Is moss harmful in the garden and how to get rid of it?

All cottages have shady areas. In such areas, it is pleasant to spend time in hot weather, the problem is that they are often affected by moss. Because of it, unaesthetic bald spots appear on the lawns. When moss appears on the garden plot, the yield of vegetables decreases, the growth and development of ornamental plantings slows down. But the moss cover not only harms the territory of the dacha, but also brings certain benefits, although it is still necessary to fight it.

Some summer residents are of the opinion that moss in a summer cottage is good. But the majority thinks the opposite. Such a cover is harmful: if nothing is done, the backyard area will quickly overgrow. But it’s not that bad. The green coating also has useful properties, they are as follows:

• elimination of some insects that harm the crops growing on the site, causing inconvenience to the owners of the dacha;
• providing thermal insulation for plants susceptible to low temperatures;
• an increase in the acidity of the soil when growing certain vegetable or ornamental crops on it;
• destruction of the fungus.

But don't forget that moss is an invader. Its growth often becomes global. The plant spreads at lightning speed, it affects the ground, vegetation and even buildings with spores.

It oppresses and causes the death of crops growing in gardens and vegetable gardens. The reason for this lies in the absorption of a large number of useful components by moss, which are needed by useful plants. He takes water and minerals from them. Negatively affects the internal processes that occur in the soil, significantly impairing its quality and fertility.

This plant causes soil acidification, waterlogging, which negatively affects the development of horticultural crops, lowers productivity. Another negative point is related to aesthetics. Excessive growth of moss leads to the fact that the beds do not look well-groomed, as if no one is looking after them.

If moss began to grow on the site, then there is an explanation for this. In some cases, scraping the pest plant from the soil surface helps, but this is a temporary measure. With the arrival of spring and autumn, the owner of the site sees that it has appeared again. The cause of this phenomenon may be waterlogging of the soil. Moss likes moisture. If the land plot is located near a reservoir, you should take care of drainage.

The factors that provoke the appearance of moss include a number of reasons.

• Stagnant water. Moss likes dense soil that lacks drainage. Overmoistening of the land is observed in almost all areas located in the lowlands or at a short distance from rivers and lakes. Drain the soil in the area, form grooves in which excess moisture will collect. You can design a closed drainage system by laying pipes underground.
• Increased acidity of the soil. If the moss has erect stems, greenish at the ends and brownish at the roots, this indicates the acidity of the soil. To verify your suspicions, do an analysis of the water-soil substance in the country. A pH value of less than 5.5 means that the soil is acidic.Normal values ​​can be achieved using dolomite flour or sand mixed with slaked lime.
• Shaded areas. Moss likes shaded and overly humid areas. Take care of good lighting of the garden or vegetable garden, cut the lower branches of trees, less often irrigate this area.

Moss grows most strongly in spring and autumn. At this time, you can use herbicides with a general effect, or a solution of dichlorophene.

Processing is recommended in the morning. It is desirable that the weather is sunny. After a few days, the etched area can be irrigated. After the destruction of the pest plant, its remains are removed with a rake.

It will take a lot of effort to remove the moss permanently. If it has grown strongly, the struggle will take a long time, for this they use different methods. If you want to remove moss on the ground, take them into service.

You can get rid of moss by deoxidizing the soil. If the cause of the appearance of a pest plant is the increased acidity of the soil, enrich it with a lime substance. The procedure can be done in the spring. 100 sq. m of area requires 50 g of lime mortar.

In the autumn period, lime can be replaced with dolomite flour or wood ash, thoroughly sprinkle or moisten those areas that are covered with moss. This activity should be carried out when there is no rain or wind outside. If you follow all the instructions, the pest plant will definitely be destroyed.

You can remove moss in your garden by reducing the humidity. If the reason for its appearance is associated with excess moisture, dry the earth. This is easy to achieve: inject some sand into the topsoil and mix it with the soil. Make small grooves to drain excess water. Make sure that the soil is not artificially moistened. Reduce the amount of regular watering.

Moss in the garden can be caused by constant shade. The solution to the problem will be planting plants that do not require a lot of sunlight. Gradually, they themselves level the moss, stop its spread. If the source of the shadow is not a tall building, but a pile of unclaimed materials, move them to another location or dispose of them.

To prevent moss from invading your garden, you need to remove the weeds regularly. Its appearance can be triggered by an abundance of winches, nettles, wormwood in the garden. The listed weeds can cause infestation and other pests.

One of the most effective ways to combat moss in the country is the application of fertilizers. Try to enrich the soil with minerals that contain nitrogen and ferrous sulfate. The main thing is that they do not contain phosphorus and similar components.

When a green aggressor appears at the summer cottage, it is recommended to mulch. This procedure will be of great benefit. It not only protects against the formation of moss, but also provides increased soil aeration. Thanks to mulching, its structure will become looser. Another plus of this procedure is that it helps maintain the optimum moisture level.

If the site is overgrown with moss, you can also get rid of it mechanically. To do this, you need to use a special device.They remove the top layer of the earth by about 3-5 centimeters and subject it to disposal. After that, the soil is sprinkled with dry lime and wait 24 hours. Then the soil needs to be moistened and wait a couple more days.

After 72 hours have elapsed, the corrected area is covered with a new layer of fertile soil.

Most often, moss forms in pits. In such places, moisture accumulates, but sunlight, on the contrary, is not enough.

Another effective way to deal with a green aggressor is to use chemicals. With the help of herbicides, moss growths are burned out. They also destroy the spores of the harmful plant, invisible processes. But they must be used exclusively in calm conditions.

A summer resident who has chosen herbicides to combat an aggressor plant should not neglect personal protective equipment - a mask, long gloves. The affected areas are treated with a spray, and after 2 days the soil must be thoroughly rinsed with water. Chemicals from this series contain iron, copper or ammonium.

The use of herbicides is an effective method for eliminating moss from paved paths, tree cuts or gaps between rocks. In some cases, copper or iron sulfate is used to destroy the pest plant.

The invasion of moss on the site is an unpleasant phenomenon. This plant gives gardeners a lot of problems. It grows at a high rate, affects various plants, and absorbs a large amount of nutrients from the ground. But you can cope with the aggressor if you start to fight him in a timely manner, systematically carry out prevention.