- If your lawn is struggling to grow, moss likes to move in and spread over the surface of the soil not used by grass. Since moss needs so little to thrive, the tiny sprawling plants will fill in areas with their short roots. They pull water from damp soil and only need a minimum amount of light to produce a deep dark green mat of miniscule leaves. Grass cannot compete under these conditions.
- Most grass plants need full sun for healthy growth. If your lawn is shaded by large trees or shrubs, try removing some of the lower limbs to open the area up to more light. Plant the varieties of grass that don't mind a little shade, or plant ground cover plants like pachysandra that need little sunlight for healthy growth.
- Grass plants need moisture, but not waterlogged soil around their roots. Heavy clay or areas with poor drainage are the breeding grounds for healthy moss. Just as you might see thick moss growing along a creek bed, if you have a low area where water collects covered with a canopy of shade, your lawn is just an invitation for moss growth.
- Moss likes acidic soils where high water content and decaying materials keep healthy grass plants at bay. Adding a soil amendment like lime along with improving the drainage usually raises the pH enough to slow the growth of moss and increase the chances of grass growing in the area. Sometimes this process might take a couple of years, since soil pH is slow to change.
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