[urg added and FU set to urg]

In message , a
writes
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like walking on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job (about 50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light? Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)

Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads of top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that seemed an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they added a
significant height.

--
dave @ stejonda

October 7 Bush Iraq Speech Analysis http://www.accuracy.org/bush/

Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job (about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light? Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small patio at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the lawn. I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones I think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do you buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads of top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they added a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing in the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top though.


cheers

dave.

It could be though that you have sandy soil on a gravel subbase
these kind of areas are like a bog in the winter due to rising water levels
but parched in the summer because its hard to keep adequate levels of humous
in the soil


"a" wrote in message
...
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job
(about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light? Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small patio at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the lawn.
I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones I
think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do you buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads of
top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they added a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing in the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top though.


cheers

dave.

Hmmm, not sure what is under the lawn itself. We have a lot of clay in our
soil, but I dont know about under the lawn - it tends to get very 'crisp' in
a dry summer.

It could be though that you have sandy soil on a gravel subbase
these kind of areas are like a bog in the winter due to rising water
levels
but parched in the summer because its hard to keep adequate levels of
humous
in the soil


"a" wrote in message
...
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like
walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all
out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job
(about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your
lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into
the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light? Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the
sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small patio
at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the
lawn.
I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones I
think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do you
buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads of
top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that
seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they added
a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing in
the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top though.


cheers

dave.

"a" wrote in message
...
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job
(about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light? Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small patio at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the lawn.
I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones I
think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do you buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads of
top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they added a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing in the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top though.


cheers

dave.

the old lawn would die and the thatch left would cause a root break
resulting in poor root growth and subsequent drainage problems just keep
spiking your mossy areas and keep reseeding the mossy areas after spiking
the new grass should germinate through when u have raked out the dead moss

"bnd777" wrote in message
...
It could be though that you have sandy soil on a gravel subbase
these kind of areas are like a bog in the winter due to rising water
levels
but parched in the summer because its hard to keep adequate levels of
humous
in the soil


sandy soil and gravel base would not be boggy and humous has nothing to do
with moisture sounds more like clay holds the moisture in winter but dries
quickly and shrinks causing cracks in the summer

a wrote:

Hmmm, not sure what is under the lawn itself. We have a lot of clay in our
soil, but I dont know about under the lawn - it tends to get very 'crisp' in
a dry summer.

It could be though that you have sandy soil on a gravel subbase
these kind of areas are like a bog in the winter due to rising water
levels
but parched in the summer because its hard to keep adequate levels of
humous
in the soil


"a" wrote in message
...
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like
walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all
out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job
(about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your
lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into
the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light? Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the
sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small patio
at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the
lawn.
I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones I
think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do you
buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads of
top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that
seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they added
a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing in
the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top though.


cheers

dave.





AFIK advice here seems to be; a) Lime if acid soil. b) Proper
drainage. c) Sufficient sunlight, cut back over hanging trees?
Dosing it up with chemicals should surely be an absolute last
resort, if used at all and won't result in a permanent solution
anyway?
Terry.

"Terry" wrote in message
...
a wrote:

Hmmm, not sure what is under the lawn itself. We have a lot of clay in
our
soil, but I dont know about under the lawn - it tends to get very
'crisp' in
a dry summer.

It could be though that you have sandy soil on a gravel subbase
these kind of areas are like a bog in the winter due to rising water
levels
but parched in the summer because its hard to keep adequate levels of
humous
in the soil


"a" wrote in message
...
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like
walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it
all
out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job
(about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your
lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time
and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner
or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to
improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit
into
the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light?
Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain
onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an
option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the
sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small
patio
at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the
lawn.
I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones
I
think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do
you
buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down
loads of
top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that
seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they
added
a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps
a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing
in
the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top
though.


cheers

dave.





AFIK advice here seems to be; a) Lime if acid soil. b) Proper
drainage. c) Sufficient sunlight, cut back over hanging trees?
Dosing it up with chemicals should surely be an absolute last
resort, if used at all and won't result in a permanent solution
anyway?
Terry.

Isn't it interesting how all these theories come out but no-one asks the
obvious question - how do you mow your lawn?

The commonest and biggest cause of moss is cuttings - i.e. people that use
hover mowers and don't remove (completely or effectively) the debris left
behind. I know, I've been there. My lawn has improved immeasurably since I
bought a rotary mover (i.e. one with wheels) that collects the grass leaving
only a little to rake up (or run over again at a higher setting to 'vac' it
up) afterwards. That and an application of 'Weed-and-Feed' twice a year and
it works wonders. I use one by Baby Bio as it is blue so you can see where
you've been, and a proper 'wheeled bucket' applicator. I also lashed out
some years ago on a Qualcast Lawnraker - best £30 I ever spent.

Go through the above and for a while you lawn will look pretty sick, but
grass is very resilient and will come back much quicker than you expect.


--
Woody

So I take it that at the moment you have 50 sq m of moss! Ditch it. You'll
never get rid of it any other way.

