from.
Personally, I feel this limits the ideal to remove moss down to 2 times of the year and which time you choose depends on which method you are going to use for removing the moss and making your own beautiful again.
The best time to remove moss from your lawn is definitely in the spring or fall. More severe moss problems should be treated in spring so your lawn has good weather to recover from treatment. Limited moss removal can be carried out in the autumn, just make sure you give your lawn time to recover before winter.
Check out my article on methods for eliminating moss.
Spring Moss Removal
I prefer to remove moss from my lawn during the springtime as you can use the most severe method and the grass will have the whole summer to recover and become healthy again.
You probably don’t want to remove the moss at the very start of spring just in case there is frosty weather as this would damage the grass, you should do it in the middle of spring once you are sure that isn’t going to be any more frost.
These are my two preferred options for moss removal:
Scarify Your Lawn
Scarifying your lawn is the most effective way to remove moss from it and it will totally improve the overall health of your lawn after it recovers.
A lawn scarifier is a machine that looks like a lawn mower but it doesn’t mow the lawn, it has a rotating blade underneath it that will dig into the ground and rip the moss out and it will leave tracks that look like scars on your lawn.
This is my preferred method as it provides an ideal time to add fresh grass seed and fertilizer while there are openings in your lawn so that the seed and fertilizer can penetrate down to the root system where they don’t normally have open access to for maximum benefit.
Use A Weed Killer
Using a strong weed killer that is specifically designed for moss removal is another tactic I would use during the spring period. Depending how much moss is actually in your lawn it may make your lawn look worse for a while if you have an extremely bad moss problem. This is because when the moss has been killed and you rake it out there may be large bare patches on your lawn so it would be recommended at this time to spread some fresh grass seeds in these bare areas, this means the fresh seeds will be growing all summer which will result in a perfect lawn with a bit of luck.
Check my full article on things that cause moss in lawns by Clicking Here.
Moss Removal In Fall
Removing moss from your lawn in fall is the other option and I would recommend doing this at the first signs of fall as if you do it at the end of fall and winter comes in your lawn might not get enough time to recover which might leave you with a damaged lawn.
Here are a couple of suggestions:
Rake The Moss Out
Raking the moss out of your lawn is the simplest option although it is extremely hard work.
To do this you should use a metal rake, one that has a flat end and not one of the fan-shaped rakes.
To use this method you will simply have to go over your full lawn digging the rake in and ripping it through and this will rip out lots of the moss.
is backbreaking work and it would be fine for a small lawn but if you have a larger lawn then there are definitely better options available.
Use A Power Raking Machine
Use a power raking machine to remove the moss from your lawn during the autumn period.
The power raking machine is an awesome piece of equipment that is quite expensive so you may find it easier to rent it as you’re probably only going to use it once per year or every couple of years.
The power raking machine ss a giant rake machine, you can get them either electric or petrol powered.
This is the best option as it turns what would be a whole days work of raking into half an hour of running a machine up and down, then you simply rake up the moss that will be left lying on the top of your lawn.
For my full article on reseeding after moss removal Click Here.
Methods For Moss Removal At Any Time
There are some other methods for moss removal that are not as severe and should be used more for control rather than completely getting rid of the moss in one session.
Often ripping the moss out of your lawn isn’t going to solve your moss problem long term, it’s only a quick fix.
If you want to get rid of the moss in your lawn permanently you may have to address the reason moss is growing in your lawn in the first place.
Here are a couple of ideas:
Baking soda
To use baking soda as a weed killer you should first prepare it by putting two or three tablespoons of it per 1 quart of warm water and stir it until its completely dissolved.
Put it into a spray bottle and on a dry day, you should spray it only on the areas that are affected by moss or weeds.
Alternatively, you could sprinkle the baking soda directly onto the moss and brush it so it moves from the surface and deep into the moss, wait a few days and rake out the dead moss.
Add Lime to your lawn
Adding lime to your lawn will not kill the moss directly but it should transform the conditions to make it less favorable for moss and more ideal for grass to grow.
This is because moss prefers soil conditions that have a low pH whereas grass prefers soil with a high pH, if you have a moss problem in your lawn it may be that your soil is not ideal for grass but better suited to moss.
Changing the pH of your lawn could be the best long term solution for moss control as if the soil is not in the condition moss prefers then it probably won’t grow there.
Conclusion
There you have it, spring and fall are definitely the best time of year to remove moss from your lawn, however, if you have a moss problem it may be because of the condition of your soil.
You should strive for a long term solution to make your soil good for grass growth and not suited for moss to grow, otherwise, you will be battling moss forever.
You may live somewhere that the conditions are just ideal for moss to grow such as somewhere with lots of shade or that is damp most of the time.
If this is your situation you may opt for a solution many people choose in these circumstances and that is to transfer your lawn into a moss lawn.
If you can’t beat it, embrace it…
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