Lawn Sand for moss. Spring or Autumn use?
 

I intend using lawn sand to kill the moss on my lawn and wondered what the
best time was for spreading it? Spring or Autumn?

--
Blair Malcolm

I intend using lawn sand to kill the moss on my lawn and wondered what the
best time was for spreading it? Spring or Autumn?

Try uk.rec.gardening.

Christian.

"Blair" wrote in message
...
I intend using lawn sand to kill the moss on my lawn and wondered what
the
best time was for spreading it? Spring or Autumn?


If you really must use this, then spring would be best.

If you use it now it will kill the moss, but then the bald patches will
just encourage more moss to colonise your lawn and in 6 months time you
could be back where your started.

If you wait til late spring the grass will be growing strongly and if
you regularly cut your lawn you will encourage the grass to move into
the unoccupied areas. Mosses usually come off second best compared to
healthy grass in the growing season.

However, remember that moss is a symptom of an underlying problem. If
you do not identify and rectify this problem you will get moss back in
your lawn.

"Neil Jones" wrote in message
...

"Blair" wrote in message
...
I intend using lawn sand to kill the moss on my lawn and wondered what
the
best time was for spreading it? Spring or Autumn?


If you really must use this, then spring would be best.

If you use it now it will kill the moss, but then the bald patches will
just encourage more moss to colonise your lawn and in 6 months time you
could be back where your started.

If you wait til late spring the grass will be growing strongly and if
you regularly cut your lawn you will encourage the grass to move into
the unoccupied areas. Mosses usually come off second best compared to
healthy grass in the growing season.

However, remember that moss is a symptom of an underlying problem. If
you do not identify and rectify this problem you will get moss back in
your lawn.

Thank you Neil for your help.I will take your advice and spread in the
Spring.
I live in a countryside area that appears to affect everyone. The lichen
grows really well on the trees so had assumed that the moss was a symptom
of clean air.
My drainage is very good. What else could cause the problem?
Regards
Blair

"Blair" wrote in message
...

"Neil Jones" wrote in message
...

"Blair" wrote in message
...
I intend using lawn sand to kill the moss on my lawn and wondered
what
the
best time was for spreading it? Spring or Autumn?


If you really must use this, then spring would be best.

If you use it now it will kill the moss, but then the bald patches
will
just encourage more moss to colonise your lawn and in 6 months time
you
could be back where your started.

If you wait til late spring the grass will be growing strongly and
if
you regularly cut your lawn you will encourage the grass to move
into
the unoccupied areas. Mosses usually come off second best compared
to
healthy grass in the growing season.

However, remember that moss is a symptom of an underlying problem.
If
you do not identify and rectify this problem you will get moss back
in
your lawn.

Thank you Neil for your help.I will take your advice and spread in the
Spring.
I live in a countryside area that appears to affect everyone. The
lichen
grows really well on the trees so had assumed that the moss was a
symptom
of clean air.
My drainage is very good. What else could cause the problem?
Regards
Blair

If you have a compacted lawn, the grass may well be very shallow rooted.
In times of low rainfall (ie the summer) the grass will find it harder
to survive and can suffer significant dieback or suffer other stresses
which allow lawn weeds, including moss, to move in. If you spike your
lawn and top dress it with eg sharp sand you will relieve compaction,
allow more gas exchange, and improve the drainage. All of these will
encourage the grass to root more deeply, meaning it is more able to
survive periods of stress and leave smaller opportunities for mosses to
get a look-in.

Do you know what type of soil you have?

Neil

"Neil Jones" wrote in message
...

"Blair" wrote in message
...

"Neil Jones" wrote in message
...

"Blair" wrote in message
...
I intend using lawn sand to kill the moss on my lawn and wondered
what
the
best time was for spreading it? Spring or Autumn?


If you really must use this, then spring would be best.

If you use it now it will kill the moss, but then the bald patches
will
just encourage more moss to colonise your lawn and in 6 months time
you
could be back where your started.

If you wait til late spring the grass will be growing strongly and
if
you regularly cut your lawn you will encourage the grass to move
into
the unoccupied areas. Mosses usually come off second best compared
to
healthy grass in the growing season.

However, remember that moss is a symptom of an underlying problem.
If
you do not identify and rectify this problem you will get moss back
in
your lawn.

Thank you Neil for your help.I will take your advice and spread in the
Spring.
I live in a countryside area that appears to affect everyone. The
lichen
grows really well on the trees so had assumed that the moss was a
symptom
of clean air.
My drainage is very good. What else could cause the problem?
Regards
Blair

If you have a compacted lawn, the grass may well be very shallow rooted.
In times of low rainfall (ie the summer) the grass will find it harder
to survive and can suffer significant dieback or suffer other stresses
which allow lawn weeds, including moss, to move in. If you spike your
lawn and top dress it with eg sharp sand you will relieve compaction,
allow more gas exchange, and improve the drainage. All of these will
encourage the grass to root more deeply, meaning it is more able to
survive periods of stress and leave smaller opportunities for mosses to
get a look-in.

Do you know what type of soil you have?

Neil


Very sandy soil
Thanks for the advice
Blair

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
et...
I intend using lawn sand to kill the moss on my lawn and wondered what
the
best time was for spreading it? Spring or Autumn?

Try uk.rec.gardening.

Christian.

You are right Christian I should have! But Neil has replied so I am staying
at present. In the future I will do the right thing!
Blair

"Blair" wrote in message
...


Do you know what type of soil you have?

