Use iron sulfate correctly against moss in the lawn

For the appearance of moss in the race there can be different causes. Many hobby gardeners swear by the use of iron sulfate for quick control. You can find out everything you need to know below.

Clarify the causes before use

Iron sulfate is also known under the names ferrous sulfate, green salt or iron vitriol. As a rule, it is manufactured technically. Meanwhile, when lawn Fighting moss can be used. It is very often available in stores in combination with fertilizer and at the same time ensures good growth and ultimately a lush green lawn. When using green salt, moss dies in a very short time, in about five to ten days, because it cannot tolerate iron. It then turns brown to black and can easily be combed out of the lawn with a rake. After treatment with iron sulphate, no moss will grow back so quickly at this point. However, the use of green salt in the garden is not entirely without it.

Especially when combating moss in the lawn, it should be clarified in detail before using green salt which causes are responsible for the formation. These can be:

• Waterlogging in the ground
• heavily compacted, heavy soil
• too low pH
• ideal pH between 5 and 7
• Nutritional deficiency
• irregular mowing
• Mowing too short
• generally wrong care
• incorrect lawn mix for the site
• insufficient preparation of the soil before sowing

It is important that traceable causes for the moss infestation are eliminated, even if it has been combated with iron sulfate in the meantime. Otherwise there will always be a new formation and a regular use of iron sulfate is not necessarily recommended for the sake of the environment.

Note: Most of the time, moss forms when the pH value of the soil is too low. Here you can easily regulate the value of lime. However, this can only be measured again after three to four weeks.

Note environmental pollution

The use of iron sulfate in the garden is not really entirely harmless. The soil is adversely affected, which ultimately leads to pollution of the environment. Due to the sulfuric acid contained in green salt, it has a caustic effect in connection with liquids. This already shows that appropriate protective measures are necessary when handling iron sulphate. This includes:

• Avoid contact with skin and eyes
• causes skin and eye irritation
• Wear protective goggles and gloves
• however, these must be resistant to chemicals
• We recommend long clothing and sturdy shoes
• not on stone slabs, garden furniture, walls, etc. raise
• there formation of brown spots, not removable
• Damage to nearby plants is possible

In addition, areas that have already been treated should not be stepped on, because footprints on pavement slabs can no longer be removed.

Attention: Always store iron sulfate out of the reach of pets and children.

Apply iron sulfate correctly

Due to the adverse health effects, careful handling is required. The trade offers green salt as granules and also in liquid form. The best time to use it is in the spring between March and April, but September to October is also possible. However, it should not be spread in the winter months. When using it, there are a few things to consider, such as:

• not used in hot weather above 25 ° C
• avoid full sun
• ideal slightly damp weather
• alternatively, irrigate the lawn beforehand
• Floor temperature above 10 ° C required
• Mow the lawn a week beforehand
• ideal stalk height 3 to 4 cm
• Moss can absorb funds better
• Add the green salt to the watering water
• Use a watering can with a shower attachment or a pressure syringe
• even application on lawn
• Do not step on the treated area for at least two days
• Prevent children and pets from entering

After about five to ten days, the moss will have died. It has a brownish to black color and can now easily be combed out of the lawn with a rake. Scarifying the entire area is even better.

Note: The dead plant parts must not be disposed of on the compost as they are contaminated with the chemical. Simply put in the residual waste.

Alternatively, green salt in the form of granules can also be used. The procedure is as follows:

• either dissolution in the irrigation water or
• Spreading in the spreader
• important to apply evenly
• Then water the lawn well

About two weeks after the treatment, the resulting gaps in the lawn can be closed again with lawn seeds.

If the moss infestation is very severe, the treatment must be repeated in August or September. It is also advisable here, especially if more than 20 percent of the entire lawn area is affected, to remove most of the moss mechanically in advance by pulling out or pricking. Then green salt can be used.

Correctly dose iron sulfate

The best results are achieved when using green salt in liquid form. For this, however, the dosage is decisive. A maximum of 25 grams of green salt should be applied to one square meter. Under no circumstances should this amount be exceeded. For the dosage this means:

• for watering can dissolve 250 grams in 10 liters of water
• Use of lukewarm water
• thereby better solubility
• Uniform application of 10 liters on 10 square meters

For a pressure sprayer, however, 10 milliliters should be dissolved in 10 liters of water.

Prevention is better than cure

For the sake of the environment, the use of chemical agents should be avoided as far as possible. Nevertheless, moss infestation in the lawn does not have to be. This can be prevented by various measures such as:

• More care required in shady, damp places
• The length of the straw should be longer (10 to 12 cm) than in a sunny spot
• Avoid waterlogging
• Sprinkling in the morning
• Lawn can dry out until evening
• Regularly loosen up the soil by scarifying
• mow once a week
• no shorter than 5 to 7 cm
• Spring and autumn application of slow release fertilizer
• possibly administration of calcium cyanamide
• if necessary, regulate the pH of the soil
• therefor giving lime
• optimal pH value 5 to 7

Tip: In order not to unnecessarily pollute the environment with chemicals, green salt should be avoided. Instead, moss in the lawn can also be combated by regularly scarifying the soil.

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