how do you deal with moss? it's everywhere - on the roof, paths, on surface
of the soil on the flower beds, and of course everywhere on the lawn. i
think i shall go stark raving bonkers soon if i don't get rid of the stuff!
help please.

In article , Sid wrote:
how do you deal with moss? it's everywhere - on the roof, paths, on surface
of the soil on the flower beds, and of course everywhere on the lawn. i
think i shall go stark raving bonkers soon if i don't get rid of the stuff!

I shall have to set myself up as a moss therapist :-)

Learn to love it. A spade and stiff broom gets it off paths in very
little time, though roofs need a bit more care. It does little harm
on flower beds, and is easy to rake up by hand or with an implement.
As a lawn plant, it is naturally low-growing, waterlogging and drought
resistant, so why waste time with grass? And, of course, it is very
useful for lining pots and as a soil conditioner.

With the warm, wet winters that have been prevalent recently, it is
almost impossible to avoid. You can poison it and turn it into a black
mess that needs clearing up, but that is little improvement. So just
accepting it as a natural part of UK gardening makes sense. The
Japanese have a whole discipline of moss gardening, and some people
have tried in the UK.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 31 Mar 2003 23:00:30 GMT, (Nick Maclaren) wrotc:

As a lawn plant, it is naturally low-growing, waterlogging and drought
resistant, so why waste time with grass? And, of course, it is very
useful for lining pots and as a soil conditioner.

I wonder whether the same could be said of Mind Your Own Business.
The only reservation I would have is that it can grow to a height to
smother the smaller woodland plants.

I don't have moss - but bucket fulls of MYOB!

Huss
Grow a little garden

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article , Sid
wrote:
how do you deal with moss? it's everywhere - on the roof, paths, on
surface
of the soil on the flower beds, and of course everywhere on the lawn.
i
think i shall go stark raving bonkers soon if i don't get rid of the
stuff!

I shall have to set myself up as a moss therapist :-)

Learn to love it. A spade and stiff broom gets it off paths in very
little time, though roofs need a bit more care. It does little harm
on flower beds, and is easy to rake up by hand or with an implement.
As a lawn plant, it is naturally low-growing, waterlogging and drought
resistant, so why waste time with grass? And, of course, it is very
useful for lining pots and as a soil conditioner.

With the warm, wet winters that have been prevalent recently, it is
almost impossible to avoid. You can poison it and turn it into a
black
mess that needs clearing up, but that is little improvement. So just
accepting it as a natural part of UK gardening makes sense. The
Japanese have a whole discipline of moss gardening, and some people
have tried in the UK.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I agree wholeheartedly with Nick

Bell

Or encourage the local birds more. The local crows have done a great job of
cleaning the moss from the "patio" (if you knew my garden, you'ld be
laughing at this point) for use in their nests.

Also, moss likes the damp so if you have heavy, slow draining soil (I have
London clay - anyone for pottery?), then improving the drainage can help.
Lawns, especially, are prone to getting compacted and aeration and dressing
in the autumn really helps.

Paul DS.

"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
et...
Or encourage the local birds more. The local crows have done a great
job of
cleaning the moss from the "patio" (if you knew my garden, you'ld be
laughing at this point) for use in their nests.

Also, moss likes the damp so if you have heavy, slow draining soil (I
have
London clay - anyone for pottery?), then improving the drainage can
help.
Lawns, especially, are prone to getting compacted and aeration and
dressing
in the autumn really helps.

Paul DS.


Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your lawn, I can either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a struggle. I have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair and its going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think anyone else out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message
et...
Or encourage the local birds more. The local crows have done a great
job of
cleaning the moss from the "patio" (if you knew my garden, you'ld be
laughing at this point) for use in their nests.

Also, moss likes the damp so if you have heavy, slow draining soil (I
have
London clay - anyone for pottery?), then improving the drainage can
help.
Lawns, especially, are prone to getting compacted and aeration and
dressing
in the autumn really helps.

Paul DS.


Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your lawn, I can either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a struggle. I have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair and its going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think anyone else out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine remove the cores
dress with a sandy soil

Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your lawn, I can
either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a struggle. I have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair and its
going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think anyone else out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine remove the
cores
dress with a sandy soil


When you say "remove the cores", to me that means "try to get all of the
core out of each tine"

Bell

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your lawn, I can
either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a struggle. I have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair and its
going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think anyone else out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine remove the
cores
dress with a sandy soil


When you say "remove the cores", to me that means "try to get all of the
core out of each tine"

Bell


the core push out of each tine as you pust it back into the ground i mean
remove the cores from your lawn

"pied piper" wrote in message
...

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your lawn, I
can
either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a struggle. I
have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair and its
going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think anyone else
out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine remove the
cores
dress with a sandy soil


When you say "remove the cores", to me that means "try to get all of
the
core out of each tine"

Bell


the core push out of each tine as you pust it back into the ground i
mean
remove the cores from your lawn


What I am saying is that the ground (clay) is such that the cores do not
come out of the tines with the ground being so sticky/hard.

Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your lawn,
I
can
either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a struggle. I
have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair and
its
going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think anyone
else
out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine remove
the
cores
dress with a sandy soil


When you say "remove the cores", to me that means "try to get
all of
the
core out of each tine"

Bell


the core push out of each tine as you pust it back into the
ground i
mean
remove the cores from your lawn


What I am saying is that the ground (clay) is such that the cores do
not
come out of the tines with the ground being so sticky/hard.

they will come out when u push the tines back in the ground



They don't.

Bell

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your lawn,
I
can
either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a struggle. I
have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair and
its
going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think anyone
else
out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine remove
the
cores
dress with a sandy soil


When you say "remove the cores", to me that means "try to get
all of
the
core out of each tine"

Bell


the core push out of each tine as you pust it back into the
ground i
mean
remove the cores from your lawn


What I am saying is that the ground (clay) is such that the cores do
not
come out of the tines with the ground being so sticky/hard.

they will come out when u push the tines back in the ground



They don't.

Bell


then push harder

"pied piper" wrote in message
...

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your
lawn,
I
can
either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a
struggle. I
have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair
and
its
going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think
anyone
else
out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine
remove
the
cores
dress with a sandy soil


When you say "remove the cores", to me that means "try to
get
all of
the
core out of each tine"

Bell


the core push out of each tine as you pust it back into the
ground i
mean
remove the cores from your lawn


What I am saying is that the ground (clay) is such that the
cores do
not
come out of the tines with the ground being so sticky/hard.

they will come out when u push the tines back in the ground



They don't.

Bell


then push harder



I can push as hard and as deep as I can but the cores are sticky clay,
perhaps you have no experience of it. Mr Titchmarsh always said that his
garden was heavy clay but when he "ground forced" a garden 2 miles away
from here he found out what clay, that you can almost do pottery with,
is really like.

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

"pied piper" wrote in message
...

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

Paul

I, like you am on London clay. How do you aerate your
lawn,
I
can
either
not get a fork in or cannot get it out without a
struggle. I
have a
hollow tine aerator which I bought at a local boot fair
and
its
going
back to see if some other sucker wants it !!!!

You mention laughing about your patio, do you think
anyone
else
out
there is as sad as me ---- I mow my "patio".


Bell


water your lawn for few hours a day then hollow tine
remove
the
cores
dress with a sandy soil


When you say "remove the cores", to me that means "try to
get
all of
the
core out of each tine"

Bell


the core push out of each tine as you pust it back into the
ground i
mean
remove the cores from your lawn


What I am saying is that the ground (clay) is such that the
cores do
not
come out of the tines with the ground being so sticky/hard.

they will come out when u push the tines back in the ground



They don't.

Bell


then push harder



I can push as hard and as deep as I can but the cores are sticky clay,
perhaps you have no experience of it. Mr Titchmarsh always said that his
garden was heavy clay but when he "ground forced" a garden 2 miles away
from here he found out what clay, that you can almost do pottery with,
is really like.


i have hollowed tinned plenty of cricket squares after years of rolling
and dressings of surrey loam and marl etc try solid tinning first get some
air and water into your root zone apply sandy dressings and work it into
your root zone hollow tines work by pushing into the ground then pulling
out then the next time you push it into the ground the new cores you are
cutting out will push the cores already in the tine out of the top if this
doesnt work then the edges of your tines are too blunt the clay content
will make no difference as it is the weight of the new core and u pushing
that will push out the other cores