The Magic of Moss Gardens: How to Create One and Why It Matters․
A moss garden is one of the few landscape options that will thrive in the cool‚ damp‚ low-light conditions that so frustrate many Tennesseans․ Where grass has thinned and hostas have legged out trying to reach the light through the trees‚ moss grows a thick carpet․ Once established‚ it requires no mowing‚ no fertilizer and almost no watering․ That's the short answer․ Here's everything else you need to know before you start ripping out that patchy lawn under your oak trees․
Why Moss Thrives in the Southeast
Mosses have existed for 450 million years before flowering plants with roots․ Unlike flowering plants‚ mosses have no true roots․ Instead‚ they take up water and nutrients through small‚ leaf-like structures called phyllids․ This is why it can be found growing on rocks and fence posts‚ or even the bark of trees‚ where there is no soil․
This makes Tennessee‚ especially Middle and East Tennessee in Zones 6b-7b‚ nearly an ideal environment for mosses․ We have high humidity for much of the year‚ rainfall is reliable (especially in spring and autumn)‚ and our state's clay soil is acidic (pH 5․0 to 6․0 in many of our yards)‚ exactly what most mosses prefer․ Cushion‚ sheet and fern moss are especially suited to this area and are found on north-facing slopes in the shade of established hardwoods or in a low area in the yard where water collects for a period of time․
What Moss Actually Does for Your Yard
In addition to its good looks‚ moss provides a service that most homeowners never suspect․
It filters․ Moss absorbs airborne pollutants and heavy metals in the water as it passes through the moss‚ like a little natural filter․ This is one reason why moss has customarily been used as an indicator species‚ implying bad air quality where it fails to thrive․
And‚ it holds the soil: dense mats of moss bind together topsoil with a network of tiny rhizoids․ It reduces slope runoff and stabilizes soil around trees and paths․ If there's a place that the mulch washes out every time it rains‚ moss is a permanent solution to that․
Its wildlife value is greater than that of lawns: spiders‚ beetles‚ springtails and millipedes live on and below the moss surface‚ feeding on plant debris․ These in turn attract wrens‚ robins and other insect-eating birds․ Other birds‚ such as chickadees and hummingbirds‚ are able to tear apart the moss while lining the insides of their nests because it is both pliable and maintains its shape when moist․ Moreover‚ frogs‚ toads and salamanders depend on beds of moss to withstand the long‚ dry spells that‚ for many parts of Colorado‚ include the hot‚ dry weather of July and August․
Getting Started: Site Prep
Moss needs shade (or at least filtered sunlight)‚ moisture (for the first few weeks‚ anyway)‚ and slightly acid‚ compact soil (rather than fluffy soil‚ as most plants prefer); that's why moss grows well in places where real landscaping won't․
Raked up leaves‚ debris‚ and competing weeds․ Since moss grows in low quality‚ compact dirt‚ fertilizer and tilling are not recommended․ If the pH is over 6․5‚ you can reduce it slightly by sprinkling sulfur in a thin layer on the soil‚ raking off loose material without loosening the soil․ Moss tends to cover hard ground․
Planting: Transplantation‚ Fragmentation‚ or Slurry
You've got three realistic options․
The quickest way to transplant patches is to press sections of moss into the prepared soil and tamp it down so that there are no air pockets․ Water well for the first two to three weeks‚ or daily if rain is insufficient․
Since fragmenting stretches your supply further‚ it helps to break up the patches you are placing by a few inches․ It takes two to three months to fill in rather than two to three weeks‚ but it costs less and expands to cover a larger area․
Blending a slurry is most successful on vertical surfaces‚ such as retaining walls or rocks․ The moss fragments are blended with buttermilk or plain yogurt‚ and the slurry is then painted onto the surface․ Keep it moist and shaded‚ and in four to six weeks you should see green fuzz․
TN Nursery provides moss that is established‚ acclimatized‚ and ready to be transplanted‚ saving the general consumer much of the trouble of collecting wild moss that may not survive․
Ongoing Care (There Isn't Much)
Once the moss is established there is no need to mow or fertilize‚ and once established (in six to eight weeks) it only needs watering during prolonged periods when it has not rained sufficiently․ If you do not get rain for three weeks in July‚ a deep watering might be necessary․ During dry weather‚ moss turns brown and appears dead‚ but it is merely dormant‚ and greens back up within days of a good rain․
In autumn‚ dead leaves can be lightly raked or lightly blown at low power with a leaf blower before they mat down and reduce light levels․ New moss should be kept free from foot traffic for the first year; some foot traffic can be tolerated on established moss‚ although it is not recommended as a path․
Ideas For Design Beyond A Lawn Substitute
Moss may be used in place of a lawn‚ to soften the edge of a rock garden‚ in the spaces between stepping stones‚ or under a Japanese maple tree where nothing else will thrive․ Moss terrariums and moss walls are commonly used in small yards in urban areas or in shaded yards where no real plant bed exists․ Container gardens can be further accented with a dish of moss at the base of ferns or hostas that can add extra moisture retention and a more finished look․
A Living Groundcover Worth the Patience
A moss garden is more a long game․ For the first few weeks it requires more attention‚ and then it becomes a low-maintenance groundcover‚ growing green even through winter‚ requiring no mowing‚ and doing more ecological service than the lawn it replaced․ For a gardener who has to contend with foliage from trees in Tennessee‚ this might be the lowest-maintenance‚ highest-payoff planting decision․
