You don’t have to put up with moss anymore! Maybe for the first time in years, you can grow grass and bedding plants, shrubs and trees, without having moss encroaching everywhere you garden. To put it bluntly, moss shouldn’t be an issue unless you want it.

Why do you have moss in the first place? Three reasons: the area is shaded much of the day, the soil tends to be moist most of the time, and the soil is acidic. Combined, these factors rule out growing anything except moss.

Here is the step-by-step procedure for eliminating moss:

1. Apply iron sulfate wherever you find moss. Use a hose-end sprayer. Add 2 heaping teaspoons of iron sulfate to the jar, then a few ounces of water. Stir to dissolve the granules. Add more water to the 2-gallon mark on the jar, move the nozzle deflector to the “down” position, and spray the contents over a 1,000 square foot mossy area. The spray won’t harm the grass. If rain follows, so much the better. Within 72 hours, the moss will die to the roots.

2. When the moss browns, sanitize the area with a bamboo rake, not a steel rake. Rake as much of the dead moss as possible, eventually using a dustpan to collect moss raked from the soil. The area should be free of moss when you’re through.

3. If you leave things alone, you haven’t solved the problem; the conditions that led to the moss in the first place are still in place. New moss will invade the area in a matter of weeks unless you remove one or more of the conditions favorable to the moss. The easiest condition to eliminate with minimal expense and effort is stopping the soil from holding water.

You have probably never come across “the product” that stops soil from holding water. Now, you know. The product is “Super Wet.” It’s not a pesticide. It is a non-ionic liquid concentrate of ethoxylated fatty acid esters that stops soil particles from absorbing water.

Having killed and raked the dead moss, treat the area with Super Wet. Using a hose-end sprayer, add 8 ounces of Super Wet to the jar, no water, move the deflector to the “down” position and spray the contents over a 1,000 square foot area. If you are only treating a 500 square foot area, use 4 ounces of Super Wet. Try to schedule the spray before rain since it washes the product into the soil so much faster. One week later, repeat the application. Moss won’t return for at least 6-plus months.

4. With the soil unable to retain water, you have many options to consider for re-landscaping the area. You can grow grass if you want, preferably one of the turf-type tall fescues that does well in shade; avoid fine-fescue since it has become an increasing target of gray leaf spot disease that destroys grass in short order. Shade-loving annuals may be considered along with dwarf shrubs, especially boxwood, along with some perennials.

5. A positive factor in subsequent plant growth is providing alkaline soil, even for boxwood. Where the moss grew, the soil pH was probably acidic. Liming the soil now will help grass and plants growing there. Ground limestone is probably your best option, applying enough to start the change from acid to alkaline soil.

6. Finally, where will you find Super Wet? Your local nursery doesn’t stock the product, neither do chain stores. UPS will deliver Super Wet to your home in a matter of days after calling or ordering by phone or e-mail. A gallon container retails around $27, plus shipping charges.

With a credit card on hand, call 1-800-721-6003 and ask to have a gallon of Super Wet delivered to your address.