How to have a moss lawn

How to Grow a Moss Lawn: Benefits, Disadvantages & Tips

If you are looking for an alternative to conventional turf, consider a moss lawn. Moss has been an integral element of Japanese garden design for centuries. Meanwhile, in the rest of the world, the Zen-like look of moss gardening is uncommon. This is a pity because a lush moss green carpet can grow just about anywhere except in arid environments. It can also thrive as a groundcover in many places where turfgrass is difficult to establish and maintain, such as steep hillsides.

The drawback of a moss lawn is that live mosses for landscaping are not as readily available as grass seed, and a moss lawn is more expensive to install than a lawn. However, the initial investment pays off because once a moss lawn is established, it requires much less upkeep, maintenance, and is more sustainable than turfgrass.

It's important to weigh the pros and cons of moss lawns when compared to turfgrass lawns. Find out whether a moss lawn is right for you, and what’s involved in growing and caring for it.

What Is a Moss Lawn?

A moss lawn is a dense stand of moss, a low-growing plant. Mosses don’t have a vascular system of roots, as do other plants; they absorb water and nutrients through their leaves. They grow slowly and are propagated through the production of spores, not by seeds.

Contrary to popular belief, you can step on a moss lawn. Most mosses withstand light foot traffic. Right after the moss lawn is installed, it is recommended to walk or sit on it to help the moss attach to the soil. For heavy foot traffic across a moss lawn, it is better to add a walkway or stepping stones.

Walking on a moss lawn feels different from walking on a grass lawn. While moss is soft, the surface feels slightly uneven and spongy, unlike a mowed lawn where all the grass blades are cut to the same height.

Tip

Patches of moss in turfgrass usually show up in areas that are shady and damp and they are generally viewed as a nuisance. While there are ways to remove moss from your lawn and prevent it from growing, try making a virtue out of necessity and turn these problem areas of your turfgrass lawn into a beautiful moss lawn.

The Benefits of a Moss Lawn

Once established, a moss lawn has several advantages over turfgrass, most of which fall into the low-maintenance category.

As moss is short, under 4 inches, it does not require mowing. This not only saves you time, but it is also more sustainable—no use of fossil fuel, and no air and noise pollution from a lawn mower.
Moss can grow in poor soil, which makes fertilizer unnecessary to keep it healthy. It is also unbothered by pests so you can also cut out the pesticides. Wildlife generally leaves mosses alone.
Moss does well in difficult conditions such as compacted or rocky soil, or on slopes and steep hillsides where turf would be easily washed out by erosion. Moss is often the planting of choice for erosion control.
A moss lawn is lush green when the leaves, which absorb water and nutrients, are well-hydrated. However, once mosses are established, their water needs are low. Mosses don’t need irrigation to survive, even in arid conditions. In periods of dryness, they go dormant. And when there is a sudden heavy downpour, they soak up all the water they can.

Disadvantages of a Moss Lawn

While there are many mistaken assumptions about the drawbacks of moss lawns, it's indisputable that this plant has some disadvantages over turfgrass when used as lawn ground cover.

Most moss species prefer relatively shady conditions, and if you have a sunny lawn, it may be difficult to find a moss suitable for your region that performs well on a lawn.
Moss, while not as tender as most people think, is by no means as durable as a turfgrass lawn—especially a grass lawn planted with species aimed at holding up under heavy foot traffic or an active family that enjoys outdoor games, or one that has dogs that spend a lot of time in the yard.
Moss lawns grow best in acidic soil, where the pH is 6.0 or lower. If you live in an area with alkaline soil, growing moss may be difficult or impossible unless you first perform extensive soil amendment with a material that lowers the soil pH.
Moss lawns need to be kept relatively clean of fallen leaves and other debris. This is can be done with a bagging lawnmower, but it does add extra maintenance steps but moss does not need to be mowed in the traditional fashion.
Moss is normally planted from flats of live moss, that are not always readily available. The moss can be ordered from online retailers, however the cost of a moss lawn is almost always considerably more than that of a turfgrass lawn.

Find the Right Site for a Moss Lawn

Moss lawns are more expensive than sowing grass seed or laying sod for a lawn. To make sure your investment will last, it is crucial to select the right site for a moss lawn.

The first step is to identify the microclimates in your yard. What is the sun exposure in the different areas? Are there deciduous trees or evergreens that cast shade, how densely, and at what time of the year? Does your yard have any moist, shady spots? Also pay attention to wind exposure, as wind can dry out the soil.

