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moss removal machine, opinions?

  • 26-07-2006 2:21pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 638 ✭✭✭


    Ive had the usual problem of moss this year but its got to a pretty bad state so ive been working on it. ive used moss killer(lawn feed+weed killer) it was OK, nothing fantastic. it wasnt a cheap one. 30euro or so, i was expecting better. ive tried aerating the soil with forking and i plan on helping the ph with calcium or iron suplhate as suggested before. now its raking time.. ive raked parts but i have a large back garden(for dublin suburbs) and a medium sized front and side entrance so i was browsing moss removal machines.

    has anyone had any experience with these? can they do a decent job raking it up? heres an example
    http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/Product.asp?iProductID=13870

    they seem to be about 60-70 euro but if it makes a bi-yearly moss raking easy then i dont mind spending on it.especially if it saves me putting out 30 euro a year for moss killer.


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 451 ✭✭Irish Gardener


    Hello theTinker.
    whatever peoples opinions of a moss removal machine (scarifier), you will still have to apply a moss killer to your lawn before using them.
    Also using a scarifier twice a year is very severe on lawn grass especially the stolon grasses.
    Stolon grasses send out runners above ground to spread and create new grass plants.
    Excessive use of a scarifier will damage this process.
    One a year scarification should be sufficent.


  • Registered Users Posts: 169 ✭✭hughm


    Howdy...

    Been there done that.

    Our garden was very mossy especially in the shaded parts. For 3 years I put down the weed and feed but never got rid of all the moss and all the thatch that had build up over 50 years.

    As the moss dies if you don't get rid of it all it just builds up.

    I used a scarifer (moss removal machine). It's like a big lawn mower but it whacks at the ground with a row of chain like bits and effectively rakes out all of the moss. It also removed most of the grass by the way so be prepared for a brown garden and to re-seed your entire lawn if the moss is pretty much everywhere as was the case in my lawn.


    The Good news...it worked I now have no moss. Totally worth it in the long run. No more yellow lawn. lovely green again.

    The Bad news. You can't just do this and walk away. The moss did return. It crept back during the late wet autumn months when I was no longer cutting as much and generally ignoring the grass.

    So stay on top of you weed and feed to prevent it getting a grip again. It will start to creep back otherwise.

    Good luck.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,514 ✭✭✭Sleipnir


    Lawn feed & weedkiller woudn't really work on moss, you need lawn sand (Or evergreen complete - more expensive) which you can pick up in places like woodies. You will need to water it in and then rake out the moss with the scarifyer about 3 weeks later.

    My lawn had a terrible moss problem and I bought an electric scarifier (bosch - 100 euro in B and Q) which was very good at removing the moss. However, once I had gotten the moss out I realized that there wasn't much grass in the first place! So I dug it (2,200 sq feet) and re-seeded. Now I can keep the moss growth in check using lawn sand.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Extensive moss growth in a lawn indicates lack of feeding but more likely lingering damp/poor drainage. Relatively easy to remove moss, best doemn with scarifier, you can hire an excellent unit for as little as € 30 +/- /day. However, you need to tackle the cause otherwise moss will return.

    In sever cases this will demand digging/rotoavting the whole area and supplementing poor soil with soil conditioner/lawn sand and fresh topsoil as required. You can in less severe caes use (also avilable on hire) an aerator which essentially spike the ground to create air shutes wwhich allows oxygen to penetrate the roots and improve growth. Brush in lawn sand and feed x 2 (Spring and Autumn) /year.

    A good lawn is great but demands a lot of effort, but with some persistance it will re-pay your efforts with great dividends.


  • Registered Users Posts: 136 ✭✭Ben Moore


    mod Edit,

    Ben your post was removed as it's years old and you have only 2 posts, so it appears as if you joined to advertise a product (not allowed here), you may not have but those two things together result in your post being removed.


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