At this time of the year, you might have noticed from the kitchen window, all the bulb shoots emerging and possibly even flowering now. Then….an opportunity arises with a bright, crisp Winters day which brings you out into the garden to observe what’s happening. As you are walking over the grass towards the flower beds, you notice a softness underfoot with a lush green moss growing amongst the grass. I’ve never noticed this before….
Moss build up on lawns over the damp season such as Autumn, Winter and Spring can appear lush and sometimes even attractive, however if you allow the moss to build up over time it can be damaging to the lawn. 
The moss begins to ‘suffocate’ the grass leaving sparse blades of grasses between much larger mossy areas of lawn. Before you know it and in even a couple of seasons, your lawn will be mainly moss.
To control this it takes a good lawn care regime of vigorous raking known as scarifying; aeration of the soil; the correct feeds relevant to the season and applications of lawn sand which controls the moss.
Aeration can be done during the Winter months as this will relieve compaction and encourage new root growth as Spring approaches. The other best care for the Winter is to reduce traffic over the lawn as much as possible.
Once Spring season hits, the lawn begins to actively grow. 
This is the time to begin fertilising to encourage strong new growth. Most Spring feeds available will have a weed control herbicide included in the feed to control the growth of typical broadleaf weeds, as this is another important factor in achieving the perfect lawn.
Regular watering and weekly mowing during the Summer months is crucial until we reach the most important season of lawn care, namely Autumn.
In Autumn, your feed will change to a lower nitrogen feed with an integrated moss control chemical. This focuses on strengthening the lawn to prepare it for the Winter months as well as good control for the prevention of moss build up. You may need two applications of this before the severe Winter weather hits.
As the moss killer begins to work, the moss turns progressively black and will need to be scarified (vigorously raked out). This removes the dead moss and thatch allowing the remaining grass to stand a chance of growing. A lighter form of scarification by lighter raking is also good practice in the Spring so that the weaker areas of lawn, can be overseeded and allowed to thicken up before the onset of Winter.
You might be thinking that it’s alot to do….initially it is, but if the same is done annually, the strength of the lawn will increase and there will be less to do each year. Consistency is also key. Drop your guard and you will be back to square one…
Maintaining a consistent and good balance of weeding, feeding, aerating, mowing and watering is essential for the best lawn care and the effort will pay off in the end as you will have grass that will be the envy of the neighbour.
Happy gardening!
The Avid Gardener 