Growing mosses is not difficult but if you’ve never grown mosses, a gradual approach might be the wisest. Start with a corner of your yard, select moss species that are suitable for its sun exposure, and see how they do for a season or so before trying to grow a full-scale moss lawn.

J. Paul Moore / The Magical World of Moss Gardening

How to Choose Mosses

As with all other plants, sun exposure is crucial when selecting the right moss for a location. Mosses are commonly associated with growing in shady locations but some species grow in sun or partial sun.

The other important consideration when selecting a moss is the growth habit. Bryum caespiticium, also known as sidewalk moss, for example, is a sun-tolerant moss but it grows in clumps so it is less suitable for a lawn if you desire a carpet-like, even surface.

Here are a few select mosses for lawns in different light conditions:

Atrichum angustatum (star moss, slender starburst moss, lesser smoothcap moss): Compact, low-growing moss that can grow in the shade but prefers sun or partial shade/partial sun.
Atrichum undulatum (big star moss, Catherine’s moss, crane’s bill moss, crown moss, starburst moss): Prefers shade but can grow in partial shade/partial sun; needs moist soil and shrivels up when dry.
Climacium americanum (tree moss): Grows in deep shade as well as partial sun, ideal for waterlogged areas or storm water run-off. One of the taller mosses, growing 4 to 5 inches tall.
Dicranum scoparium (mood moss, windswept moss, broom moss, footstool moss, rock cap moss): Dense, soft, brilliant green moss that grows in shade and partial shade and can tolerate drier areas. It prefers acidic soil.
Hypnum imponens (sheet moss, feather moss): Low-growing moss that does best in shade but can also grow in partial sun. It can withstand light to medium foot traffic.
Leucobryum albidum (pincushion moss): A versatile moss that grows in shade, sun, and partial shade/partial sun, and in a wide range of temperature and soil conditions.
Leucobryum glaucum (cushion moss, white moss): Moss with a round cushion shape that does well in shade and can tolerate morning sun. It prefers sandy soil. Its light blue/green color gets a silvery-white cast when dry.
Polytrichum commune (haircap moss, awned haircap moss, blue moss, blue hairy cap): A versatile moss that grows in shade, sun, and partial shade/partial sun. Good for erosion control on slopes.
Thuidium delicatulum (fern moss): Moss with fronds that grows in shade and partial shade and prefers wetter locations. Good for erosion control on slopes.
Sphagnum spp. Sphagnum mosses are the largest of the mosses and come in a range of colors; usually found in temperate zones they thrive in very wet areas.

Holcy / Getty Images

Tip

There are companies specializing in live moss, such as Mountain Moss in North Carolina and Moss Acres in Pennsylvania. Mosses for lawns can be mail-ordered and are usually sold in trays or by square foot.

Ed Reschke / Getty Images

How to Plant and Grow a Moss Lawn

1. Check the Soil Acidity

Most mosses prefer acidic soil between a pH of 5.0 and 5.5. To make sure the soil pH is within that level, do a soil pH test of the intended planting area. If you are turning a turfgrass lawn into a moss lawn chances are that the soil pH is too alkaline for moss. In that case, you need to acidify the soil by adding compost, manure, or another soil acidifier.

2. Prepare the Soil

After checking and adjusting the pH, clear the area of any weeds, plant residue, and other debris. Turn over the soil, then level and rake it. The surface should be firm but still have some texture, which helps the moss make good contact with the soil.

3. Plant

Water the planting area well to the point where it’s soaked but without puddles of standing water. If the moss is extremely dry, soak it in a bucket of water or a kid’s pool until is it rehydrated. If the moss is green and looks alive, there is no need to soak it.

Moss has no roots so it is not planted in the soil but just placed on top. Press the moss into the soil and secure it with landscaping pins. Light, slow, flat-footed walking on newly laid moss from time to time can also help it establish but make sure that you do not dislodge the patches. Water the planting area thoroughly and keep it constantly moist for the first four to six weeks until the moss is established or when it doesn't detach from the soil when you try to gently lift it.

Annie Martin / MountainMoss.com

Care and Maintenance

After moss is established, it will not need regular watering. Even in periods of no precipitation, moss absorbs moisture from the air. In extended periods of dry weather, if the moss starts to look excessively dry, you can rehydrate it with a sprinkler or a mister for a few minutes a couple of times per day until you see the moss change to a more vibrant color.