Apart from your 'lawn' is there any other source of moss; neighbours, fields
etc? If yes anything you will be constantly fighting new spores wafting in.
To win you've got to create the best possible growing conditions for your
grass to out grow the moss, that'll mean a significant improvement in the
soil and or drainage and choose the best grass for your site.

I suggest taking a look at lawn sites, perhaps www.lawncaretips.co.uk
might be of help, or a book or two.

Take it from me, it's hard work and quite expensive, but if you want a good
lawn it's worth it.



Hmmm, not sure what is under the lawn itself. We have a lot of clay in our
soil, but I dont know about under the lawn - it tends to get very 'crisp'
in
a dry summer.

It could be though that you have sandy soil on a gravel subbase
these kind of areas are like a bog in the winter due to rising water
levels
but parched in the summer because its hard to keep adequate levels of
humous
in the soil


"a" wrote in message
...
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like
walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all
out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job
(about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your
lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time
and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to
improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into
the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light?
Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain
onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an
option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the
sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small
patio
at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the
lawn.
I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones I
think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do you
buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads
of
top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that
seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they
added
a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing in
the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top though.


cheers

dave.

So I take it that at the moment you have 50 sq m of moss! Ditch it. You'll
never get rid of it any other way.

Well it isnt 100% moss, but there is a fair amount of it.

Isn't it interesting how all these theories come out but no-one asks the
obvious question - how do you mow your lawn?

Ah, that would have been done by the useless gardener we used to have!
Always clippings left around after he had gone. Almost certainly never
aerated the lawn or fed it. He wont be coming back this year!

The commonest and biggest cause of moss is cuttings - i.e. people that use
hover mowers and don't remove (completely or effectively) the debris left
behind. I know, I've been there. My lawn has improved immeasurably since I
bought a rotary mover (i.e. one with wheels) that collects the grass
leaving
only a little to rake up (or run over again at a higher setting to 'vac'
it
up) afterwards. That and an application of 'Weed-and-Feed' twice a year
and
it works wonders. I use one by Baby Bio as it is blue so you can see where
you've been, and a proper 'wheeled bucket' applicator. I also lashed out
some years ago on a Qualcast Lawnraker - best £30 I ever spent.

Hmmm, you see none of that has been done for a few years now. I am sure it
can be repaired - but it guess it might take a while.

"a" wrote in message
...
Hmmm, not sure what is under the lawn itself. We have a lot of clay in our
soil, but I dont know about under the lawn - it tends to get very 'crisp'
in
a dry summer.

We have very sandy soil with virtually no stones, and very well drained, we
get a fair amount of moss growing. A couple of cuts, then a going over with
a lawn raker, and most of the moss has gone. The grass looks improved beyond
measure.

If you have clay under the grass then it clearly is a drainage problem
You may have loads of builders rubble under it too
"a" wrote in message
...
Hmmm, not sure what is under the lawn itself. We have a lot of clay in our
soil, but I dont know about under the lawn - it tends to get very 'crisp'
in
a dry summer.

It could be though that you have sandy soil on a gravel subbase
these kind of areas are like a bog in the winter due to rising water
levels
but parched in the summer because its hard to keep adequate levels of
humous
in the soil


"a" wrote in message
...
Our back garden is riddled with moss at the moment - it is like
walking
on a
sponge! Is it worth persevering with moss killer and raking it all
out
(which wont leave much grass behind) or is it really a re-lay job
(about
50
square metres at a guess)?

Unless you do something about the conditions which are making your
lawn
a nice place for moss to grow then you're really wasting your time
and
effort killing it with chemicals. It will always come back sooner or
later.

It may not be necessary to re-lay it. You mostly just need to
improve
the drainage. You could try spiking the lawn and brushing grit into
the
holes for a start. Is it over-shaded - can you give it more light?
Is
your lawn at the bottom of a slope such that water tends to drain
onto
it - perhaps providing a drainage channel for that water is an
option?

If all else fails, moss is quite pleasant to look at and the
sponginess
could be viewed as an asset ;-)


It is not overshaded, and is sloped maybe 10 degrees with a small
patio
at
the top - I wouldnt have thought too much water would drain into the
lawn.
I
think maybe aerating might help though - you can rent electric ones I
think
from the hire shops? What sort of grit would you put in - where do you
buy
such stuff?


Any ideas how much a re-lay would cost? I saw a
neighbours lawn get relaid last year, and they just put down loads
of
top
soil over the existing grass and laid the new turf on top - that
seemed
an
odd way to do it?

I can't see how that will have improved the drainage unless they
added
a
significant height.


It just looked a bit odd as their lawn wasnt too bad before, perhaps a
little bare in a couple of patches. I would guess anything growing in
the
old lawn would eventually grow through into the new one on top though.


cheers

dave.

On Tue, 08 Apr 2003 22:53:38 -0230, Terry wrote:

AFIK advice here seems to be; a) Lime if acid soil. b) Proper
drainage. c) Sufficient sunlight, cut back over hanging trees?
Dosing it up with chemicals should surely be an absolute last
resort, if used at all and won't result in a permanent solution
anyway?

Fertilize. The grass needs nourishment if it is to outgrow the
moss.

And rake out as much of the moss as you can.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada