Moss on Lawns

I was looking on Facebook today and saw people are posting images of neighbour’s gardens who have big lawns. The grass is in good condition, but their criticisms are coming from the fact that people STILL have lawns and not converted them to gardens that don’t need water. In fact opinions are so strong it’s like a lynch mob and even councils in America are offering rate rebates for people who ditch the sprinklers in favour of plants that are drought tolerant. I think we are safe for a while yet until people turn their noses up at our lawns –as long as it rains. 

The other comments are that lawns take up a lot of herbicide to keep it looking weed free and healthy. This need not be the case and although I have mentioned before that more veggie patches are needed, I still see the need for grass areas especially if you have children, dogs of have a disability where you just rely on the grass being low maintenance. I’m coming out in defence of lawns! Who would have thought it? I suppose it’s because I don’t like being told what to do.

Moss in the Lawn

It’s not all plain sailing with lawns though as we do tend to have an issue prevalent in Inishowen which requires a bit of work every year. Hands up who has a lawn that doesn’t have moss in it?.... No hands? I thought not.

Moss on lawns could be an indication of waterlogging. On new lawns this may be due to poor site preparation. On established lawns poor vigour, acidic soil conditions, a lack of feed, insufficient aeration, poor drainage, shade, close mowing and over-use are likely to blame. So it could be anything really.

Nowhere is safe

And don’t think pretend grass is exempt either, imitation grass can also get things growing on it, nothing is safe. There are different mosses depending on where they are growing. Several types of moss grow on lawns. These are usually coarse, loose, green or yellowish-green tufts between the grass, but can form densely matted tufts or, in the case of Polystichum, appear like small forests of miniature Christmas trees.

Poor growing conditions favour the growth of moss in lawns. These might include:

• Sparse grass cover
• Worn areas of turf, especially along walkways and where children play
• Shady areas, especially beneath trees
• Compacted soil
• Wet weather and waterlogged conditions
• Drought-stressed grass
• Mowing too close
• Impoverished lawns or infertile soil
• Poorly prepared or poorly maintained lawns
• Acidic soil conditions

Non-chemical control

To keep the lawn critics happy we can work naturally with the ground to improve things. 

Scarification: Remove loose moss in autumn, by scarification (vigorous raking). On small lawns this can be done by hand, raking out the moss with a spring-tine rake, but on larger lawns mechanical scarifiers can be hired. 

I’m not going to mention chemical control, you are on your own with that I am afraid although having a dog helps to kill everything when they go to the loo. There are a few organic weed and feed products on the market which might save a bit of time and need to scarify, but these are not combatting the root cause of the problem. It might be worth checking them out though as a temporary measure.

Moss prevention

To prevent moss returning, encourage vigorous grass growth by organic feeding and regular lawn maintenance, paying particular attention to the following:

When seeding or laying a lawn in a shaded area, use a grass seed mix or turf specified for shady areas.  Reducing shade will also help.

For compacted areas use a garden fork to spike the lawn, or a mechanical slitter on large lawns. This will aerate the turf.

On heavy soils use a manual or mechanical  hollow-tiner in autumn to take out small plugs of soil every three or four years, and then brush in a mixture of three parts sandy loam, six parts sharp sand and one part peat substitute by volume

Avoid mowing grass too short

On very acid soils an application of garden lime at not more than 50g per sq m (1½oz per sq yd), will slightly reduce acidity and discourage moss.

More Gardening Myths....

 Art, drainage, or just a way of getting rid of old crocks?

I have a LOT of cracked and broken terracotta pots. I have been looking at a few ways to use them and initially I thought that these shards of pottery – or "crocks" could go at the bottom of plant pots to increase drainage. It turns out this is detrimental to the plants growth and dispels a century of advice for the poor gardener.  It turns out that it was just a Victorian fashion for practicality and not wanting to throw things away. I’m turning my broken crocks into works of art instead.

Folklore

Gardening is steeped in folklore and superstition and is now incorporating a lot of New Age ideas in biodynamic and holistic approaches. On any allotment you'll soon find someone convinced that potatoes must be planted on Good Friday, that garlic keeps aphids away, or that human hair wards off eelworm, I tried the latter once – it doesn’t work but does make you wretch a lot when applying it. Spraying with homeopathic cures prepared in a sheep’s skull or channelling vital forces through a cows horn buried full of manure might keep you entertained for a while, but do they work? Maybe it’s just paying attention to the plants that matters and if that’s by feeding them rescue remedy then who’s to judge?  There must be something in it as there are 120 Biodynamic farms in the UK and the patron of the organization used to be the director of the soil association. But not all agree, Biodynamic gardening is dismissed by the Royal Horticultural Society, and likened to witchcraft by some leading plant scientists.