In the early stages before the moss forms a dense carpet, weeds are likely to grow in your moss lawn. Pull any weeds gently by hand as soon as they emerge. If you let weeds take hold, removing them can damage the moss carpet. Moss does not respond well to herbicides so manual weeding is the way to go.

The only other maintenance required for a moss lawn is to remove any leaves in the fall that can mold and rot and deprive the moss of light.

A moss lawn does not require fertilization. Changes in the moss color are seasonal or due to moisture levels and are perfectly normal. Unlike in grass and other vascular plants, color changes are not a sign of nutrient deficiency.

Moss Lawn Care - Growing Moss Lawns Instead Of Grass

Home › Lawn Care › Lawn Substitutes › Moss Lawn

Moss Lawn

By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist

Image by happyphoton

In some areas of the country, moss in a lawn is the homeowner’s nemesis. It takes over turf grass and leaves unsightly brown patches in summer when it goes dormant. For the rest of us, moss can be a great alternative to that high maintenance grass. Using moss as lawn provides wonderful springy groundcover that can be walked on moderately — a no-mow alternative with rich, deep color and texture. It just might be a good choice for your lawn needs. Learn how to grow a moss lawn and see if it’s the perfect option for you.

Moss Lawns Instead of Grass

Moss lawns instead of grass save on water, time and fertilizer. The stuff practically grows on trees. Actually it does, as well as steps, rocks, wheelbarrows, etc. You get the idea. Moss is nature’s natural carpet, and with the right combination of conditions, it forms a nice alternative to standard turf.

In order to have moss lawns instead of grass, it’s necessary to meet a few conditions. Moss requires an acidic environment, compact soil, protected sun to semi-shade, and consistent moisture. There are several types of moss. Some of them include clumping acrocarops or spreading pleuocarps.

The best way to install moss as lawn is to choose varieties that are native to your region. That way you aren’t working against nature, since the plants are built to thrive in the local conditions, requiring less time to establish and even less time to maintain. Once the plants have established, they just need weeding and moisture.

How to Grow a Moss Lawn

Site preparation is the most important step. Remove any plants in the area, and rake it smooth and free of debris. Check the soil pH, which should be around 5.5. If your soil is higher, lower the pH with sulfur applied as directed. Once the soil has been amended, tamp it down to a solid surface. Then it’s time to plant.

It is not recommended to harvest mosses from nature, as these are important parts of the ecosystem and will take a long time to re-establish in the environment. Mosses can be purchased from some nurseries, or you can propagate moss, making a slurry by grinding up the moss with water and broadcasting it onto the prepared surface.

The latter method takes longer to fill in but it has the advantage of allowing you to select a wild moss from your landscape and use it as a moss lawn alternative. The reason this is beneficial is because you know that moss likes your site conditions and is a native moss, which gives the plant a better chance of thriving.

Moss Lawn Care

If you are a lazy gardener, you are in luck. Moss lawns require minimal attention. In hot dry periods, give them 2 inches (5 cm.) of water daily in the morning or evening, especially for the first 5 weeks. As they fill in, pay attention to the edges of moss which can dry out quickly.

Be cautious not to tromp on the moss consistently. It can handle light foot traffic but in heavily passed areas, install stepping stones or stairs. Weed moss as needed to keep competing plants at bay. Other than that, moss lawn care is as simple as it gets, and you can put away that lawn mower.

This article was last updated on 05/31/21

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Moss on the lawn how to get rid of and remove it?

Instead of tender green grass, moss has appeared on your lawn? We urgently need to take action to save the lawn! In our article you will learn how to deal with moss on the lawn.

There are many reasons why moss can appear on the lawn:

Too wet, swampy soil;
No drainage layer;
High soil acidity;
Shaded area;
Lawn patches dying off.

As you can see from this short list, the main reason is a lot of moisture on the lawn, which provokes the active growth of moss. The impossibility of the soil to absorb moisture, combined with the shaded terrain, leads to the active suppression of grass growth and the gradual replacement of plants with moss.

If this problem has not affected you yet, then pay attention to where your lawn grows. Broke a lawn under the crowns of trees? Give it good drainage!

If moss grows on your lawn, then you need to understand in detail the cause of its occurrence and take the necessary set of measures aimed at its speedy destruction. To do this is not as easy as it seems at first glance, but following our instructions, you can easily do it!

What to do if moss grows on the lawn?

