Summary

  • Baking soda raises pH levels, creating an unwelcoming environment for moss growth.
  • To kill moss with this household ingredient, irrigate the area, prepare a solution, and spray evenly.
  • For alternative moss-killing methods, consider vinegar, soap, or salt.

Moss in lawn and garden areas is a nightmare for any property owner. Weeds can be pulled out and mushrooms dug up, but moss is not so easy to remove once it shows up. But luckily, you probably already have the answer to this lawn problem in one of your cabinets! Baking soda is versatile in the kitchen, and it makes an effective home remedy for powering through stubborn patches of moss.

Use this common household item, otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, to eliminate moss growth in your outdoor spaces to restore that clean and green look to your backyard oasis.

What Is Lawn and Garden Moss, Anyway?

Where does this clinging little green nightmare come from?

Moss growing on rocks close up
Moss covered rocks in a garden area, close up view
Image credits: Aldo Hernandez via Pexels

Moss is a fascinating plant species that has existed since the late Ordovician period, over 450 million years ago. As one of the world's oldest plants, moss lives all over the planet and in nearly every ecosystem imaginable, from tropical rainforests to mountain peaks and everywhere in between. It's a tough plant, which makes it difficult to kill moss when it appears in lawn and garden areas.

  • It has a spongy texture and a bright green hue, and in nature, it helps break down rock.
  • The process releases minerals into the soil, allowing for better nutrient absorption by plants and animals in the surrounding area.
  • With these nutrients available, plant life grows healthier and more abundant, helping create a balanced ecosystem with plenty of vegetation for wildlife.

Mosses are incredibly versatile plants because they don't need soil or roots to survive. Instead, they absorb water through their capillary spaces and use it for energy. It easily grows on rocks, tree trunks, buildings, lawns, and gardens. However, if left unchecked, it quickly becomes an overwhelming presence.

What Is Baking Soda, Exactly?

The ingredient you see every day

baking soda in a jar next to plant and spray bottle
Baking soda with spray bottle and plant on a table
Image credits: aomas via Shutterstock

Baking soda is one of those household products that's everywhere. Though it is used in baking, it has gone on to become a famous household hack that can be used for everything from polishing to removing grime to garden care.

  • Scientifically, it is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), a combination of sodium, a natural metal, and bicarbonate, a naturally occurring human byproduct that can be created in a lab.
  • All that science boils down to a white powder that actually works as a leavener, which creates air bubbles.
  • Sodium bicarbonate helps make cakes, cookies, and breads fluffier because of those bubbles, which is why this is such a go-to baking ingredient that tends to appear frequently.

Commercial baking soda was first created in a kitchen by two brothers-in-law, who marketed it as Arm & Hammer Church & Co's bicarbonate of soda. They introduced the product with small cookbooks showcasing how the ingredient could be used in various sweet treats. The marketing campaign worked, and sodium bicarbonate soon became a household product...though luckily, it would get a catchier name.

A hundred years later, the re-branded sodium bicarbonate was being used to absorb bad refrigerator smells and for every household cleaning task under the sun. It is even useful for polishing silver and taking on other delicate household cleaning tasks. Always test baking soda before using it anywhere, whether you're cleaning carpet or polishing metal, to make sure there are no negative reactions.

In Australia, baking soda is more commonly known as bicarb soda, a nickname for sodium bicarbonate.

How to Kill Moss With Baking Soda

Eliminate this pesky problem

Baking soda on spoon in mossy lawn
Teaspoon full of baking soda sitting on a lawn
Image credits: SimnyN via Shutterstock

Sodium bicarbonate is an effective way to get rid of moss in your garden and around your home. It's non-toxic, so it won't harm wildlife, and it is relatively inexpensive. Plus, it's easy to apply! Killing moss with this product is an accessible method that won't break the bank.

The chemical process of how this works is pretty simple:

  • Sodium bicarbonate raises the pH level around moss.
  • It is important to consider this because moss prefers a growing environment of pH 5.0 to 6.0, which is slightly acidic.
  • The higher pH level creates a less welcoming environment for moss growth and helps kill off existing moss quickly.

Step 1

Give the moss a thorough soaking. Grab your garden hose and turn on the water, making sure you get all the moss covered in water. You want it to be nice and wet, so the baking soda seeps into all the crevices. Let the water soak into the moss for two to three hours before moving on to the next step.

Step 2

Create a solution to treat the moss. Start by pouring 1 cup of baking soda into a large container, then pour in 1 gallon of water and shake well. For a smaller batch of moss-killing solution, combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 cup of water.

Step 3

Pour the mixture into a spray bottle to use directly on the moss. The bottle can be refilled as needed to treat larger areas of moss. Work on one section at a time systematically to apply solution to all mossy areas.

Step 4

Test a small section of moss first, spraying a single affected area. Wait one hour to check for any unexpected reactions and if all looks well, you're ready to treat the moss.

Step 5

Apply the sodium bicarbonate mixture evenly over the moss-covered areas, wetting it thoroughly. You may need to spray multiple times for large patches of moss.

Step 6

Try not to spray other plants or grass in the area, as the mixture could damage them.

Step 7

When you're done spraying, wait a few weeks and see how things look. If dead moss is still present or new growth appears, reapply the solution and repeat until all the moss is dead. This may take up to two or three months. With patience and persistence, you'll soon have a moss-free garden.

