Moss....no innocent plant

Mosses are small, non-flowering plants that are typically low-growing and somewhat yellowish-green in color. They grow mostly in fall, winter, and spring. Moss generally results from low soil fertility, high soil acidity, heavy shade, improper watering practices, diseased plants, poorly drained soil, compacted soil, or any combination of these.

Moss occurs in lawns and on soil without any vegetation at all. It requires moist conditions such as standing water, overwatering, or extreme rainfall.

Moss can smother existing plants and kill them.

To control this garden pest, test your soil for acidity. If too acid, add lime to make more alkaline. Remove moss by hand or raking. Provide good soil drainage. Provide proper fertilization and irrigation. Too much fertilizer can cause the soil to become too acidic. Make sure you use a balanced on and follow directions for your types of plants. If you are concerned, you can water down the fertilizer some. Some nutrient is better than none or too much. Reduce shady conditions by pruning trees and shrubs. Don't overwater.

Unfortunately, my backyard in the apartment we just moved out of had a moss problem. Fresno got alot of rain that normally does not happen, my dicondra lawn caught anthracnose from the spattered soil, and because it was weakened, the moss felt at home and took over. I removed some but it kept coming back. Since we were moving, I did not check into what could fix it until now. We have a house in Alabama now with an acre of land. The conditions here are more humid than Fresno for sure. I want to make sure this pest doesn't infect my garden when I do start one.

There are other non-organic moss killers out there. If you choose to use them, follow directions and check into organic methods first.

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