Looks like sphagnum moss. You wouldn't happen to have a septic leach field underneath that part of the lawn, would you?

The other weed looks very similar to what I call Creeping Charlie. Don't know the scientific name, though. It is a real pest. I have found that broadleaf herbicides will take it out (2,4-D will do it), however it seems to be good at seeding itself down and the runners go like crazy so once established, it is a recurring process of spraying it out every couple years.

That does look similar to Sphagnum moss and if it is that means you have a soil problem. Spraying a poison around is not a cure since all you are doing is treating the symptom of the real problem. Start working on solving this by contacting your local office of the University of Connecticut USDA Cooperative Extension Service about having a good reliable soil test done so you know what your soils pH is (and why it is) and what the nutrient levels of your soil are. You can also dig in with these simple soil tests to see what your soil is like now (most often I find mosses grow on soils lacking adequate levels of organic matter),

1. Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top.

2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up.

3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart.

4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell.

5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.
and what is needed to make that soil good and healthy.

Thank you for all the great info. Looks like I'll be doing some digging & testing soon.

beeone:

Actually, our next door neighbors put in a new septic system 4-5 years ago and their fields abut our property. In this picture you can see the rise which is the field on the other side of our fence:
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Their yard is also situated above us on a slight hill. Could this be contributing? Any info regarding this would be greatly appreciated.

Also what do you mean by "2,4-D"?

Thanks.

Dave

Dave, mosses in lawns are usually the result of more than one cause, included are compact soils, low fertility, shade, dampness...getting rid of it will often take correcting any of those conditions that may contribute. Any area where your grass is a little weak to begin with can offer a foothold...and most moss is happier in an acidic soil than one with a higher ph.

As for the creeping charlie, the timing of the chemical application is important, and since it produces seed as well as spreading by runners, I wouldn't treat just every couple of years...it's going to take more consistent attention to get rid of it. There an interesting discussion of it here on Yard Doctor Forum, pay attention to the responses by Yard Doctor (Trey Rogers) and don't use the borax :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Creeping Charlie

I see the berm in the background on your neighbor's. Speculation at best is all I can do about whether the septic might be contributing, though. It all depends on your soils and the direction of underground water flow. Subsurface water in my area typically follows the lay of the land, so the general slope of the surface is the general direction of groundwater. Periodically, we will have underground "dikes" of soil/materials which are quite different that the surrounding subsurface which will create a block and the water flowing from uphill will start to surface at this point. If the neighbor's septic was bermed up, that is usually due to a high water table and the septic must maintain a separation from that water table. In these circumstances, unless the septic is being overloaded with water, nothing should be surfacing in your yard unless you already had moisture there.

Even if the septic is contributing water which is surfacing in your yard, I would expect that what others are suggesting about soil conditions should be investigated thoroughly. The only moss that grows in my country is on the north side of buildings, and usually only if there are sprinklers, so I rarely see moss. But, my very limited understanding on controlling moss is that there are underlying issues with the soil that can probably be addressed and improve the situation even if moisture levels are not changed--unless, of course, you live on a former peat bog.

I mention spraying the creeping charlie every few years because I don't really see it as that big of a problem in the lawn--it is green and low growing, although it does seem to choke out the lawn grass, so periodically I thin it out, but that is all I really care to do, and it has seeded itself down so well that only all out war will eliminate it and I can think of a lot of better things to occupy my time with. Perennial flower beds are a different story, though. In beds it is a real pest and I will pull-till-Roundup it out any time I am weeding them.

Thanks folks for the info.

I'm more than happy to take a systemic approach to getting rid of the sphagnum but I'm still curious as to whether or not there is an effective "killer" available to eliminate it quicker. It is widespread & I want it gone. It's forming an underlying "carpet" throughout the lawn that my mower sinks into & makes it very diificult to mow.

Again, any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Dave

To solve the moss problem long term, you'll have to address the underlying problem that is weakening the grass and promoting the moss. However, the following site does give some measures you can try that might make a difference in the short term while you work on the rest.

http://bryophytes.science.oregonstate.edu/page22.htm

2,4-D is a very old and common broadleaf herbicide. Many lawn and garden products contain 2,4-D, just have to read the chemical analysis on the labels to find it, and it is found in some of the weed and feed fertilizers. In general, it will not harm grasses but is very hard on broadleaves. It acts as a growth stimulator and causes the weed to grow itself to death. You have to be careful using it as some desirable broadleaves are highly sensitive and it will give off vapors which may travel if weather conditions don't favor dispersal of the vapors. Among the highly sensitive desirable plants are green ash, tomatoes, and squash (I won't park an empty sprayer under a green ash, within a day you will see leaf damage starting to appear on the ash, and I won't spray it within 30 feet of the garden). 2,4-D is usually found in one of 2 formulations, 2,4-D Amine and 2,4-D Ester. The ester form tends to to be "hotter", but it also vaporizes more and thus can more easily cause damage to sensitive non-target plants. I think the amine form is probably the most commonly used because of the lower risk of vapors moving off target. For creeping charlie, using a weed and feed product will probably take care of the problem even if it doesn't have 2,4-D because it will have other broadleaf weed herbicides.

Lime it good and the moss will die.

2,4, D is a broadleaf weed killer that the USEPA has found common in your drinking water and has found it can cause nervous system, liver, and kidney damage. They have established 70 ppm as the MCL (Maximum Contaminent Level) in drinking water but there is increasing evidence that this product causes harm at lower levels.

Here is a link that might be useful: About 2,4, D