WITH the weather warming up, chances are you’ll soon be pottering around your garden trying to spruce up your lawn.
But if you’ve found your once healthy grass is now covered in moss, then no fear…because Craig Morley, a gardening expert from Budget Seeds, has offered four cheap and cheerful tips on how to remove it in an instant.
Amongst them includes a 62p baking product that you’ll likely already have in your kitchen cupboards…
Scarifying
Craig explains that if you already own tools such as a garden rake and the moss problem is relatively mild, you can try scarifying your lawn to get rid of moss.
“Rake over your lawn area to remove moss, with April and September being great times to do this as there are less moss spores, so you will not risk spreading it further,” he advises.
“If you have a large amount of moss, scarifying can still be beneficial for your lawn if done before applying a moss killer treatment.”
Washing up liquid
The gardening whizz also shares a cheap and cheerful suggestion using a product that you’ll already have in your kitchen cupboards.
“Mix a small amount of dish soap into several litres of water, before pouring this mixture into a spray bottle,” he explains.
“Spray the mixture onto patches of moss in your garden, holding the spray bottle a few inches away.”
He goes on to say that over the next few days, the moss should begin to turn brown and dry up, and you should be able to rake it away.
Mix a small amount of dish soap into several litres of water, before pouring this mixture into a spray bottle
Craig Morley
However, he warns that if using this method to get rid of moss, ensure that there will be no rain for at least twenty four hours after you have sprayed moss patches.
“Otherwise the rain can wash the solution away,” he says.
Bicarbonate of soda
Another cheap solution according to Craig is to stir two to three tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda into around a litre of water until it has dissolved.
While more commonly used as a product in baking, it can also be effective when used in the garden – and can be bought for as little as just 62p from your local supermarket.
“On a dry day when there is ideally no rain forecast for the next few days, coat the moss with this solution, making sure that you avoid getting it onto grass or other plants,” he says.
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“After a few days, the moss should begin to turn brown and dry up, after which it can be raked away or dug up.”
Vinegar
And last but not least, the gardening pro recommends diluting a tablespoon of white vinegar in a few litres of water, and filling a spray bottle with the mixture.
“Spray the water and vinegar mixture directly onto moss patches, and keep applying it daily until the moss dies,” he says.
“If the moss still remains after a few days, try adding a little more vinegar to the mixture.”
After the vinegar solution has killed the moss, Craig advises raking it away or digging it up from your garden.
He concludes: “When using any of these methods (aside from scarifying), it is important to avoid other plants and grass as these can also be affected by the products you are using on the moss.
“These methods are also likely to be short term solutions, with proper lawn maintenance being the best way to avoid moss growth.”