  

Fact or Myth?

Here are some more ideas that could go under the heading of “Myths” in the garden.

Compost tea suppresses disease

Fermented “tea” made from compost with sugar made in much the same way you would homemade beer. According to supporters, it increases plant growth, provides nutrients, adds beneficial organisms and suppresses disease. The results show water is more effective and the buckets could be a breeding ground for E. Coli. 

MYTH 2 Lighten clay soil by adding sand

Clay soil turns rock-hard when dry, drains badly, takes an age to warm up in spring and is tough to cultivate. However, it holds its nutrients better than most types of soil and, if drainage can be improved, it produces bountiful plants. You would need almost as much sand as you have clay. Converting a garden is a mammoth task. The RHS estimates that you would need 250kg of sand or grit for every square metre of clay soil. Make a raised bed.

Young trees should be staked

Botanists showed in the 1950s that trees allowed to sway with the wind grew thicker lower trunks than those staked. They also tend to have thicker branches, but don't grow as tall. In horticultural circles, the response of trees and plants to wind is called thigmomorphogenesis. The buffeting from winds releases ethylene gas, a growth mediator that triggers the formation of wood-strengthening lignin. Buy young trees and don’t stake them for best results.

 Sun through water burns leaves

The belief that water droplets on plants focus solar rays and burn foliage has persisted for generations.  Study in Budapest found that water droplets were too close to leaves to cause burning before they evaporated. The only risk was on hairy plants such as ferns, which kept the droplets far enough away to act as lenses. Tell that to my scorched spinach seedlings.

Tree wounds need dressing

Countless generations of gardeners have painted tar or paint on wounds after lopping off branches. It was believed that, without protection, trees would be vulnerable to pests and disease. All proof now shows that applying tar does nothing to help protect the tree but can provide a home and protective layer for pests and fungi.

Add bone meal and compost when planting trees

Although bone meal contains calcium and phosphorus, which are needed for plant growth, the minerals are rarely in short supply in gardens or allotments. Anyway, bone meal does not stimulate plant growth; It’s only a mineral, not a plant growth regulator.

 Natural is safer

Pesticides may be against the spirit of organic gardening, but garden centre shelves are full of organic treatments for insects, slugs and fungi. Although they are labelled "natural", that doesn't make them friendly to the environment. Some natural home-made organic pesticides contain 20% vinegar, which is effective at killing the tops of plants, but not their roots. It is also toxic for frogs and toads.

Bordeaux mix, which is an organic treatment for potato blight contains copper, which could build up in the soil and be harmful. Another common organic insect killer is pyrethrum, made from an extract of chrysanthemum. Natural it may be; discriminating it is not. It will kill beneficial ladybirds and bumblebees as easily as it kills asparagus beetle.

Peeling Spuds

Oh NO! Not spud peeling

I can easily breeze through repetitious work. Take sowing seeds and potting on cuttings for example, especially when I was growing seeds for a living. I’d sit on my stool in the tunnel throughout the cold cold winters (violins can start now) and I’d patiently pot up the plants and lay them out in an orderly fashion for them to grow on. 

This patience doesn’t end in the garden, I realise it’s the journey not the destination. For that reason I can cope with most mundane jobs in the house, washing, vacuuming and dusting.  

So can anyone tell me why, oh why do I break out into a cold sweat when I am asked to peel spuds?   From getting the first potato in my hand and starting to peel until the last one plops into the pan, I detest the process. My chest tightens up, blood pressure goes up and I feel like I need to scream. You can probably guess that I am not asked to do this very often and if left to my own devices I will always make pasta, rice or noodles. 

Less work

If I am in a shop buying vegetables I will usually go for the ones that look as though they have come out of the ground with a bit of soil on them - unless they are potatoes. Just in case for some unexplained reason that  I am asked to peel them I will go for the cleanest, biggest (that’s important too as it’s less fiddly) least recessed eyes and the ones with as little or no blemishes as possible. Less work and anxiety for me.  I don’t even look where they have been grown. Shame on me, but when my health is at stake I can’t be too careful, I won't even grow them! I think maybe my spud peeling resistance is something to do with valuing my time and thinking I should be doing something more useful than peeling off imperfections.  

