3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths Garden Myths - Learn the truth about gardening Blog My Books My Courses List of Topics GardenFundamentals Videos Podcasts 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know I love moss on rocks and trees, and even growing on the ground, provided it is in the right spot – as determined by my aesthetic sensibilities. It is not nearly as welcome in the lawn although I don’t really mind having it there. Moss in the lawn is considered by many as a big problem and Public Speaking Partner Program Search this site... About Search Blog Stats 17,099,945 visitors Subscribe to this Blog this has led to a number of myths about moss. Join 4,319 other subscribers Some people try to grow moss, but that is not as easy as it sounds. Moss is kind of strange that enter your email address way; some people are constantly trying to kill it, while others are trying to grow it. My goal for this post is to understand moss better by exploring the many moss myths. Press here to subscribe Recent Posts Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know When Do Roots Grow – Spring, Summer or Fall? Watering Houseplants – Top or Bottom? A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss This is a very old proverb that was tested by the MythBusters TV show. Stones were covered with a buttermilk-moss solution. Half were tumbled continuously for six months, the equivalent of Which is Best? Mycorrhizal Inoculant Products – Do They Work? Do Plants Purify the Air in Your Home? Is Urine Safe to Use in the Garden? https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 1/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths rolling 100 miles, and the other half were left stationary. It was the longest test in the shows Compost Science for Gardeners is Released history. The Myth of Clay Pot Heaters – Do They Work? Sure enough, the rolling stones gathered no moss while the stationary ones started growing Measuring the Number of Microbes in Soil – moss. This proverb is not a myth, but it is such a cool story I had to include it. The Microbial Biomass Lomi Electronic Composter – Are The Claims Use Buttermilk to Propagate Moss Moss adds a nice touch to rocks especially near a waterfall. It ages a stone wall or arbor, and makes the garden look more mature. Some people even use moss to replace their lawn. How do you propagate moss? A simple and common method is to take some live moss, put it in a blender with some buttermilk or yogurt, and blend it up into a slurry. Then use a paint brush to cover any surface where you want moss to grow. Keep it misted until the moss is well established. True? Is Lead in Garden Soil Killing You? Is Bone Meal Good for the Garden? Is Sugar Water Good For Plants Top Posts & Pages When Should You Do Spring Garden Cleanup? The Magical Power of Banana Peels in The Garden - Or Not Earthworm Myths - Are Jumping Worms and Giant Worms Real? Landscape Fabric - Weed Barrier You can easily find people on the internet who say this method works, but keep in mind some people live in very humid environments and moss will also grow without the blender and buttermilk. In fact it grows so well it covers everything, even where you don’t want it. Cloth Aphid Control - Do Yellow Sticky Traps Work? This method sounds great on Pinterest, one of the worst online sources of information, but it Floating Seeds in Water - Is This does not really work, except in high humidity areas. a Good Seed Viability Test? The best way to grow moss is to divide an existing clump of moss, and place pieces where you want the moss to grow. If you provide enough moisture, and a stable surface, moss will take hold. LED Grow Lights - Getting the Right Color Spectrum Sunlight Calculator - Another Product You Don't Need Corn Gluten Meal - Does it Work For Weeds? Growing Food in Plastic Containers - Is It Safe? Moss Kills a Lawn This is a common moss myth. Moss tends to grow where other plants don’t grow. It is a slow grower and has a very hard time out competing other plants. As a result of this, moss in a lawn or garden usually means that the other plant is not growing very well. Fix that problem to make the other plant grow better and the moss will slowly disappear. How to Get Rid of Moss in Lawns https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 2/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths Moss Needs to be Kept Wet Most types of moss grow best in a wet or humid environment. Remember they have no roots to absorb water and need to get it through the green leafy part of the moss. However, moss is also one of the most drought tolerant plants there is. It has to be, in order to grow on rocks in drier locations. Moss on rocks around here is