Moss Boss, part 2
March 28, 2018 8:49 AM Subscribe
Small yard is half moss. How make it all moss?
Earlier question got some great answers. Several recommended identifying soil pH as a first step.
I procrastinated. However, as this pic shows, the practical soil question has solved itself. It's clearly amenable to moss.
What's the best way to remove everything non-moss from the area? Just yank it out by hand?
Earlier question got some great answers. Several recommended identifying soil pH as a first step.
I procrastinated. However, as this pic shows, the practical soil question has solved itself. It's clearly amenable to moss.
What's the best way to remove everything non-moss from the area? Just yank it out by hand?
It's a great idea but just in case there's a lot of light in part of the area, why not try part moss, part creeping thyme?.
the benefits are incredible scent (when you walk across creeping thyme on a warm day....heaven!), a variety of colours, flowers, and you can use it in cooking!
posted by Wilder at 9:45 AM on March 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
the benefits are incredible scent (when you walk across creeping thyme on a warm day....heaven!), a variety of colours, flowers, and you can use it in cooking!
posted by Wilder at 9:45 AM on March 28, 2018 [4 favorites]
I made a moss garden once, and what I learnt was that it takes a lot of time.
The first couple of years I thought it was hopeless, and then it started growing and became lovely.
posted by mumimor at 12:46 PM on March 28, 2018
The first couple of years I thought it was hopeless, and then it started growing and became lovely.
posted by mumimor at 12:46 PM on March 28, 2018
You want to minimize soil disturbance— all kinds of angiosperms specialise on taking off in little fresh divots and turned soils. Moss likes stability.
So no, I wouldn’t even pull out the little bits of chickweed etc, or if I wanted to clean up a small area for aesthetic reasons, I’d pull it very gently.
The other thing you can do is transplant small mats from thicker areas to thinner, staking them down with toothpicks, twigs or landscaping staples.
I’d probably buy a small roller if I owned the house- it’s a great and oft-ignored tool for this kind of thing. If you roll the photo gently once a day, pretty soon the little broadleaf weeds will smush and die but the moss will love it.
The main thing to surgically remove is the grass- rolling won’t bother it either, and at much tougher in general than the little broadleaves.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:02 PM on March 28, 2018
So no, I wouldn’t even pull out the little bits of chickweed etc, or if I wanted to clean up a small area for aesthetic reasons, I’d pull it very gently.
The other thing you can do is transplant small mats from thicker areas to thinner, staking them down with toothpicks, twigs or landscaping staples.
I’d probably buy a small roller if I owned the house- it’s a great and oft-ignored tool for this kind of thing. If you roll the photo gently once a day, pretty soon the little broadleaf weeds will smush and die but the moss will love it.
The main thing to surgically remove is the grass- rolling won’t bother it either, and at much tougher in general than the little broadleaves.
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:02 PM on March 28, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks to all! Good info, including the Moss Man link. I'll be trying these things (at a measured pace, me being me) and looking forward to fairyland.
posted by LonnieK at 8:01 AM on April 1, 2018
posted by LonnieK at 8:01 AM on April 1, 2018
« Older The first time you smell something forms a... | Cooperative Tabletop Game with Persistence? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by beagle at 8:57 AM on March 28, 2018