Taking your time

I remember a friend of mine filling up some large flower containers using a dessert spoon to scoop out the compost from the bag and place it gently into the pot. I suggested she could do it faster by tipping the compost straight into the pot from the bag. It’d save her time I thought. “Why would I want to do that?” she said “I am enjoying doing it this way.” Maybe I ought to employ the same philosophy when it comes to peeling spuds. The only way I can cope is by throwing them straight into the oven “as is” and bake them for an hour.

It’s all about the timing

I’m very conscious of timing in the garden this year. For some reason the season is moving forward at a seemingly faster rate than usual, it must be an age thing. I’m following Klaus’s growing and planting guidelines on his seed packets and so far have planted everything he suggests to the end of April. I now have basil, peas, mange tout, kale, onions, spring onions and sweetcorn in.  I still have a lot more seeds to sow but I am taking my time, especially with the French beans, they won’t need to go in until the end of May. 

Planting Herbs

I’ve made the finishing touches to the granite set walls I built last week. It’s made a great place for the dogs to sit as the sieved soil is nice and warm for them. They can also get to look straight into the kitchen window at me longingly looking for food. As the beds are near to the back door I will be planting them up with herbs we can pick whilst cooking. I also thought a bit of lawn chamomile might go well in between the cracks in the slabs. The highly scented plants will serve a few other purposes too. They will give off a pleasant aroma when walked on of brushed past. Secondly, if the dogs insist on still sitting in the same spots after the herbs are planted, it might help to make them smell a bit sweeter. It might not come as much of a surprise but the dogs don’t half pong, especially when they have just come out of the river.

Hoarding - Collecting, it's a fine line

The on-going quest for the garden NOT to look like the backdrop for an episode of Steptoe and Son continues. Not only is the garden looking similar to the programme, I seem to be looking more like Wilfred Bramble’s character Albert Steptoe the older I get. There are a few differences, he has more hair than I do for a start and (as yet) I don’t own a horse and cart. (For those of you too young to remember the programme Google the title to see what I mean. It’s uncanny.

Granite Sets

I have made a decision to make use of some of the accumulated “stock” in the garden and found somewhere to put the granite sets and old hexagonal paving slabs. I don’t think I have mentioned the yellow slabs before. I dug them up last year when I was clearing a space for the polytunnel. They have probably been buried for 30 years but are still miraculously in one piece, they must have used strong cement in those days.  We have an area outside of the back door that would have been planted up at one time and slops down from the lawn. Over the years the ground has slipped and if anything grew in it in the past it doesn’t get a chance now as I just mow it when I cut the rest of the grass. It has only been used as a place where the dogs can site and look longingly into the kitchen window whilst waiting for either a walk or scraps of food to be thrown out of the window. It’s my own waste disposal unit.  I’ve spoken a lot about how to plant on a slope so had a pretty good idea what to do so didn’t see the need to complicate things by making a plan. I am just making it up as I go along.

Two Levels

The slope is steep enough for a couple of levels. I have a row of just two of the old slabs then a row of three high, dark granite sets. There is then a level area about three feet wide before the next level of granite sets go in. This time only two high of the lighter speckled ones. I have done a rough estimate and think I’ll have enough to finish. If not I know where there are some more if I need them. There will be a space next to the wall wide enough for the dogs to poke their noses over into the neighbour’s garden over the dividing wall. Our house isn’t the only place the dogs use their longing puppy dog eyes for food and the neighbour will come out at least once a day with something tasty for them to munch on.

Light Work

The slabs have developed a layer of gunge and greenery but I am not going to clean them up. The house and garden pathways are old and the dirt seems to fit in a bit better. You can pay a lot of money for getting things that look old so they match their surroundings – that’s my excuse anyway. The granite sets are not going to be cleaned either.  

I am not going to cement the slabs, or even put them on a level of sand for that matter. It’s such a small area and because of the shape there will be a small planting hole every two slabs where I can plant herbs for harvesting from the back door and will also give the dogs a softer seating area as I am sure they won’t be long using it. The granite sets will be free standing too as I would like the dry stone wall effect with lots of strawberry plants jutting out of the cracks.  As nothing will be secured into place I can modify, adjust or take the whole thing down when I get bored with looking at it. It’s one step away from having a garden on a pallet where you can move it around to suit. 

Oil Can

What do you do on a sunny morning at the weekend? Last Sunday I spend a few happy hours cleaning up my old rusty oil can and coating it with six layers of clear lacquer. When I say cleaning up I mean brushing it gently with a paintbrush to get rid of any loose flakes of rust and then adding the spray.  The finished effect (I think) looks fabulous and will delay the rusting process for a good few years.  I proudly showed it to Julie and asked her what she thought. 

 

She thinks I ought to get out more.