"If soil is poorly drained, add peat moss, vermiculite, wool pellets, or other amendments to promote better drainage," says Myers. If the infection is severe, a liquid fungicide may be necessary.

There are plenty of alternatives to peat moss, like peat-free compost and coconut coir. Learn why peat moss has lost favor among gardeners, and make the change!

Q.: I've had snow mold in my yard, but that is not my problem now. I have a lot of moss in my grass, especially in the back yard, which is very shady. Someone has told me to rake it ...

Harvesting peat moss destroys that ecosystem, and the supply will be depleted given the slow regeneration rate. More sustainable approaches. ... Compost and leaf mold, for instance, ...

Since the 1950s, sphagnum peat moss has been a common ingredient in potting soils sold in the United States. It is typically mixed with white specks of perlite, a mineral that is expanded by heating.

Rotted sawdust, leaf mold or the abundance of organic matter in garden waste compost also can compensate for the absence of vermiculite, a mined mineral with as many environmental issues as peat moss.