Selwyn_Times: September 20, 2023

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Wednesday September 20 2023 Selwyn Times 47
Moss: four-letter word?
• By Isabelle Teresa
Moss is like marmite – it triggers strong, opposing
opinions. Some gardeners curse it while others love its
texture and beauty. It is also an ancient and adaptable
plant group, dating back 360 million years, the next
evolutionary step up from algae. Those who want to
eradicate it are taking on a formidable enemy.
After the recent damp winter, you’re likely seeing more
moss in your garden. But is that a problem? I would
answer, in all circumstances except one, no.
For example, part of my lawn receives less sun, so
the moss becomes particularly lush and deep there in
winter. The intensity of the green is stunning, and the
moss carpet feels spongy and lovely to walk on. When
summer comes around, the moss retreats and the grass
flourishes because the moss is maintaining the moisture
in the soil below. Contrary to hysterical warnings on
lawn-purist blogs, the moss is not “taking over the lawn”.
It’s just co-existing with it, naturally.
Moss does not harm the plants that it covers. In fact,
its presence provides useful indicators to gardeners. It
prefers shade, and might indicate that your soil is acidic,
compacted, or lacking in nutrients. It’s your choice
whether to “correct” any of that, or adapt by planting
other suitable plants in that area.
Five days later
Bizarrely, you might already be buying moss to
put it back on your garden. Sphagnum/peat moss is
harvested globally for fuel, garden mulch and packaging.
New Zealand exports sphagnum from Westland and
Southland swamps as a horticultural growing medium.
It’s also quietly saving the world… peat moss covers
1% of the earth’s land, but stores 14% of the world’s
carbon.
The one circumstance where moss is a problem is
when it becomes a slip hazard on walkways or steps,
where it can grow easily because it has no roots. That
also means that it’s easy to scrape away from flat hard
surfaces with a shovel.
For trickier surfaces, don’t splash out on expensive
herbicides. Sprinkle ordinary table salt just before rain,
and the moss dies within five days. The salt absorbs its
moisture and increases the pH value, makes the acidic
soil alkaline.
Can I suggest that you only do that when necessary for
safety. In all other cases, sit back and enjoy the beauty of
this ancient set of plants.
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