Moss in Renovation

Discuss how to and whether you should renovate your lawn
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gryd
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Moss in Renovation

Post by gryd » October 1st, 2020, 3:29 pm

I seem to have some moss growing in an area of my renovation that doesn’t get as much sun this time of year. Is it something I should and could treat at this time?
Thanks.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by andy10917 » October 1st, 2020, 4:00 pm

Is the "moss" the type of moss that grows 0.50" tall, or a groundhugging slime-like substance?

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by MorpheusPA » October 1st, 2020, 4:42 pm

Or the kind that crept slowly out of a fallen meteor, glowing greenly at night, lit only by its own evil phosphorescence, as it seeks only to feed on the bounty of Earth's species?

That last one can be a minor problem.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by andy10917 » October 1st, 2020, 6:00 pm

My question is not a joke. There is an item often reported as moss that isn't even close (but it's green). Please let me know,

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by MorpheusPA » October 1st, 2020, 6:28 pm

His question was the difference between moss and cyanobacteria/algae.

Mine was the difference between life and planetary destruction. Watch the skies.

And yes, I enjoy driving Andy slowly (more) insane.


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gryd
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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by gryd » October 2nd, 2020, 9:39 am

andy10917 wrote:
October 1st, 2020, 6:00 pm
My question is not a joke. There is an item often reported as moss that isn't even close (but it's green). Please let me know,
Andy,

I think it’s a type of algae and not moss. It’s only on surface of ground. It’s not raised up.

Thanks!

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by andy10917 » October 2nd, 2020, 11:48 am

That is likely Cyanobacteria and it has a tendency to show up when there is bare soil and water present (sound like like Reno?).

It tends to disappear as the grass emerges - it doesn't compete well and is a bottom-dweller...

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by gryd » October 2nd, 2020, 11:54 am

andy10917 wrote:
October 2nd, 2020, 11:48 am
That is likely Cyanobacteria and it has a tendency to show up when there is bare soil and water present (sound like like Reno?).

It tends to disappear as the grass emerges - it doesn't compete well and is a bottom-dweller...
Thanks! I take it I can ignore it.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by andy10917 » October 2nd, 2020, 12:30 pm

Unless it forms a crust when it dries, Yes.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by gryd » October 14th, 2020, 4:31 pm

I am now finding a little bit of real moss in my renovation. Can it be treated with something now?
Please advise.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by andy10917 » October 14th, 2020, 5:45 pm

How long since germination of the seed?

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by gryd » October 15th, 2020, 9:08 am

:confused:
andy10917 wrote:
October 14th, 2020, 5:45 pm
How long since germination of the seed?
About 5 weeks.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by andy10917 » October 15th, 2020, 9:53 am

That's old enough. Mix 3-4 oz of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid into a gallon of water and spray the moss until wet every couple of weeks until the moss goes brown and dies. Don't water for a day after applying the Dawn stuff.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by MorpheusPA » October 15th, 2020, 12:31 pm

Or feed the lawn with Milorganite. Moss really, really hates that stuff due to the iron in it. Combine with the Dawn spray and death rates approach 100%.

You can also spray the moss with 2 oz ferrous sulfate and 2 oz Dawn (or any other surfactant) in 1 gallon water, that'll take it out in one shot. Surrounding or oversprayed grasses will simply turn greener.

My favorite option with most mosses is to ignore them. If there isn't usually a moss there, winter will take it out, and it won't be back in spring. I like ignoring things and having nature do the work for my lazy butt.

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by gryd » October 16th, 2020, 7:38 am

Thanks Andy and Morph for your help!
Greg

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by andy10917 » October 16th, 2020, 7:53 am

Greg, I don't think that what Morph is saying and my opinion are in conflict. Morph's approach works fine where Moss hasn't been ignored for long enough to really get an upper-hand in an area. I have found that the Dawn solution is better where Moss is established and needs to really be whacked upside the head...

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Re: Moss in Renovation

Post by MorpheusPA » October 16th, 2020, 7:58 am

They aren't. For areas where mosses don't establish, ignoring it works. This happens yearly in my northern face. Mosses get started in fall, but die out over winter, and re-establish in spring, to die out again in summer. I'm OK with that.

I have no areas where mosses establish well and permanently, but back when I did--the northwest shaded corner--any of the above solutions worked very well to knock them out when it started to look like a peat bog.

They'll be back if you don't solve the problem, but for most renovations, simply backing off on watering does that. For that corner, raising it six inches and fixing the drainage solved it for me.

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