How to Kill Moss in the Lawn with Homemade Moss Killer

“Moss is a common occurrence in home lawns. Most often, it becomes a problem in lawns that have low turf density. It appears when growing conditions favor the growth of moss more than the turf.”

According to research, moss is not harmful to the grass in your lawn. However, it can change the aesthetic look of your yard and may occupy significant space. It can adopt yellowish, green, greenish-brown color, and most of them are usually bright green.

There are thousands of species of moss available all around the world, and unlike other plants, they don’t have roots, shoots, leaves, seed-forming system. Moses uses a structure called rhizoids that facilitates adhesion to the ground. Areas with plentiful moisture and shadow are the most favorable conditions for the growth of moss.

Some gardeners grow moss on purpose because of its velvety green structure, but such instances are rare. If you are one of the admirers of moss, you may leave it be, and if you are among the majority of people who take moss as a nuisance weed, we are going to help you out.

In this article, we are going to tell you how to kill moss on the lawn with a homemade moss killer. So, keep reading.

What invites moss?

Before we jump start incorporating remedies to get rid of moss, we need to know that it is the environment that promotes the growth of moss. There are following conditions that may invite moss so better be aware of them.

Moist or wet soil: If the soil of your lawn remains consistently moist or wet, the moss may occur since moist soil is an extremely favorable condition. You need to check for the drainage system. Sometimes, water remains on the surface of the ground due to poor drainage.

Solution:

Improve the drainage system so that water-logging may stop. It will discourage the growth of moss on your lawn. Also, we recommend the irrigation of the lawn only when it is needed. An over-irrigated lawn may end up with excess moisture resulting in moss invasion.

Soil Condition: We recommend performing a soil test to find out the condition of the soil. You can purchase a soil test kit from a retail nursery center in your area, or you can call a local laboratory that provides this service.

The acidic soil condition is ideal for the growth of moss, and if the test results reveal the pH level below 5.5, which is too low, the soil is more acidic.

Solution:

We suggest applying lime according to the soil test results to promote the growth of turf so that it can out-compete moss.

Shade: A little shade is normal, but the areas covered by medium and dense shades are susceptible to the invasion of moss.

Solution:

To help overcome this situation, you can’t rotate your home toward the sun (pun intended), but you can allow sunlight by pruning the trees and by thinning down their canopy. Looking for a quality garden canopy?

Pruning the trees is not only good for the health of your trees but also the grass, as it will allow more sunlight to pass through and cast on the grass. It will reduce the moisture of the soil and will promote the growth of the grass that will eventually alleviate the growth of moss.

Compaction of the soil: The grass doesn’t grow well on the compacted parts of the soil, which is a favourite spot for the moss. The soil compaction also doesn’t allow proper drainage resulting in moist soil allowing moss invasion.

Solution:

An unattended lawn may have a moss invasion. Therefore, you need to provide proper care to your yard to keep it safe from weeds like moss and to maintain its aesthetic beauty.

Homemade Moss Killer

There are so many chemical products available on the market that are specifically made to kill the moss. If you are more interested in making a moss killer at home, below is the recipe.

Ingredients and their Quantity:

• Warm Water 1 Gallon
• Warm Water 1 Quart
• Vinegar 1 Table Spoon
• Salt 1 Pound
• Dish detergent
• Baking Soda 3 Table Spoon
• Lime as recommended by the soil test results

Material Needed:

• 2 Bucket
• Solution Mixer
• 2 Spray Bottle
• Gloves
• Pressure Washer

Preparing the Moss Killer

You are going to make two different solutions using the above ingredients, and you will be using the solutions one after the other. So, let’s get to the preparation quickly.

Take 1 gallon of warm water in a bucket first and mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 pound salt in it. Now, take the dish detergent and mix it into the solution. It should be between 10 to 15 percent of the total solution depending on the infestation of moss. The last ingredient of this homemade moss killer is lime, and the lime should be added according to the recommendations made by soil test results.

Once, you have mixed the ingredients well in the given ratio, take the other bucket and mix Baking soda in it. It will be your second solution.

How to Apply the Solution

Now, it’s time to apply the solution to moss. First of all, take a spray bottle and fill the solution into it and spray the affected areas only. Avoid spraying the solution on other plants as the solution can be dangerous for them. Once, you are done spraying the moss affected areas, wait for 15 to 20 minutes and then wash the spots with a pressure washer.

After washing the spot, you will see the moss dying. You can remove the moss using a handheld weeding brush or any other tool you find more convenient.

Finally, you need to fill the second spray bottle with the second solution. Apply the solution on spots you just cleaned and leave it for 5 to 10 minutes. After 5 to 10 minutes, scrape off the solution and make sure, you don’t leave baking soda behind on the surface.

Effects of Ingredients:

Although the ingredients are used in the daily routine at our homes, all the components have their unique benefits. You might be curious about knowing what their benefits are and therefore, we are going to provide additional information so that you can understand why you are doing what you are doing.

Warm Water:

You are going to use warm water just to dilute the solution so that it can easily penetrate and kill the moss.

Vinegar:

It helps draining out the moisture from the moss. Remember! Moss needs moisture to infest and to draw moisture out will help prevent its growth.

Salt:

Salt is a natural weed killer. It also absorbs the moisture and stops moss from absorbing the nutrients.

Dish Detergent:

Dish detergent helps the mixture to penetrate or absorb well into the moss.

Lime:

It helps to manage the acidity of the soil. The acidic soil is ideal for the growth of moss and lime decreases the acidity and increases the pH level of the soil, making it unfavorable for the moss.

Baking Soda:

Baking soda is a useful absorbent that absorbs the moisture.