Knowledgebase

Getting rid of moss growing on a sport court #745588

Asked April 21, 2021, 7:18 PM EDT

We have a sport court with a surface that allows water to drain through. It is on a low point in our backyard so mud tends to settle under it. It is a perfect breeding place for moss. While we can scrape it, it is not an easy project to dissemble the sportcourt surface and dig it all out. We would like to remove the moss and wondered whether there is a safe spray to kill it; but we are also concerned about spraying chemicals as we have a well nearby and wish to avoid contaminating our drinking water. My husband picked up BioAdvanced Brush Killer plus. Is this a bad choice? If so, what do you recommend? Part 2 of the question is whether the Brush Killer is ok to use generally as we are clearing out some of the woods and added a wooded garden. I can see that tree roots and brush will be a problem as they are tough to get rid of once and for all. Again, this is near the well. Thanks, Barbara

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

Moss tends to grow where other plants can't, namely wet or compacted soil, acidic soil (low pH) etc. They are surface growers without roots.  There are multiple ways to remove the moss, both toxic and non-toxic. 

We wouldn't use the Brush Killer. 

Has light power washing been tried yet? Soapy water and a push broom or edge?

The problem is that we expect it will return unless you regularly clean it or do something to change the area beneath the court, like having a drain installed.

We don't have expertise with play courts and suggest contacting the court manufacturer, like this one, for their thoughts:

www.sportmaster.net/maintenance/#:~:text=2%20parts%20household%20bleach%2C%20mixed,usually%20sufficient%20for%20general%20cleaning. 
The Brush-Killer is most appropriate for invasive plants and vines (which you can cut low and paint the herbicide on with a sponge brush). You may have some good natives in the area that you may want to keep- if you send photos we can help you identify. In the meantime, here is our page on invasive plants:

https://extension.umd.edu/resources/yard-garden/invasive-species/invasive-woody-plants

and https://www.invasive.org/alien/pubs/midatlantic/midatlantic.pdf

How close is your well? How deep? Used at a distance from a good depth well (some are hundreds of feet deep) you should be o.k.

You may feel most comfortable checking out the active ingredients in any pesticide/herbicides you use by contacting the National Pesticide Information Center- both their website info and phone line: http://www.npic.orst.edu/

No matter what, ALWAYS read and follow label instructions carefully and completely. The label is the law.

Christine

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