Need to KILL MOSS! Getting Ready to Tear up and Seed Front Yard.

[Big7]

Tried the lime thing (a lot of it) and not good results.

A lot are pine aisles, flower beds, etc..

So not much to dig up but it is really hard and compacted
so I only want to do this once.

Already had the tree guys come and raise the canopy on some large oaks.

The lime @ $4.00 a bag is starting to get a little expensive
land labor intensive.

So, what can I buy that WILL kill moss for good?

Want to get a good stand of sun/shade fescue going.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Grub Master]

I gave up trying to kill it. You might have better luck with more sun now that the trees have been cleaned up. Probably have to scape it up and spray roundup. Do you think it's not too late to plant?

 

[jeardley]

There is a granular moss killer you can buy at HD or Lowes. The first couple of times I tried it, it just killed some of the moss and ended up coming back. Early this spring I increased the recommended amount by about 50%, then put another coat a couple weeks later and it hasn't come back yet (Knock on wood).

 

[NCHillbilly]

Sunshine.

 

[Anvil Head]

If it doesn't die off from solar exposure (as NC stated), it's going to continue to come back. Even if you succeed in poisoning the soil for a period of time, it will be the first to reestablish once condition returns. So if it doesn't die off after your canopy pruning efforts, you might consider planting rocks. They do real good in the shade and don't mind being close neighbors with moss. Add a few different species of ferns and some boulders and you got a "GQ" garden walk.

 

[gobbleinwoods]

I've tried lime, sunshine, moss killer grandular, bleach, cussing at it and nothing seems to be a permanent solution.

 

[JustUs4All]

The Hillbilly is dead on it. If that spot is still growing moss it will likely not be a good grass spot. More sunshine will be needed.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I prefer the look of moss over grass anyway, to be honest. And you don't have to mow it. I would love to have a spot like that, I'd make a Japanese moss garden.

 

[elfiii]

Sunshine.

This + soil quality and soil compaction.

This stuff works OK as long as you stay with it.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/BAYER-ADVA...a7defd8e047c&gclid=CKiqzI7d29QCFY09gQodjqED3w

One treatment ain't gonna get the job done.

 

[DAWG1419]

http://www.fmcprosolutions.com/GolfCourse/Products/Herbicides/QuickSilverHerbicide.aspx

 

[tad1]

The Hillbilly is dead on it. If that spot is still growing moss it will likely not be a good grass spot. More sunshine will be needed.

Im thinking that the area likely isn't very good for growing grass. even though the trees are limbed up, the tree roots are still extending at least as far as the overhead canopy sapping much water from the ground below. Any lawn areas where I have hardwood trees(oaks), the grass below is poor. Now possibly with mucho irrigation, you could feed both the oaks and the grass. Or just cut down the oaks and grow a lawn.
Good luck,
JT

 

[tad1]

It sounds like you are looking to spruce the place up. Maybe turning it into bed space would be effective. But straw or mulch can be pretty costly too.

 

[ryanh487]

Sun and alkalinity.

Have you tree canopy raised/thinned to allow more light to reach the yard. Remove any evergreens from the perimeter of the grass -- since they are green year round, they take in a ton of calcium and carbonate from the soil, making it nice and acidic for moss.

 

[Big7]

Sun and alkalinity.

Have you tree canopy raised/thinned to allow more light to reach the yard. Remove any evergreens from the perimeter of the grass -- since they are green year round, they take in a ton of calcium and carbonate from the soil, making it nice and acidic for moss.

Sun, I understand.

Lime (base) is what "they" whom ever "they" are
said will do the trick.. But it didn't.

Potassium chloride is a key ingredient on one of the two
most prescribed "moss killer's" @ the big box..

The brands that contain that are way expensive.
Then I found out that the same thing as water softener
was expensive too..

THEN.. Pool salt is really cheap. ??????????

Anyone ever tried that?

Thanks for the replies and help.!!!

 

[tad1]

If you put out a bunch of pool salt, It will likely be quite harmful to whatever grass you are seeding. Moss is only growing where it likes to grow. You won't have a moss problem in a sunny field or lawn. The suggestion of allowing more sunlight in by thinning trees is a decent idea and can't hurt. And adding lime is a decent idea too because lime will increase the pH of the soil and will allow the grass (or other plants for that matter) to uptake nutrients more effectively. Our Clay GA soils are typically acidic. They call lime "the poor mans fertilizer" although lime isn't actually a fertilizer per say. Another thing to note is that grasses like bermuda grass will tolerate a fairly wide range of pH and still do ok. But above all the grass will want sunlight and water and the tree situation you have will dramatically limit your ability to get grass to do well. Now I don't mean to discourage you, especially without even seeing what your lawn site looks like, but you may have a hard time doing what you are trying to do.
JT

 

[Big7]

If you put out a bunch of pool salt, It will likely be quite harmful to whatever grass you are seeding. Moss is only growing where it likes to grow. You won't have a moss problem in a sunny field or lawn. The suggestion of allowing more sunlight in by thinning trees is a decent idea and can't hurt. And adding lime is a decent idea too because lime will increase the pH of the soil and will allow the grass (or other plants for that matter) to uptake nutrients more effectively. Our Clay GA soils are typically acidic. They call lime "the poor mans fertilizer" although lime isn't actually a fertilizer per say. Another thing to note is that grasses like bermuda grass will tolerate a fairly wide range of pH and still do ok. But above all the grass will want sunlight and water and the tree situation you have will dramatically limit your ability to get grass to do well. Now I don't mean to discourage you, especially without even seeing what your lawn site looks like, but you may have a hard time doing what you are trying to do.
JT

Close up's of the front found HERE:
http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=899866&highlight=

More, taken today @3:15 show some more views of
what I had done with the trees in the front.

Also, how good the back looks.
(if I could get the front looking like that I would be happy)

There are some lawn mower tracks in the back
just had it mowed a couple days ago and there are some
sun spots and not the best camera in the world.

The plan is either emerald or zeon zoysia for the front.

The zeon is way more $$$ and both 5 star rated
sod guy's on Home Adviser said they would do it but the
emerald is what they put in their
own yards.

A huge chunk of cash either way. But instead of digging and seeding, I think I'm just going to have one of them sod it with emerald?

Thoughts? Just getting it ready to sell. Need the front to
look as good as the back.

 

[shakey gizzard]

What about increasing the bed sizes and adding more azaleas/ understory plants? Just an idea!

 

[ryanh487]

Almost forgot. If i remember correctly, my dad was able to solve the moss problem in his yard by raking up all the moss and putting an inch of play sand down over the whole area. The sand drained well and kept moss from regrowing and his Bermuda grew in and up through the sand to fill in the space.