bone dry most of the summer, but when fall rains arrive, they green up and grow. They are also green during the winter as they absorb melting snow. The moss around my waterfall stays green all summer because it is constantly sprayed with a fine mist of water. One type of moss, Anoectangium compactum, can survive 19 years without water. Moss Only Grows on the North Side of Trees Knowing this fact can keep you alive in the woods, or will it? Moss grows where it gets the essentials of life and it has no internal compass. The north side of trees tend to get less light and therefore will hold moisture longer. The excess moisture makes Archives moss grow better. But in areas with enough moisture, moss grows all around the tree. Moss myth – moss only grows on the north side of a tree Moss growing on a tree may keep the Select Month Categories Select Category bark wetter, which could lead to problems, but for the most part the Blogs I Read moss does not harm trees. It simply lives on the surface to the bark. BotanyCa Lee Reich There is of course another issue here. In the southern hemisphere, moss tends to grow on the south side of trees – the shady side. Moss Kills Trees Roger Brook – the no dig gardener Websites I Like International Rock Gardener Ontario Rock Garden and Hardy Plant In wet climates, moss grows on every tree in the forest, including vey large ones that are Society hundreds of years old. It does not kill trees. The World up Close https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 3/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths When wet it can get heavy and may result in broken branches in windy weather. It can be removed with power washing. Subscribe to this Blog Join 4,319 other subscribers Dish Soap Kills Moss in Lawns enter your email address Mix 2 ounces of Dawn Ultra dish soap into 1 gallon of water and spray your lawn. The moss is press here to subscribe reported to go brown and die. Here is a common problem with many of these recommendations – how big of an area does this gallon cover? Without an area specified, it is a useless recommendation. Tags Penn State did some testing using Dawn Ultra and reports that, “during summer and fall, using ants bokashi bone meal chemicals coffee Coffee different rates, timings, and water dilution rates yielded poor moss control. Inconsistent results grounds companion planting and burning of turf may be a concern when using Dawn Ultra. This product is not labeled for compost compost tea cucumbers moss control in turf and probably never will be.” DEET eggshells fertilizer fish fertilizer garlic houseplants humus lawn manure tea marigolds microbes mosquitoes mulch mycorrhizal fungi nutrients organic peat moss pH phosphorus planting podcast ponds roundup seeds slugs Translation – it does not work very well. You can expect other dish soaps to be just as ineffective. Soil soil structure Teaming with Microbes tomatoes trees vinegar watering weeds winter-protection wood chips Baking Soda Kills Moss in Lawns This is a common recommendation, and it does work, to some extent. Testing by Penn State found that it is suitable for spot spraying, but that it will also burn your lawn. If you are going to use it, try a solution of 2 to 3 tablespoons baking soda/quart of water and apply it on warm, sunny days. No coverage area was specified, but it is probably not needed since this is only used as a spot spray. Moss Doesn’t Absorb Nutrients from Soil Mosses do not have roots and for this reason it has long been thought that they do not absorb nutrients from the soil. Their source of nutrients is the water that runs over the green parts of the plant, essentially a foliar feed. This is a long held moss myth, but it has now been shown that mosses can absorb nitrogen directly from the soil. Walking on Moss Will Kill It https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 4/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths Moss does not have a vascular structure and is therefore fairly flexible and springy. A limited amount of walking on it will not break its stems and does little harm. Too much foot traffic can do harm, but will not likely kill it unless it is very extreme. Moss is Parasitic Moss does not have roots or any other type of structure that can penetrate another organism, so it is not parasitic. Moss Will Only Grow in Acidic Environments It is common advice to add lime to a lawn that has a moss problem. The thinking here is that moss needs an acidic environment and lime will make it more alkaline, resulting in death of the moss. There are more than 12,000 species of moss and many like to grow in acidic conditions. But many will grow just fine Moss growing on rock in alkaline environments. They will even grow