Lawns - Moss
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  (January) I need advice. In your column some time back, you gave advice on how to rid an area of moss. I, want to propagate it. I've been given advice on a buttermilk method and it killed some moss that was starting to grow on some rocks where it would look great. It's just now, after a year or so starting to come back. Other areas, atop plain clay like we have here in Sharp county, I have some very nice moss doing well and would like to keep it spreading. Any ideas?

  The buttermilk method is where you mix moss and buttermilk, or moss and beer in a blender -- equal portions, and then spread it out on the ground in the spring or early fall. This won't work for all species of moss, but it does work on many. If you already have a fairly good stand you can also divide what you have and put it out in plugs. It likes a compacted, moist, acidic soil. Give it those conditions, and the moss should continue to spread. A very light acid fertilizer -- like Mir-Acid sprinkled on it in the spring, can also help.

  (February) When is the best time to put on spurweed killer or is it too late? Also, what is the best thing to use? We have something bright green, growing in the back yard. It looks like moss, but feels like a miniature evergreen. It doesn't have a big root so we can just pull it up. What is this stuff called and what can we put on it to kill the stuff?

  Glad you asked. Most people wait until the first time they walk barefooted through the lawn to question when to kill that nasty sticker weed called spurweed. Spurweed is a winter annual that should have germinated by now. It will lie fairly close to the ground, and its cut-out foliage resembles parsley--in miniature. Now would be an ideal time to kill it, while it is young, and before it blooms and sets seeds--or stickers. A product containing 2,4-D or Trimec will do the trick. Be sure to read and follow the label instructions as to what grass you are growing. The bright green stuff growing in your backyard may be moss (-there are numerous kinds), which I think makes a fabulous groundcover. I would not want to kill it. Chances are, if you have moss, you wouldn't have grass anyway.

  (March) I really need your help. I live in Mountain Home and have noticed a problem with my lawn and with my neighbors lawns. That problem is moss. It is growing on all 4 sides of my house. I thought it would only grow on the north side, but it is also on the southwest side and on the east side of my house. It's growing in areas that get quite a bit of sun. What I'd like to know is, what caused this, how do I get rid of it from my lawn before it completely kills my grass, and how do I prevent it from happening again?

  I happen to like moss, and wish I had more of it. However, not everyone shares my opinion. Moss is there for one of four reasons, or a combination of them. Poor drainage, compacted soil, shade and acidic pH are usually the causes. Determining which factors you have, and then solving the problem, should help to reduce your chances of it reoccurring. You can kill moss by scraping it off or spraying with copper sulfate, but it will come back strong, unless you solve the reason you have it. Have your soil tested for pH at your local extension office. If the soil is too acidic, liming can help. Compacted soils can be aerated or tilled. Heavy shade doesn't sound like your problem, but limbing up to increase light can help. Drainage is by far the hardest to solve.

  A friend of mine has green moss growing all over his lawn. He doesn’t have any idea how to cope with it. Hope you have a solution for him. What causes moss? He lives in the woods and gets sunshine about 3/4 of the time on his lawn. What kind of seed can he use and when should it be planted? What about fertilizer?

  Moss is growing because of one of four things, or all four. They are: heavy shade, compacted soil, acidic pH, and poor drainage. If you have all four conditions, encourage the moss, because nothing else will grow. You can kill off the moss, but it will reoccur unless you solve the problem. Have the soil tested to determine pH, and lime if needed. Till the soil to relieve compaction. Drainage and shade can also be dealt with, but if you have conditions for moss, I would consider growing moss. It is tolerant of traffic, can survive winters and summers, and wet or dry conditions. During dry weather, it turns brown but quickly re-greens with rain. To help spread your moss, harvest some moss and put it in a blender with equal parts of beer. (Buttermilk or yogurt can be substituted) Create a green slurry and pour it on the soil. You should have moss growing in no time. If you opt for grass, and have at least three quarters sun, bermuda or zoysia are your best options. Bermuda can be seeded this spring, but zoysia is best established by sod. Fertilize at planting, and again mid to late summer. Your county extension office has a copy of a lawn calendar for each species of grass.

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