Best lawn treatments: lawn feeds, weed and moss killers

If your lawn is relatively trouble-free, a standard lawn feed will help you keep it in good condition. However, if you're tackling a garden plagued with moss and weeds, you'll need a lawn treatment designed to tackle those issues. Our expert advice guide can help.

Whether you're struggling to control moss, weeds or both, there's a lawn treatment that can help, but they don't all do an excellent job. Some will work wonders for your grass (but not make a dent in the weeds and moss), while others do a better job at controlling weeds.

We've tested several lawn treatments from big-name garden brands, including Evergreen, Miracle-Gro and Scotts, to see which will keep your garden looking its best.

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Best lawn feeds

These feed the grass , which is all most lawns need to keep them looking good. If you want to feed the grass as well as kill moss or weeds, look further down for products that contain both or even all three.

Join Which? to get access to all our Best Buys and lawn treatment reviews. We’ve tested lawn treatments from brands including Miracle-Gro, Neudorff and Vitax, but only the very best make a Best Buy.

Best lawn weed killers

Some products are just weedkillers, while other contain lawn food too.

Join Which? to get access to all our Best Buys and lawn treatment reviews. We’ve tested lawn treatments from brands including Miracle-Gro, Neudorff and Chempak, but only the very best make a Best Buy.

Best moss killers

Some of these products just contain moss killer, while other contain lawn food and/or weed killer.

Join Which? to get access to all our Best Buys and lawn treatment reviews. We’ve tested lawn treatments from brands including Miracle-Gro, Neudorff and Vitax, but only the very best make a Best Buy.

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Granular vs liquid lawn treatment: which is best for killing moss and weeds?

The type of product shouldn't make a difference to how well it handles weeds and moss. Typically, granular treatments are easier to spread over large areas than liquid ones, but a Best Buy liquid feed shouldn't have any advantages over a Best Buy granular one at controlling weeds and moss.

We have also tested weed suppressing membranes, to help you find the best for keeping down weeds in your garden.

Which treatment does your lawn need? 

Healthy grass is your best defence against the build-up of moss and weeds. Choose a Best Buy lawn feed to make sure your grass is fighting fit and ready to take on the mossy scourge.

If you're lucky enough to get only the odd weed, then dig them out or spray them with a Best Buy weed killer. If your garden is large then using a liquid lawn feed could be a real chore. Granular is usually easier to spread over larger areas, but liquid feed could be ideal for smaller plots. Typically, you'll need to reapply it every six to eight weeks to see results.

How to deal with moss

Moss thrives in the shade and you'll often find it growing under trees. Consider cutting back some of the lower branches, thinning the coverage and letting more light through. If it's compacted, pushing a garden fork into your turf every 15cm or so will get some much-needed air back into your grass. This will also help prevent moss.

You should regularly move heavy items around the garden, so the grass underneath can get a breather. And if you've been using moss killer then remember to rake away the dead moss. You'll need to seed the bare patches with more grass otherwise the moss could simply regrow. Help the new grass grow quicker by adding some top dressing to the bare patches.

For more details on tackling moss, take a look at our guide on moss control.

How to beat weeds without chemicals 

If you'd rather not use chemicals on your lawn, you're going to need to get your hands dirty. Dig out the weeds, making sure to get as much of the root as possible. Re-sow the area with grass seed. The more grass you have the less likely weeds are to grow, so you can always overseed your lawn to thicken it. Rake up any debris on your lawn first then spread grass seed over your entire plot. If it doesn't rain then water the seed, too.

Why Which? lawn feed reviews are better

• We tested 48 lawn treatment products to see how good they were on a family lawn. We tried out 18 feeds, including those that contain a weedkiller. We also tried treatments that only tackle moss or lawn weeds.
• Each treatment was applied in line with the manufacturer’s instructions at the recommended intervals, and the grass was mown once a week.
• Our testers assessed the grass monthly, over five months, looking at the quality, colour and health of the turf. They also measured the proportion of weeds and live grass. For mossy areas, they measured the moss coverage at the start, and how much was killed by the treatment.
• They also assessed how easy the product was to use and apply, and whether it caused damage to the lawn.

Looking to upgrade your gardening tools? See our reviews of the best lawn mowers, best grass trimmers and best leaf blowers.