directly on alkaline limestone rocks. Moss Indicates a Shade Problem Tell someone you have a moss problem in your lawn they will automatically assume you have heavy shade. It is quite possible that this is part of the problem, but some mosses will grow in full sun. Moss Spores Aggravate Allergies Moss spores are not generally allergenic. Moss is Not Always Moss There are some garden plants that look like moss and some that even have ‘moss’ in their name. The following are not true mosses 1. Spanish Moss (is an epiphyte) 2. Caribou Moss (is a lichen) 3. Iris Moss (is a vascular plant) 4. Scotch Moss (is a vascular plant) https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 5/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths Caribou moss, National Park Service photo If you like this post, please share ....... This entry is filed under Lawn, Plants and tagged moss myths. 13 Responses to '15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know' man says: June 15, 2021 at 11:16 am https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 6/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths i like this moss Reply Shirlene South says: March 22, 2021 at 8:24 pm I was thinking of place moss in garden around my house where I have heavy rains to absorbs some of the water. Do not want it on house, how far away should I plant it? Reply Rae Wade says: February 9, 2019 at 6:43 pm In Georgia, caribou moss is called reindeer moss by some. I gathered it off shaded roadside hills and used it as a mulch on my indoor plants–it prevents splashing when you water, helps the plant retain moisture and is really pretty–it doesn’t change appearance when it’s dry and crackly. It has not seemed to be a problem for my plants. Reply roncangarden says: February 9, 2019 at 5:02 pm Thank you. I live in the Northwest USA, where moss grows all around the tree, especially deep in the woods (where you might get lost, LOL), which always confused me. Thanks for clearing that up! Reply Bonnie says: February 9, 2019 at 3:16 pm I love moss and really enjoyed this article. Always happy to see a new message from you. Thank you for your work. Reply oldshadowrider says: February 9, 2019 at 1:04 am Thank you Robert! Reply Laura Kathleen Carter says: February 8, 2019 at 2:50 pm I like moss and want to propogate it around my water garden area so I enjoyed this article as I do most every one you publish. Thanks Reply seminte says: February 8, 2019 at 6:41 am https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 7/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths Mosses were used as bandages during the WWI to prevent blood loss. Mosses were also used to soothe the infection since they contain chemical with anti-bacterial properties. Certain animals, such as reindeer, consume mosses because they contain chemical which warms the blood of animal. On the other hand, mosses could be indicators of pollution, as they can grow only in clean environments Reply Robert Pavlis says: February 9, 2019 at 2:23 am Do reindeer consume mosses or caribou moss? In the Canadian arctic they caribou eat a lot of caribou moss which is not a true moss. It gets very hard when dry, and nice and soft when wet. Reply seminte says: February 22, 2019 at 1:50 pm So I read in books that it is mosses, but maybe you are right and it is about caribou moss Reply Brian Tremback says: February 8, 2019 at 1:27 am Sphagnum moss isn’t a true moss? Isn’t any species in Division Bryophyta (which Sphagnum is) a true moss? Reply Robert Pavlis says: February 9, 2019 at 2:16 am To be honest, now I am not sure. My original comment was based on this link which says ” Sphagnum, commonly peat moss, is a small class of the phylum Bryophyta and, therefore, a true moss” From Wikipedia it would seem that Sphagnopsida (sphagnum) is part of Bryophyta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moss I have always considered sphagnum a moss, so I have decided to remove the comment from the article. Reply rogerbrook says: February 17, 2019 at 6:14 pm I came belatedly back to this post to argue with you and found Brian had beaten me to it! https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 8/9 3/31/23, 1:26 PM 15 Moss Myths Every Gardener Should Know - Garden Myths Reply Please let me know what you think - Leave a Reply You can also comment on our Facebook Group called Garden Fundamentals Enter your comment here... « Garden Myths Book 2 is Released Heirloom Seed Myths – Are They Worth Buying? » Copyright © 2023 Garden Myths | Powered by WordPress and Tweaker4 https://www.gardenmyths.com/moss-myths-every-gardener-should-know/?fbclid=IwAR2mxiz-ZFvYrloTnMu5F1HrN_tXoOYLj5fzqEOr63NRX40VEcYN… 9/9
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