Advantages Planting Sheet Moss Has in Shaded Areas
Sheet Moss is an often unsung hero of ecosystems like forests and rocky hillsides. Providing myriad environmental assets, moss is nevertheless it's the new garden staple of 2022. Yet property owners do well to know that moss makes for a more sustainable lawn and can also appear quite presentable. This is especially true with sheet moss or hypnum. This species ordinarily grows flat on logs, rocks, and soil. Unlike most grasses, this moss stays lush and green year-round and adorns shaded areas particularly well. Easy to plant and grow, this variety benefits the landscape in big and small ways.
Sheet Moss - It Needs No Help to Grow
Many owners believe moss kills grass wherever it grows, but the fact is that moss grows where grass can not. Furthermore, it requires no fertilizer, herbicide, or pesticide to foster healthy growth. This spares the soil of those synthetic chemicals associated with soil erosion and contaminated aquifers beneath the ground. In addition, other than minimal rainwater, this type of moss needs little irrigation, conserving annual household water usage. The low-maintenance nature of this vegetation makes it exceptionally advantageous in shaded areas, often places of frustration for many homeowners and landscapers.
Sheet Moss Works Well For Inhibiting Both Erosion and Flooding
Sheet moss fights soil erosion on inclines and slopes where nutrients are lacking. Its rhizoids--thought to be rooting but projecting from stems--grasp the terrain and keep it intact. In this way, it fights the erosive power of wind and water. While mosses tend to show up in poorly drained soils, demonstrating some immunity to flooding--they understandably thrive in moist settings, planting great near water gardens. Since this flora slows down rushing water, it regulates its entry into the groundwater sources. In this way, it preserves a lawn rather than harms it.
Sheet Moss Works as Enhancing Landscape Appearance
Sheet moss is a deep colored evergreen moss that is highly desirable. It sports a vibrant, verdant hue and stays lush and green year-round. Although it grows best in shaded areas, it can bear up under the sun if it is spared prolonged, direct exposure. Hypnum works perfectly between stepping stones and visually complements other plant life, like evergreen ground covers and some native wildflowers. As noted above, this moss looks great near water gardens.
Planting Hypnum in Yard and Garden
Gardeners have flexibility when planting hypnum because it tolerates acidic soil, compacted soil, lack of organic material, and inadequate drainage. Plus, sheet moss spreads well and is easy to plant and grow. Surviving in the deepest shade must nevertheless be cultivated with patient perseverance. Observing moisture conditions in the targeted area, removing grass and weeds, or even blending the moss with beer or yogurt—a "moss milkshake"—and dispersing it (remember: sheet moss spreads well) can help to bring about a mossy presence in shady places.
The milkshake is the most active of the methods listed above. Sometimes, waiting for a poorly drained, shaded parcel to bear moss works just as well, though more quickly than one might like. Yet, for vegetation that stays lush and green year-round--and that looks great near water gardens--the more active approach can be gratifying to gardeners and landscapers alike. Excellent near-water gardens of any dimension and masonry, the enduring beauty of moss that stays lush and green year-round, even in shady areas, may be well worth the effort.
