Moss

[johno]

Hi all I've had my lottie for about 2months now cut everything down to floor level which was hard work managed to get a couple of beds ready and was given some cabbage and caulis to put in as a trial and i must say they are looking good started to dig some more and there seems to be a bed of moss all over the lottie just wondering if anybody as any ideas what i can do with this or is it a case of just keep digging and weeding as i go along

[johno]

[betula]

Is the plot very shady,you tend to get moss in shady areas :)

[OllieC]

It's not famous for being the most invasive of weeds, is it!

[betula]

sarcy???

[valmarg]

johno, moss on your plot can be due to poor drainage, or a high water table, or a combination of both.

We have heavy clay soil, so the drainage is poor.  We also have a high water table.  I have had this explained to me, but roughly what it means is, in drier weather than we are having at the moment ;D, you don't have to dig down far to create a pond, ie the water from the surrounding ground seeps into the hole.

If your lottie soil is heavy clay, then the best thing you can do is improve the drainage.  You can do this by incorporating loads of well rotted farmyard manure, or your own compost from your heap.  A 'quick-fix' in Spring would be to add special offer bales of multipurpose compost,  Usually you can get two 120 litre bales for £10.00.

OllieC, sweetheart, round here moss is a most invasive weed.  You don't so much mow the lawn, as mow the moss.  If it wasn't for the moss it wouldn't look so green.  But looking on the bright side, at filling hanging basket time, you only have to scarify the lawn to provide liners. ;D ;D

valmarg

[OllieC]

sarcy???

Not intentionally, for once!! I know it can be a nuisance on lawns, but on a veg patch? Surely a quick hoeing should have everything sorted?

[betula]

I think johno is trying to understand the reason why his plot is so mossy.

My old plot was very mossy and the soil was very well drained,I found the cause to be shade.I t was very overgrown and as it was an old Guinea Garden it was surrounded by huge hedges plus trees.It was a wonderful plot,so sad to leave it.

However the point is the ground needs air and light. :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

That plot was really shaded as the hedges had been neglected for donkey's years. If I remember right, there were a lot of nettles on it, and moss loves growing under stingers.

[betula]

I did not know that,any reason particularly?

[Robert_Brenchley]

I think it's partly because of the deep shade, there's nothing competing down there. I don't know whether there's any other reason.

[johno]

Thanks for all the replys the plot was well overgrown with a lot of nettles and bramble, and it stands in the open so looking at the replys now i have got the nettles and brambles cut down the moss should not be a problem just a lot more hard work digging and weeding

[Eristic]

I did not know that,any reason particularly?

Hanging basket cheapscaters can't get in to scary it away. 8)

[betula]

Quite........... :P