With spring approaching and winter heading into our rear view mirror soon, it is time to start rejuvenating the lawn for spring. First off, what winter? We finally got a few frosts, but it has been unbelievably mild all winter long. For the garden (and lawn), that means the moss has invaded and the weeds are popping up everywhere. I cannot recall the last time I mowed my grass in the actual “winter”, but guess what, it happened last week on a sunny day which is crazy! Everything is breaking dormancy early and seems to be about 2 to 3 weeks ahead of schedule. It’s not the end of the world by any means, but I am crossing my fingers and toes that no polar vortexes descend upon us in March. If one does, feel free to vent all you like and perhaps even scream some mild profanities at Mother Nature. She will understand I am sure…
Lawn rejuvenation encompasses everything from soils to fertilizing to moss control to weeds, and even touches into diseases and insects. I am going to try to cram as many tips into this space as I can and then will continue with more next week. Most gardeners I speak with go straight for the organic lawn fertilizer come springtime – not necessarily the end of world – BUT I would try to talk you into stepping back and formulating a battle plan first. Like anything in the realm of gardening, great soil breeds success with plants, so assess your soil structure first and foremost. We don’t need feet of adequate soil for turf, but we do need a 6 to 8-inch minimum of decent soil. If we think of new housing developments as an example, many of you may know what I mean. The contractor compacts the yard while building the house, then adds 2-inches of healthy soil on top and rolls out the sod. It looks great for a year, then runs out of gas due to the lack of decent soil depth. Amending these areas with excellent topsoil and/or compost 6 to 8-inches deep before planting is the way to go. Apologies if you are stuck with this situation, but I am here to tell you that you can still achieve success.
It should be noted that using a lawn fertilizer will only make your weeds and moss even greener and more invasive, so let’s take care of these two issues first and then feed. I am going to be brutally honest and remind you all that we live in Western Washington where moss will always grow, period. There are things we can do to keep it to a minimum, but turf areas and landscape beds (and tree or shrub bark for that matter) will always host moss in our climate. Moss thrives on moisture and acidity, and you guessed it, our local environment provides plenty of both. Ironically, grass thrives in a more neutral or alkaline soil, so a spring (and fall) application of lime on turf areas will gradually raise the pH, making these areas less palatable to moss and more inviting to turf. There are many fast-acting limes, but the best to me is one called ‘Lighting Lime’ from Espoma Organics. I want to be crystal clear on this… lime is NOT a moss killer, BUT it will lessen the annual invasion if you continue to utilize it again and again. I went from moss literally everywhere years ago to now having minimal amounts growing where it frankly belongs in winter, in the wetter, shadier areas of my turf.
When selecting a moss killing product, keep in mind that most contain Iron, which will stain concrete, wood and other surfaces (sorry honey!). You can find granular styles of this that are easy to apply with a drop spreader in order to save time. With larger lawns, this is probably the way to go, but be careful not to spread it into areas where it may stain. For me, I have about 2,000 square feet between three areas and I prefer a liquid moss killer. I find it much easier to soak areas that are really bad and use less on areas that are not. Why Iron? Moss cannot absorb it, so it turns black very quickly while grass can absorb Iron and will turn a super dark green. Iron, however, is not a fertilizer! The dark green grass color will fade quickly and then when a quality organic fertilizer is applied, a vibrant fresh green takes over. Keep in mind that organic foods last much longer than synthetic types and provide superior nutrition, including microbes. There are also non-staining moss killers out there like 'Moss Max’ from Bonide (a natural Potassium based option) as well. This can be used safely on the roof, sidewalk, step stones, deck, patio or anywhere else moss has invaded. Whichever route you go, take some time to thatch/rake the dead moss out and be sure not leave it to fester and grow again in the wet spring weather.
When you are considering your battle plan, I would suggest one particular product that would both eliminate moss AND kill most weeds… Bonide makes a wonderful natural lawn spray called ‘Captain Jack’s Lawnweed Brew’ - a liquid containing the HEDTA form of Iron. This useful spray has served me well over the years and is easy to bring out of the garage to spray quickly and efficiently as needed. Some tougher weeds like clover, oxalis, horsetail and buttercup may need to be pulled or sprayed with a different chemical spray. If you have mostly weeds, especially tougher ones like these, perhaps using one dose of a chemical brush killer will help you press the reset button. ‘BK-32’ (a vegetation killer from Bonide) is listed safe for turf and can rid your lawn of all weeds without harming the grass. If your battle plan is to completely start over, then go this route and once things are cleaned up you can swap back to the natural and safer options for future applications as needed.
As you may have noticed, I am calling this “Part One” and next week I will continue talking tales of the turf - the focus will be on thatch diseases, grubs, and over-seeding. I would also invite you to come to my free lawn seminar at Sunnyside Nursery this Saturday, March 7th, at 10 AM - it will also be recorded and posted on YouTube. We will go through all things lawns, have some fun and hopefully chuckle a bunch as we share our experiences with turf.
Early spring offers us lawn-loving gardeners the perfect opportunity to get our turf rejuvenated for the season. Try starting with taking care of the moss and weeds, followed by thatching (if needed) and/or raking it all out. Using quality natural product options will keep your lawn safe for people, pets and our wildlife friends. You can always stop by the local garden center for helpful advice on lawn care and seek out the finest natural/organic solutions for any issues. Your lawn does not have to resemble the local hazardous chemical dump! Each of us has our own tolerance for neat versus natural, so without question, you do you. I personally love my natural lawns and would not trade them for anything, but others might like the meadow look and allow some weeds to grow. There is nothing wrong with either, or anything in between for that matter. So start getting your lawn into shape and before you know it you will be relaxing on some luscious green grass all summer long.
