How to treat moss and algae on a tennis court

HOW DO I KILL MOSS ON A TENNIS COURT?

Well, the first thing you do is not worry as cleaning a tennis court is not a particularly difficult task. It can take a bit of work and can take a little time, but it is a task that many of us can do ourselves. What is especially straight forward is keeping moss from growing on the court which is the easiest task of all. Depending upon the size of the area to be treated and the thickness of moss that is growing on the surface, then it can take a little time to get the court back to a completely moss free playing surface but it is not difficult especially if you are using the correct moss killer and cleaning products.

Whether it is the whole playing area, outside of the tramlines or behind baselines, certain areas of a tennis court will eventually have some moss growth upon them. Many tennis courts have trees and bushes surrounding them which provide welcome shade to a weary player but, this shade provides the perfect environment for moss to grow. This moss growth can not only ruin the appearance of the surface but can, under certain weather conditions, become slippery therefore dangerous. It can also slowly start to cause damage to a playing surface, so it is important that the moss is removed, and the surface kept clean.

Treatment is straight forward and can easily be undertaken on a DIY basis. Given the larger areas involved we do recommend using a sprayer to apply the moss killing chemicals and many find that a KNAPSACK SPRAYER is the most convenient option. We have a full range of SPRAYERS including both knapsack and compression units so you can select the sprayer that best suits your requirements.

SURFACE PREPARATION - Moss Removal

Before starting any treatment, we recommend that the surface, or especially the areas with the heaviest growth, should be brushed to remove any loose moss, dirt, leaves etc. You may find that a large amount of moss can be removed in this way which will ultimately reduce the amount of moss killing chemicals that will be required and save you time. To help with this initial task, we have a full range of BRUSHES & BROOMS with our WIRE BROOM being especially popular for clearing moss from all types of hard surface.

If it is possible, you can use a small pressure washer to help you to remove the worst areas of moss growth. However, undertake this process with caution as larger pressure washers could possibly cause damage to the surface if not used with care. Some pressure washers can also use large volumes of water and the process can become very messy, but it is an effective way of both removing areas of moss and cleaning the surface. If you decide to prepare/clean your tennis court in this way, then remember that we recommend doing it BEFORE you apply any moss killing products.

If the court is surrounded by trees or large shrubs, then it will help to cut these back slightly to allow more light onto the tennis court. This additional light will allow the area to dry quicker thus not retain moisture for as long. As we all know (and if you didn't then you do now) if there is no water then there will be no moss so the dryer the area then the less potential moss growth.

MOSS TREATMENT OF TENNIS COURT

If the surface has any areas of lichen coverage (areas of growth that are normally flat to the surface) then you can 'spot' pre-treat these areas with RAPID MOSS & ALGAE KILLER - Batiface. This moss killer will kill the growth on contact and should be left on the surface for between 15-30 minutes. After this time the treated area should be rinsed and brushed to remove the dead growth. Once again, you can use a pressure washer for this rinsing which will have the benefit of not just rinsing the surface but lifting the dead moss and lichen growth.

Once any pre-treatment is complete and you have finished brushing the surface, we advise the application of CONCENTRATED MOSS & ALGAE KILLER - Baticlean CR. BATICLEAN CR is designed to kill moss, lichen and spores and requires no rinsing so should be left on the surface to inhibit re-growth. Many of our customers will simply use BATICLEAN CR to both clean and maintain their tennis court surface. They will simply brush the worst of the areas, apply BATICLEAN CR, then brush away the dead growth after a couple of weeks.

FUTURE PROTECTION

The future treatment of the surface depends a lot upon the surrounding area. Some courts will show signs of fresh growth within 8-10 months especially if they are surrounded by trees or shrubs or, have poor drainage allowing water to puddle in areas. Otherwise you may not see any fresh growth for up to 3-years after the initial treatment. Either way, you should try to keep the court swept as often as possible. This doesn't mean every day or even every week, but you should sweep away leaves etc every couple of weeks. As I have said earlier, the less shade then the less moss growth. Any foreign object that is allowed to stay on the surface, such as leaves, will cause shadow therefore allow moisture. Remember, more moisture more moss.

Users tend to either apply a new coat of BATICLEAN CR on an annual basis or wait until the first signs of fresh growth appear. At which point they simply brush the surface and, on a dry day and on a dry surface, apply BATICLEAN CR.

Please remember that the whole playing area can be treated or alternatively only the areas where there is moss growing. Many courts have moss growth either to one side, one end or outside of the tramlines. If this is the case then these are the areas that need the treatment, it may not be necessary to treat the whole surface. We always recommend treating the areas of moss plus 500mm. It is quite usual for a court to have moss around the outside but nothing in the middle. Why is moss not growing in the middle? It is normally not growing because the middle of the court has less shade, more air flow and players walking (or running) over the surface. All of these will inhibit the growth of moss.