Wear gloves when mixing and applying the DIY moss killer, as the solution may irritate your skin.

Try Some Other Ways to Kill Moss

Explore your options to be rid of moss

Moss covered log close up
Log covered in moss
Image credits: Yuphayao Pooh's via Shutterstock

If a baking soda spray doesn't seem like an ideal solution for killing off your moss, you can get rid of this invasive problem in other ways.

Sprinkling it with sodium bicarbonate may do the trick. Or, use other solutions such as vinegar, soap, and salt. They have mild-to-moderate effectiveness when you use them on moss, but these may damage surrounding plants or grass.

Moss Killer

How to Use

How It Works

Vinegar

Mix 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar into 1 gallon of cold water. Use this solution in a spray bottle, applying the mixture directly to the moss. Give the moss a heavy soaking and then let it sit for an hour. Once the solution has soaked into the moss, use a scrub brush or rake to remove the moss from around walkways, in the lawn, and in garden areas. Walkways and hardscapes can be further scrubbed with soap and water to remove all traces of moss.

Vinegar's acidic nature essentially "burns" the exposed parts of plants above the soil, including moss, but does not affect the roots of plants. It is safe to use in all lawn and garden areas, but may damage the tips of surrounding plants when used to kill moss.

Soap

Combine 4 tablespoons of liquid dish soap with 1 gallon of water. Mix well to create soapy water that can be used in a spray bottle. Apply this directly to the moss. Repeat the process daily until the moss turns brown. When this happens, it can be raked or scrubbed away with a brush.

Soap works to kill plants on a cellular level, breaking down the lipids in plant cells and causing destruction at a microscopic level. Soap is a highly effective moss killer but it will kill all plants the exact same way, so you must be careful when using it.

Salt

Salt can be placed directly on unwanted plants and on the soil around the plants, with no special treatment or application process needed. The salt soaks up moisture, taking it away from plants. Salt dries out plants, including moss, but it also spoils the soil under plants and can prevent anything from growing in the soil for many years.

Salt has been used to kill unwanted vegetation for centuries because it is so highly effective. However, salt can be too effective. It sinks into the soil and robs it of moisture, preventing plant growth for up to several years. Rock salt and even common table salt are both highly effective at this.

How to Get Rid of Dead Moss

Moss disposal is an essential step

Moss covering a fallen log
Moss growing on a fallen log
Image credits: Freedom my wing via Shutterstock
 

Dead moss has a surprising number of uses. Moss has a ton of qualities that make it highly useful, as long as it's not in your lawn or garden! There are a few ways to dispose of moss that allow nature to take advantage of some of its good properties.

  • Add it to your compost. As long as the compost pile contains no more than one-fifth moss, it makes a good addition because moss takes a long time to break down. As long as you used baking soda and no chemicals other than sodium bicarbonate to remove moss, it can contribute to your garden in new ways. Moss takes a couple to a few years to break down, depending on how much there is, so find other uses for moss if speed is a factor in your compost pile.
  • Create small piles near trees. It will look a bit strange at first, but only for a couple of days, if you place little piles of moss near trees. Birds and other animals use moss to build their nests, so you can help spread the moss love around a little.
  • Try selling it! Moss is a not unheard-of material in the world of arts and crafts, where it can be used in several different ways. You may not become a moss millionaire, but you can probably cover the cost of a couple of boxes of baking soda!
  • Save a little as kindling. Dry moss is a highly flammable material. If you have a fireplace or a fire pit, consider saving some moss and drying it out for use as kindling. It can be especially helpful on camping trips. You don't have to kill moss totally. Some of it can be useful!

Moss should only be used in a hot compost bin that will kill the moss. While unlikely, there is a chance that some still-living moss could take hold in your garden again when it returns as compost.

Mind Your After-Moss Lawn Care

Get your yard flourishing again

well mowed lawn with house and trees in the background
Mowed lawn with landscaping and houses in the background
Image credits: Andrey Sayfutdinov via Shutterstock

After moss has taken over lawn and garden areas, and you remove it, you will be left with bare patches and damaged areas. Repair these areas after you kill moss to restore your outdoor spaces.

  • Notice where the moss was growing.
  • Moss tends to thrive in shaded areas, places where sun-loving grass does not fare so well.
  • If you have a particularly shady area with a big moss problem, you may want to think about planting a shade garden.
  • The presence of other plants will prevent the growth of moss, and now you'll have another feature for your yard.
  • Moss also likes wet areas, so persistent moss may be an indication of a drainage problem.

Overseed lawn areas where moss was growing. Plant grass seeds by loosely broadcasting them by hand directly onto the soil and water well. To encourage quick growth, mix grass seed directly into compost and place this in areas that look sparse and damaged due to moss growth.

You'll Moss-t Definitely Want to Try This

With some simple preparation and application, you will start seeing results.

Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, is one of the best solutions to kill moss in your yard. With some simple preparation and application, you will start seeing results.

Begin your gardening journey today and use this all-natural solution to bring out the beauty within your outdoor space. Don't let moss stand in the way of achieving the amazing landscape you've dreamed of! A clean, green, moss-free space will await you after treatment, all thanks to the powers of baking soda.