I have been looking for an autumn lawn fertiliser without moss killer and they seem to be few and far between. I know that Scott's produce an Autumn Lawn Builder which does not have a moss killer but I find it hard to get a hold of. The same applies for the Spring feeds.

What I am wondering is how much damage a fertiliser with moss killer can do to a lawn with a lot of moss. Some years ago I remember applying a fertilser with moss killer which left the lawn very badly patched and I had to dig it up and re-seed the whole lot.

Are more recent mixtures (such as Evergreen) still as lethal?

"Erskine" wrote in message
...

I have been looking for an autumn lawn fertiliser without moss killer
and they seem to be few and far between. I know that Scott's produce an
Autumn Lawn Builder which does not have a moss killer but I find it hard
to get a hold of. The same applies for the Spring feeds.

What I am wondering is how much damage a fertiliser with moss killer
can do to a lawn with a lot of moss. Some years ago I remember applying
a fertilser with moss killer which left the lawn very badly patched and
I had to dig it up and re-seed the whole lot.

Are more recent mixtures (such as Evergreen) still as lethal?


Where have you tried to find a plain fertilizer? What types of stores, in
other words? And, where do you live? Someone in this newsgroup may know of a
source in your area.

Moss is more a function of soil pH, compaction, and shade

Start by testing and correcting the pH (which will also make
fertilizers perform better)
Increase the amount of organic material in your soil (return the
clippings to the soil)
Avoid products which damage your earthworms

Or be a happy idiot and blindly apply whatever is being advertised.

"beecrofter" wrote in message
oups.com...
Moss is more a function of soil pH, compaction, and shade

Start by testing and correcting the pH (which will also make
fertilizers perform better)
Increase the amount of organic material in your soil (return the
clippings to the soil)
Avoid products which damage your earthworms

Or be a happy idiot and blindly apply whatever is being advertised.


He said he's looking for fertilizer WITHOUT moss killer.

I live in the Paisley, Renfrewshire area and have tried a variety of local garden centres. I have also tried the larger stores such as B&Q and Focus but all they seem to stock is Evergreen Autumn Feed with Mosskiller.

"Erskine" wrote in message
...

JoeSpareBedroom;755127 Wrote:
"Erskine" wrote in message
...

Where have you tried to find a plain fertilizer? What types of stores,
in
other words? And, where do you live? Someone in this newsgroup may know
of a
source in your area.

I live in the Paisley, Renfrewshire area and have tried a variety of
local garden centres. I have also tried the larger stores such as B&Q
and Focus but all they seem to stock is Evergreen Autumn Feed with
Mosskiller.
--
Erskine


That's ridiculous.

Does your lawn really need to be fed, or (don't be insulted) or are you just
responding to an urge created by advertising?

"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from Erskine contains these words:


JoeSpareBedroom;755127 Wrote:
"Erskine" wrote in message
...

Where have you tried to find a plain fertilizer? What types of stores,
in
other words? And, where do you live? Someone in this newsgroup may know
of a
source in your area.

I live in the Paisley, Renfrewshire area and have tried a variety of
local garden centres. I have also tried the larger stores such as B&Q
and Focus but all they seem to stock is Evergreen Autumn Feed with
Mosskiller.

Well, you may not realise that you're talking to a worldwide audience,
some of whom are pretty hazy about the location of Britain, let alone
Paisley :-).

Plain lawn fertiliser without mosskiller is certainly available at
better suppliers .I suggest you try either, the big B&Q at Clydebank,
Dobbies Garden Centre over at Milngavie, or Rouken Glen GC ( on the edge
of the south-side park nr Eastwood.).

Janet.

I'm wondering if perhaps Erskine phoned garden centers instead of visiting,
and was the victim of drooling teenage clerk syndrome. A clueless kid
answers the phone and says whatever will end the phonecall quickly so he/she
can get back to doing nothing.

Thanks, I actually visited the large B&Q in Paisley and a few other Garden Centres. I didn't phone but checked the internet sites for Dobbies and Rouken Glen but I may take a run out tomorrow to see if their shop stock is different from their sites.

On Oct 19, 11:15 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"beecrofter" wrote in message

oups.com...

Moss is more a function of soil pH, compaction, and shade

Start by testing and correcting the pH (which will also make
fertilizers perform better)
Increase the amount of organic material in your soil (return the
clippings to the soil)
Avoid products which damage your earthworms

Or be a happy idiot and blindly apply whatever is being advertised.

He said he's looking for fertilizer WITHOUT moss killer.

Yes and by giving the grass the conditions it needs for optimal growth
it will overtake the moss without leaving bare patches.

"beecrofter" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Oct 19, 11:15 am, "JoeSpareBedroom" wrote:
"beecrofter" wrote in message

oups.com...

Moss is more a function of soil pH, compaction, and shade

Start by testing and correcting the pH (which will also make
fertilizers perform better)
Increase the amount of organic material in your soil (return the
clippings to the soil)
Avoid products which damage your earthworms

Or be a happy idiot and blindly apply whatever is being advertised.

He said he's looking for fertilizer WITHOUT moss killer.

Yes and by giving the grass the conditions it needs for optimal growth
it will overtake the moss without leaving bare patches.


Do we know why he doesn't want moss killer? Possible reasons:

1) Doesn't want any more chemical ingredients than absolutely necessary.

2) Has moss and wants to keep it.

3) Doesn't have moss.

Please tell me which reason is correct, since he hasn't told us.

I thought that I had said in the initial post. I don't want to apply a mosskiller if it will leave bare patches. My lawn has so much moss that I do not want to apply a mosskiller as it could leave the lawn with vast, unsightly, bare areas.

On Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:54:53 +0100, Erskine
wrote:


JoeSpareBedroom;755127 Wrote:
"Erskine" wrote in message
...

Where have you tried to find a plain fertilizer? What types of stores,
in
other words? And, where do you live? Someone in this newsgroup may know
of a
source in your area.

I live in the Paisley, Renfrewshire area and have tried a variety of
local garden centres. I have also tried the larger stores such as B&Q
and Focus but all they seem to stock is Evergreen Autumn Feed with
Mosskiller.


Try Home Depot or Lowes. Look for the slow-release fertilizers, which
most of them are slow release. "Vigaro" is at Home Depot, "Sta-Green"
at Lowes. WalMart and KMart may have some, although sadly these
stores have moved out garden supplies with holiday stuff. This is
probably the most important time of year to fertilize a lawn (most
grass roots continue to grow throughout the winter.) Generally "Weed
and Feed" products should be avoided, surprisingly they are best
sellers. It is also a good time to fertilize your deciduous trees
too.

Phisherman expounded:

Try Home Depot or Lowes.

Do they have them over the pond?
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Managed to get Evergreen Autumn Lawn Builder at a Garden Centre 20 miles away.

It's down and done for the winter now!

Thanks for everyone's help :-)

Cardwell Bay, Gourock. Smashing Garden Centre!