GARDENING: Adding lime to local soil won’t prevent mosses from growing

This may be true if the soil is acidic; however, very few garden soils in the Miami Valley are acidic unless there has been some type of intervention. Our soils generally have a high pH, which ranges from 7.0 to 7.4.

Adding lime to our soil increases soil pH. Therefore, adding lime to your soil won’t prevent mosses from growing.

To eradicate moss in the lawn, understand the other environmental characteristics in which moss thrives and manipulate this environment to make it less conducive to growth.

Mosses prefer wet, shady conditions. They are usually found in woodland areas where the ground is moist and there is lots of shade. They can also be found in your landscape under dense shade trees and maybe even on the north side of the house.

Moss also grows in acidic soil (mentioned above) and in nitrogen-starved soil. Since we don’t typically have acidic soil, other factors come into play in our area. I have moss growing on the north side of the house where I have my planting table. There is no grass, it’s shaded, it’s compacted and remains moist most of the time (except for this season). Moss grows between the stone pavers.

Pesticides are available to use to kill moss and algae. These consist of potassium salts of fatty acids. This active ingredient burns the moss and kills it. However, if environmental conditions are right, moss will eventually come back.

If moss is growing under a tree, prune the tree and open it up to sunshine to help dry the soil. If it’s in the lawn, consider core aeration each year to loosen up the soil.

Fertilize the soil with a high nitrogen fertilizer; a typical turf fertilizer works. Don’t add lime to the soil. It won’t help. It will raise the pH even higher.

People tell me that they have moss growing on hillsides in the sun. Keep in mind, that if the soil is compact clay and holds even a little moisture, and it hasn’t been fertilized, moss can grow.

A horticulture mantra we often use is: Right plant right location. If you meet the needs of the plant, it will thrive. Think about those plants in your landscape that are thriving and happy. Right plant right location.

The same goes for eliminating moss; remove the right location and it won’t thrive.

On the flip side, many choose mosses to grow in the landscape. They really can be quite beautiful in the right setting.