You have found a problem, but what to do if moss appears on the lawn? Our answer is to fight! There are several main ways to deal with this trouble - chemical (using special tools) and mechanical (moss removal). Read about the advantages and disadvantages of each method below.

The chemical method is the use of the latest herbicides that help destroy the weed (in our case, moss). However, moss is designed in such a way that it is rather difficult to influence its vital activity and reproduction, even with the use of harmful chemicals. No wonder it grows near industrial plants and urban facilities. Therefore, the chemical method must be used in conjunction with other measures.

The chemical method also includes the use of fertilizers that affect the condition of the soil.

How to remove moss from the lawn by other means? By mechanical means! Weeding (if you can call it that in the case of moss) is one of the most effective means of controlling any weeds on the lawn. We will tell you about all the intricacies of removing moss manually or using improvised means in the following paragraphs.

How to deal with moss on the lawn with improvised means?

Since the use of herbicides alone is not enough to completely destroy the moss, ingenuity and ingenuity must be shown to cope with this scourge. Moss on the lawn? How to get rid of it quickly and without hassle?

For more effective control, moss should be removed from the entire surface of the lawn. Even if you do not see it throughout the site, this does not mean at all that it does not exist. Thoroughly walk the rake over the lawn to remove all the moss.
Gather moss residues frequently and remove them from the grass. The more often you rake, the finer the moss becomes. This means that the chance of leaving him on the lawn increases, where he can take root again.
Remove the dead grass along with the moss. The lawn looks extremely unattractive if it has bald spots and yellowed grass. Dry grass only provokes the appearance of moss on the lawn - so feel free to get rid of it.
Minimize exposure to adverse factors. A large amount of shade and moisture is harmful to the lawn. Look at the trees and bushes. Maybe it's time to cut them? So you will not only provide access to light, but also help the plants get rid of extra branches.

By following these simple steps, you can remove the moss and prevent it from re-forming.

Moss on the lawn - how to get rid of it

In combination with mechanical removal, chemical agents should also be used. Before you decide how to get rid of moss on your lawn, decide for yourself what products you will use.

Fertilizers are among safe products, which, however, require a long waiting period. Since weeds and moss begin to grow from a lack of minerals in the soil (the grass most often dies from this), replenishing their supply can significantly reduce their growth. When choosing fertilizers, preference should be given to complexes rich in nitrogen, potassium and iron. It is these trace elements that are most often absent in the soil.

Some fertilizers can not only provide the lawn with "usefulness", but also normalize the acid-base balance of the soil. The attentive reader remembers that moss grows on the lawn, the soil of which has high acidity. Ferrous sulfate and nitrogen are the perfect combination for moss control.

Herbicides will also help kill moss from your lawn. Use specialized products or preparations based on glyphosate or ferrous sulfate. They are the recognized "destroyers" of moss.

How to remove moss from the lawn correctly

After reading this article, you have probably decided for yourself how to deal with moss on your lawn. We just want to add the advice of professional gardeners who are happy to share with you their experience in removing moss from the lawn.

When combing the lawn, try to use a fan rake. Conventional garden rakes have too wide teeth and moss constantly "slips" through their teeth.
Use only proven herbicides that are specifically designed for lawns. Otherwise, you risk destroying the entire coverage.
How to remove moss from your lawn so that it does not return? Combine this procedure with aeration. Aeration is the perforation of the earth to ensure the flow of minerals to the roots, as well as to improve the absorption of water. Owners of lawns on clay soils should be especially attentive to the aeration procedure.
If the lawn can no longer be saved, you can break it in the same place again, after making a water drainage system. It won't take long, but you'll end up with great coverage!

By following the simple rules for dealing with moss and knowing the causes of its occurrence, you can easily get rid of it from your lawn!

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Moss on the lawn after winter: why it appears and how to get rid of it

Growing a beautiful and healthy lawn is not a simple and cheap matter. He constantly requires attention, suffers from the invasion of weeds and pests. The lawn can look especially deplorable after winter if moss grows on it instead of grass.

This tiny non-flowering relic plant can cause a lot of trouble if left unattended. But the growth of moss on the lawn is only a symptom, not the cause of damage to the turf. One treatment of the infected area with chemicals will not solve the problem. It is necessary to eliminate the causes that gave impetus to the increased development of these higher spore plants - mosses.

