neglected mossy lawn

[bunty39]

i put my question into the wrong category. can anyone advise me where i can find help and advice regarding my lawn which is completely covered in thick moss. it has been neglected for years and years. we have removed a lot of the straggly hedge which surrounds it and there is a lot more light getting in now. the soil is alright i think but its the immensity of the problem ( 0.1 acre lawn) that i'm panicky about. please can anyone help? thank you

[grandpajoe]

Hi Moss is caused by a few problems and to stop it you should address the problems which apply to your lawn!
Shade, Dampness, scalping the grass down to the soil when you cut it. poor grass cover, lack of nutrients for the grass.
This is a good time to start looking after it.(the lawn) So. Remove all the problems/causes i have listed.
Treat the lawn with a good dose of Iron, wait till the moss goes black and then scarify it and mow up the arisings.
Loosen the soil to create a tilth and re seed it. You could try top dressing it with SHARP sand.
You could hire the equipment or visit your local sports club/golf course and ask if there is anyone there who could help out (for wages of course)
If you look in the press there are specialist firms but some are poor.
Tell them what you want and get them to give an estimate and and ask them to write down what they will do.
You have to get a dense sword to out compete the moss and in spring and late Autumn apply lawn sand (which contains iron)
Some people think that lawns are there just to be mown and that is all but the truth is you'll get much pleasure from creating a nice lawn and caring for it.
Finally and very important is to check what the soil is like. You need a decent depth of good soil ,6 inch or so, for the grass to thrive. If you hav't then start again from the bottom.
I am going to do this for a friend. Dig out all stones and runnle into a skip and import good soil in its place then re-seed etc. Not easy but there are NO short cuts.
Chris

[carlton23]

Lucky you having lots of moss, why scarify the lawn, bag it up and sell it or give it to friends to line their hanging baskets?

[gucciman]

i have left you an answer in the other category but i forgot to mention that you should buy a book called the "lawn care expert" which is invaluable. it's written by D.G. Hessayon and is available in most garden centres or on the net.

[bunty39]

hi carlton23,
what an entrepreneur you are! i have enough moss on my lawn to make me rich., just can't raise the inclination. thank you though.
hi grandpajoe,
your explanation on how to deal with the problem is better and clearer than any expert. maybe you are an expert, never thought about that. maybe with the money i make from selling the moss will pay for someone else to do the work. thank you very much grandpajoe.