Hi Team, Please see attached picture. I have these "green soft" patches in my lawn which is not grass (comparing to rest of lawn). These comes out easily with bare hand. What are these? Moses?
I actually once tried to remove with hand, aerated a bit & put top dressing & then put grass seed. But nothing much happenned & these guys came back. any help is appreciated
Hi @Navjotkr,
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is wonderful to have you with us.
It looks like you have African club moss (Selaginella kraussiana) which is more like a low-lying fern than true moss. It forms soft, dense green mats that pull up quite easily by hand, which matches your description.
Like true moss, African club moss tends to establish in damp, compacted or shaded areas where the lawn isn't growing strongly. Simply pulling it out and reseeding often isn't enough, as it will return if those conditions remain.
I'd recommend removing as much of it as possible by hand, making sure to lift out all of the creeping stems. Then thoroughly aerate the area to relieve compaction and improve drainage and airflow through the soil. Check out How to aerate your lawn for some guidance.
If the ground is quite compacted, topdressing after aerating will help create better conditions for grass roots to establish. A quality topdress mix like https://www.bunnings.com.au/scotts-lawn-builder-25l-organic-based-lawn-soil-topdress_p1097031 , mixed with a bit of sand will help both with drainage and establishing grass in the bare spots.
Once you've improved the soil, overseed the area or patch it with new turf so the grass can quickly fill in any bare spots. Applying a suitable lawn fertiliser at the same time will encourage the grass to establish faster and outcompete the club moss.
It's also worth looking at why it has established in the first place. If the area is heavily shaded, receives frequent watering, or stays damp for long periods after rain, adjusting those conditions where possible will make it much harder for the club moss to return. Anything you can do to improve drainage, airflow and sun exposure will help.
A dense, healthy lawn is the best long-term defence against it. With the right conditions, a healthy lawn should gradually outcompete the African club moss and prevent it from returning.
Let me know if you have any further questions.
Jacob
Thanks @JacobZ . I actually tried aerating earlier & applied fertiliser along with seed. I will give it a go again perhaps post Melbourne rainy winter??
Really this area is wet as it is close to magnolia plants but it does get little sun but not as much as rest. I will let you know how I progress. Thanks again for great advice.
That sounds like a good plan. I'd wait until the weather starts to warm up in spring before trying again, as your lawn will be actively growing and much better able to establish and compete with the club moss.
The combination of the nearby magnolias and reduced sunlight is likely what's allowing it to thrive. If you can improve airflow or let a little more light into the area by selectively pruning the magnolias, that may also help over the long term.
Please do keep us updated on your progress. We'd love to see how it comes along, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions along the way.
Mitchell