Neil


Very sandy soil
Thanks for the advice
Blair



With sandy soil it's almost certainly not waterlogging, as you have
indicated, so without anything else to go on I suspect soil compaction
is your problem.

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 16:18:54 +0100, "Neil Jones"
wrote:

If you use it now it will kill the moss, but then the bald patches will
just encourage more moss to colonise your lawn and in 6 months time you
could be back where your started.

What does "lawn sand" do ? I thought it was just sand, to encourage
better drainage on clay soils ? My understanding was that moss, like
dry rot, was basically inevitable if the drainage was poor, and that
improved drainage was really the only way to go. Does this lawn sand
have any "active" effect too ?

My knowledge of gardening is admittedly negligible. If I ever wanted
to kill moss, I'd just try watering it. No plant has ever survived
that.

--
Smert' spamionam

"Andy Dingley" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 16:18:54 +0100, "Neil Jones"
wrote:

If you use it now it will kill the moss, but then the bald patches will
just encourage more moss to colonise your lawn and in 6 months time you
could be back where your started.

What does "lawn sand" do ? I thought it was just sand, to encourage
better drainage on clay soils ? My understanding was that moss, like
dry rot, was basically inevitable if the drainage was poor, and that
improved drainage was really the only way to go. Does this lawn sand
have any "active" effect too ?

My knowledge of gardening is admittedly negligible. If I ever wanted
to kill moss, I'd just try watering it. No plant has ever survived
that.

--
Smert' spamionam

Lawn sand has a chemical in it which kills the moss and it turns black.
Blair

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 16:52:24 +0100, "Neil Jones"
wrote:

With sandy soil it's almost certainly not waterlogging, as you have
indicated, so without anything else to go on I suspect soil compaction
is your problem.

Or low nitrogen? Sand wouldn't hold nitrogen well -- and isn't lawn sand a
mixture of sand, iron sulphate, and some nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium sulphate,
something like that). Maybe addition of something organic would help, in
releasing nitrogen slowly, or a timed-release fertilizer.


Thomas Prufer

"Thomas Prufer" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 16:52:24 +0100, "Neil Jones"

wrote:

With sandy soil it's almost certainly not waterlogging, as you have
indicated, so without anything else to go on I suspect soil
compaction
is your problem.

Or low nitrogen? Sand wouldn't hold nitrogen well -- and isn't lawn
sand a
mixture of sand, iron sulphate, and some nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium
sulphate,
something like that). Maybe addition of something organic would help,
in
releasing nitrogen slowly, or a timed-release fertilizer.

Could be - my experience of light soils is limited to say the least.

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 17:17:24 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:


What does "lawn sand" do ? I thought it was just sand, to encourage
better drainage on clay soils ? My understanding was that moss, like
dry rot, was basically inevitable if the drainage was poor, and that
improved drainage was really the only way to go. Does this lawn sand
have any "active" effect too ?

It contains ferrous sulphate which turns the grass a vivid green, but
the effect is temporary.

The sand/ferrous suplhate mixture collects in the open texture of the
moss and poisons it, whereas it does not stick to the blades of grass.

DG

Thomas Prufer wrote:

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 16:52:24 +0100, "Neil Jones"
wrote:


With sandy soil it's almost certainly not waterlogging, as you have
indicated, so without anything else to go on I suspect soil compaction
is your problem.


Or low nitrogen? Sand wouldn't hold nitrogen well -- and isn't lawn sand a
mixture of sand, iron sulphate, and some nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium sulphate,
something like that). Maybe addition of something organic would help, in
releasing nitrogen slowly, or a timed-release fertilizer.



Thanks for that Thomas. I believe you are right. I laid a lawn on
tposoil over old builders sand and other crap, and one area seems mossy
and poor growing: I assumed it was poor drainage, but even when sopping
wet it doesn't perk up, and when the cats crapped on it and made a
little pile of soil and crap, the grass shot up!

If you can't find cat crap, fish blood and bone seems to encourage
grass, and once the grass is there, the moss cannot cope.

Don't over do it though. I spilt some and the grass died off, except or
a ring round the spill that shot up!


Thomas Prufer

The Natural Philosopher wrote in message ...
Thomas Prufer wrote:


Don't over do it though. I spilt some and the grass died off, except or
a ring round the spill that shot up!


Thomas Prufer



Dog p!ss has a similar effect - I now have brown circles of dead grass
surrounded by rings of grass that are growing about twice as fast &
thick as the rest of the lawn thanks to a visit by my parents dog.

On 1 Nov 2004 07:03:19 -0800, (adder) wrote:

Dog p!ss has a similar effect - I now have brown circles of dead grass
surrounded by rings of grass that are growing about twice as fast &
thick as the rest of the lawn thanks to a visit by my parents dog.

Female dog p!ss, as far as I know. Male dogs don't cause grass
discolouration. And that isn't because male dogs don't squat either.

I could be wrong though.

Andrew

If you need help with those general DIY projects
you can give me a call. More information about
what I can help with can be found on my web site:

http://www.handymac.co.uk

Andrew McKay wrote in message . ..
On 1 Nov 2004 07:03:19 -0800, (adder) wrote:

Dog p!ss has a similar effect - I now have brown circles of dead grass
surrounded by rings of grass that are growing about twice as fast &
thick as the rest of the lawn thanks to a visit by my parents dog.

Female dog p!ss, as far as I know. Male dogs don't cause grass
discolouration. And that isn't because male dogs don't squat either.

I could be wrong though.



This was a female dog yes. bitch.