Controlling and removing weeds and moss
Weeds
The old saying that weeds are just plants in the wrong place definitely holds true for lawns. And the damp and generally fertile British environment means that weeds can thrive unless dealt with effectively.
This is also a case of doing what’s appropriate. The occasional weed will do no harm and can be carefully removed by hand without leaving a divot if it is not too well established. We always recommend this patient approach if there are not lots of weeds, as it is best to keep chemical herbicides to a minimum.
Weed control is also a matter of context. ‘Common lawn weeds’ encompasses much more than dandelions and thistles. There are many weeds commonly found in British lawns, including daisies, buttercups, clover, and lesser trefoil. Depending on where these plants are, especially if they are around lawn margins, you may decide to leave them be, to encourage bees and insects.
When we do recommend chemical treatment we advocate a cautious approach and we use professional herbicides that we are trained and licensed to use. A selective herbicide application is sufficient, with spot treatment thereafter for stubborn patches of weeds.
Moss
Moss loves the dull days and dampness of a typical British winter, which is why it thrives on shaded lawns. In the cooler months it will also spread to better-lit areas, only becoming dormant when the weather is warm and dry. Left unchallenged it will choke grass and make mowing the lawn more difficult.
Good lawn care, therefore, includes routine moss control, to prevent it from getting established and definitely to prevent it thriving.
Moss control is usually in two stages. First we apply a solution of organic iron sulphate as a moss control. Then we scarify the lawn – that is where we mechanically remove the dead moss and thatch from the lawn. Essentially this clears unwanted plant matter and debris, thus allowing healthy grass to grow and spread. At the same time we’ll consider the reasons why you have moss in the first place. This may be due to poor drainage or unseasonably damp conditions, but it may also indicate a nutrient poor lawn – both issues which we can address.
As with all our work, the way we deal with moss in your grass is specific to you – we don’t do “one-size-fits-all”. We tailor the work we do on your lawn to the work that’s needed.