Causes of moss on the lawn

There can be several reasons for the problem of moss growing and crowding the grass in the lawn. You can guess about them even by what species of this plant prevail on the lawn. So, creeping mosses with greenish or golden shoots appear on overly shaded or poorly drained soil.

Mosses with long erect stems (green above and brown below) are a sign of dry and acidic soil. But the tiny erect shoots that form a dense cover may indicate excessive zeal when mowing the lawn, when the grass is cut almost to the root.

In spring, the main reason for the appearance of moss on the lawn is most often a strong waterlogging of the soil. The development of herbage during this period is also affected by the lack of nutrients. If the lawn is fed on time and correctly, then the oldest "invader" of free territories will not be afraid of him.

However, the appearance of moss can have one or more reasons. And their elimination (depending on the methods) will gradually reduce the problem to nothing.

How to get rid of moss on the lawn

In nature, there are more than 25 thousand mosses: from miniature (only a few millimeters high) to relative "giants", the shoots of which reach 20 cm. However, mosses of the Dicranaceae family are most common on the lawn.

Their spores are carried by the wind, or they are in the soil, waiting for the right conditions to develop. And the impetus for this can be waterlogging of the soil. After all, mosses, as you know, love moisture, and therefore grow in the spring on lawns with compacted and poorly drained soil.

Moss can be removed mechanically, simply by using a fine-toothed rake. Such loosening of the compacted soil will improve its aeration. But in order for the mosses not to grow again, you need to get rid of the causes that cause their appearance.

How to fix waterlogged lawn

You can try to eliminate waterlogging with the help of aeration, which will improve the gas and water exchange in the soil. On small lawns, ordinary pitchforks are also suitable for this purpose, and on large lawns, you can use manual or mechanical aerators.

But the problem can be worse if the area is not well leveled. In this case, water will accumulate constantly, so simple aeration is indispensable here. You will need to make a uniform slope of the site from the house to its borders. This is a rather complex and costly undertaking. Adding sand in some places does not always lead to the desired result.

If for some reason it is not possible to level the area, at least it must be drained.

How to deacidify the soil on the lawn

The reason for the appearance of moss on the lawn is often the increased acidity of the soil. You can check it with a special device or universal litmus paper. If the pH level is less than 5.5, then the soil is acidic, and this is a favorable environment for the development of moss and an oppressive one for cultivated grasses.

Soil acidity can be neutralized with ground limestone (from 300 to 500 g per 1 sq.m, depending on the pH level) or dolomite flour (the dosage is the same as for limestone). This procedure can be carried out during the growing season, combining it with aeration of the turf.

The lawn should only be limed after combing and cutting through the sod layer so that the substances get on the ground and not on the dry grass.

Apply limestone or dolomite powder throughout the lawn, not just in the area where the moss has grown.

How to feed the lawn

In the spring, the lawn needs nourishment to recuperate after the winter. Therefore, cultivated grasses must be fed, otherwise they will not be able to withstand more aggressive mosses and weeds.

Fertilizer can be applied in any form, both solid and liquid. Herbs respond best to nitroammophoska, which contains the right amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (especially in the composition of NPK 16:16:16). The drug should be applied evenly over the surface of the lawn at the rate of 20-40 g per 1 sq.m.

A liquid fertilizer solution (eg Bona Forte) can be watered every 10-15 days (40 ml per 6 liters of water, consumption per 3 sq.m). During the season, the lawn should be fed 3-4 times.

How to get rid of moss with "chemistry"

If moss has spread over a significant part of the lawn, it can be quickly removed with the help of chemicals. For these purposes, ferrous sulfate or special lawn mixtures consisting of ammonium and iron sulfates mixed with sand are suitable. They must be used according to the instructions.

Moss treatment should be carried out in dry weather, when it is at its weakest.

Once the moss has been removed, these areas must be re-sown with grass or new sod to avoid leaving bald spots on the lawn.

How to resist moss in shaded areas

Moss does not like sunny places, but in the shade it feels great. Therefore, if your lawn is shaded by trees or buildings, sooner or later it will appear there. And it usually happens after the winter, when the grasses are weakened.

If it is not possible to remove the shading (it is a pity to cut down a tree or it is impossible to move the building), then the best way out is to destroy the moss mechanically or chemically, and sow the area freed from it with herbs that grow well in shady places.

Poa pratensis, red and Valisian fescue, and perennial ryegrass tolerate the lack of light. They are unpretentious, withstand adverse weather conditions. Yes, and you need to mow the lawn in shaded places less often, because.