Don't - or Maybe Do - Let the Moss Grow Under Your Feet

Soft, green mounds nestled among shady woodlands. For some, that's a fairy-tale backdrop. For lawn junkies, it's a constant source of frustration.

It's moss, and it's gotten the best of many a gardener. I know people who have raked it up, re-seeded the bare patches and fertilized, only to witness the return of this dreaded swamp creature.

Other gardeners, however, give this delicate green beauty center-stage. In fact, moss gardens are becoming all the rage across the country. Why is there such a dichotomy of feelings about this defenseless living thing? Maybe it's because, when the conditions are right, moss seems to take over.

Fight it

Many folks tell me moss is killing off their lawns. But the opposite probably is true. Lawn grasses cannot thrive in heavy shade or in soils that are acidic, compacted or have low fertility. As the lawn gives up the ghost, the moss simply fills in the gaps.

Moss needs very little soil to live and is well-adapted to poorly drained or compacted conditions that make a thick turf impossible. In recent years, some gardeners have complained about moss growing in full sun and neutral pH soil. Certainly, some newer clones have adapted to these conditions, but, generally, moss follows the rules.

Controlling moss can be tricky, says John Szymczak, a horticulturist with J. Mollema and Son, a wholesale garden product supplier in Grand Rapids.

"Moss control products are on the market, but they tend to be short lived," he says.

Safer brand has one called Moss and Algae Killer, which simply is made up of a fatty acid. It is easy to use and easy on the environment. Scotts markets a Moss Control Granule, which Szymczak says is very easy to spread if you have a larger job to do. This one acts quickly and also breaks down, providing valuable nutrients to the soil.

Szymczak suggests improving soil conditions by using a core aerator or adding supplemental drainage to help dry it. Thinning tree canopies can let valuable light in. Keeping up with fertilizer also will help. If a soil test shows acidic soil, apply some lime

Or you could just give up and try shade-loving ground covers such as hosta, sweet woodruff -- or moss.

Accept it

If you have wet conditions in your lawn, perhaps you should go with the flow.

Garden designers and landscape architects finally are seeing the value of moss in the lawn -- even to the point of making it a trendy look. Actually, moss has thrived in Asian garden designs for thousands of years, so it hardly seems fitting to call this a new look.

Designers have created lush carpets of moss, accented by gently reflective hardscape and plant material. The colors and textures of moss induce a mood of peaceful tranquillity.

For general care of moss and garden design ideas, Szymczak recommends the book "Moss Gardening: Including Lichens, Liverworts, and Other Miniatures," by George Schenk.

"It's just a gorgeous book with great photography and exceptional information," Szymczak says.

One Pennsylvania company has made a living out of creating a moss haven. Moss Acres president and founder Al Benner took advantage of today's growing demand for moss in the landscape.

Mixing a brew of moss fragments, buttermilk and beer, then carefully tending the newly growing moss, Benner has been able to grow and market four species of the soft green stuff. His clients are landscapers and gardeners, and he distributes the moss via his mail-order business. For some unique design ideas or to contact the company, log on to www.mossacres.com.

Probably the most noteworthy attribute of moss gardening is low maintenance.

Just think, a summer with no mowing, no holiday fertilization plan and no worrying about weeds.

It's sounding more and more like a fairy tale to me.