[ace]

I have got a lot of moss growing in the lawn and have purchased a product called De-Moss (Sulphate of Iron) but I am concerned about the birds I try to attract to my garden.
There is a warning not to use near pets and would rather keep the moss than chance poisoning the birds.
Any ideas anyone?

[walltoall]

Moss is an indication of bad drainage, lack of sunlight and/or compacted soil and there are many threads on this forum discussing moss.

Ferrous Sulphate applied as a dissolved salt will kill moss while having no effect on grass. The raw material is very toxic if eaten by children or dogs, both of which might be stupid enough to try it as it looks like sugar! If you dissolve the stuff in your watering can and keep the box away from children and dogs you'll be alright. When you spray the lawn the moss will go black within a day or two and die off within a fortnight. If you broadcast grass seed across the whole lawn you might be lucky enough to improve the lawn but I doubt it. Moss killers have no effect whatever on birds, although there is an outside chance that some of them may try to use the dead moss for nest building.

http://www.elephantcare.org/Drugs/ferrouss.htm is a link which is both infomative and confusing unless you are into pharmacology.

[birdie]

I agree with walltoall. I love birds and would hate to see someting I apply to my lawn hurt my birds, but I applied iron and they were not affected. I did read somewhere, maybe here, that the sulphate of iron is not good for the worms in your lawn though.

[corfiot]

I have more moss this year than ever before on my lawns,a good raking of the moss is needed and try not to cut too short when mowing.I think it is down to the very wet periods that we have had??

[walltoall]

Birdie. Thanks for the note on the worms. You are quite correct. Worms injest the sulphate in their diets as they go about their work aerating the soil. Worms are the gardener's best friends but the few worms that are working where the moss is are expendable, don't you think? Let's face it though the wums are a means to our ends and if we need a grass lawn and can't live with any moss, iron does the job. Personally I live with the bits of moss I have and concentrate instead on keeping the grassy areas clear of daisies and dandelions.

Hello Corfiot. We got buckets of rain in Essex this Spring. But the same areas of my patch have the same amount of moss as every year. In my garden it's down to extremely clayey soil and lack of sunlight. I could prevent one bit of moss thriving by knocking down the garage I spose, but then my white currants would lose their best asset and my climbing hydrangea would have nowhere to hang. I guess I'm part of the live and let live brigade?

[Sean Ph'lib]

I know it's not an option for everyone, but my lawn is completely moss-free thanks to my flock of free-range hens; their constant scraping and manuring of the lawn has produced the thickest, healthiest sward I've ever seen - and without chemicals of any kind. One result is scores of blackbirds, thrushes, robins, starlings etc. probing all day for the (un-sulphated) worms.

[walltoall]

Seán Your blood is worth bottling. You always hit the nail on the head! You wouldn't be from the kingdom now would you? And may your hens lay lots of double yolks for ya.

[Sean Ph'lib]

[michael brenock]

moss grows in poor drainage and shade. another two factors that contribute to its presence are low fertility and it's ability to grow the whole year round while the grass is at a standstill in the winter, mosses and there are many types can tolerate acid and alkaline soils. Wire rake off the moss, feed it including Sulphate of iron and spiking will help. Applying chemicals to get rid of the symptoms is a useless exercise, you must get to the" root" of the problem.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)