The sight of a deep green carpet of moss may be charming in the woods, but in a carefully cultivated and manicured lawn in a garden or between paving stones, it is a declaration of war for most gardeners. Try using the power of ordinary wood ash this time.
Chemistry is certainly a relatively quick solution to the problem of moss overgrown lawns, but at the same time we must realize that, unfortunately, we also burden the soil and groundwater with substances that definitely do not belong in nature. Ash, this seemingly waste product from the fireplace or stove, is actually an ingenious tool that can change the chemistry of the garden in a natural way so that the moss simply “loses its footing”. Therefore, it will be good to think about wood ash, which the soil can handle without any problems.
You can also remove moss from the garden according to the YouTube video on the Vidlák channel:
Understand the principles of pH
The way to success is to understand the principle of pH of the soil on the plot that we want to keep without moss cushions. Moss is literally a master of survival in an acidic environment, where most noble grasses and plants do not thrive. That is why we find it mainly in the forest, where it finds such conditions without problems, just like other plants that love lower pH values. and others. But this is not the case with the “green” we want to see around the house.
Without acidic soil, there will be no moss
This is precisely why wood ash, which contains a high amount of calcium, potassium and magnesium, is coming into service at this very moment. These are substances that increase the pH of the soil, i.e. actually reduce its acidity. As soon as the environment gets rid of excess acidity, the moss begins to die quickly, making way for plants, which on the other hand will welcome this change. In addition, the ash acts as a mineral fertilizer that easily strengthens the lawn and increases its resistance to drought and various diseases.
Feeling and experience
After all, using this burnt helper requires a bit of feeling, experience and, above all, the right timing, so that its effect is as good as possible. The most suitable time comes precisely in early spring (but also in autumn), when the soil is moist and plant life is at a standstill. that we want to use for our mission must be soft and, of course, also perfectly chilled. It will be best if you pass it through a fine sieve before application. When scattering, we must make sure that the layer is uniform and very thin. After all, the goal is not to create a gray crust on the lawn, but to give the soil a gentle bath full of minerals.
It takes the right timing
It is best to choose a time before the rain for such lawn treatment, which will flush the necessary substances directly to the roots and at the same time prevent the ash from being blown by the wind, for example, to the neighboring land. Just follow the weather forecast for a few days and the effect of our anti-moss intervention in the garden will be much stronger.
Don’t destroy the plants you want in your garden
Although experts confirm the positive effects of such an intervention in the fight against moss in places where we definitely do not want to see it, on the other hand, they also warn against recklessly sprinkling ash over the entire garden. There is a group of acidophilic plants (rhododendrons, azaleas, blueberries) for which increasing the pH with ash would mean serious problems. These species directly require an acidic environment, and increasing the pH with ash would cause them yellowing of the leaves and other major problems, which can often end with the entire plant drying up.
It’s not just chemistry
An interesting fact is that wood ash not only affects the moss chemically, but also physically. Its fine particles will disrupt the structure of the moss pillow and limit its ability to retain moisture, which is so important to it. If we also combine this method with verticulation – i.e. aeration of the soil – and illumination of shaded areas, we will get rid of moss in the long term. And that is exactly what we need.
