Pesticide-Free Techniques For Coping With a Mossy Lawn NCAP

PDF 2 pages 1 species 3 images by JOURNAL OF PESTICIDE REFORM/ WINTER 2004 ? VOL. 24, NO. 4 Caroline Cox NCAP. What does moss in your lawn bring to mind? Are you intrigued by the beauty of these unusual plants? Do you see them as a sign that your lawn is stressed? Do you see soggy, muddy plants that detract from the appearance of your lawn? This article will help you understand all three of those perspectives about moss, and give you some nonchemical strategies to use if you decide you need a lawn without moss.

Pesticide-Free Techniques For Coping With a Mossy Lawn NCAP

Moss Facts

Mosses are unique. They have no roots, and no system for carrying water from the soil to other parts of the plant.1 They reproduce from spores or vegetative parts, not seeds.2 They thrive in conditions that are quite different than conditions that are good for most lawn grasses.1 The mild, wet winters in the western parts of the Pacific Northwest encourage moss growth.

References

1. Washington State University Extension. 1998. Gardening in western Washington: Miserable muddy moss in the lawn - what to do! http:// gardening.wsu.edu/column/09-20-98.htm.
2. State University of New Jersey. New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Rutgers Cooperative Extension. 2003. Moss in lawns. http:// www.rce.rutgers.edu/pubs/.
3. Oregon State University Extension Service. 1998. Controlling moss in lawns. FS 55. http:// eesc.orst.edu/agcomwebfile/edmat/html/FS/ FS55/FS55.html.
4. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. Cooperative Extension in Berks County. Moss gardening: How and why to encourage moss in some areas of the landscape.berks.extension.psu.edu/MG/hgargd/mossgardening.html.
5. Washington State University Extension. 2000. Gardening in western Washington: Moss in the landscape: Friend or foe? http://gardening.wsu.edu/ column/10-08-00.htm.
6. University of Alaska Fairbanks. Alaska Cooperative Extension. 1997. Moss control in lawns. http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/freepubs/ HGA-00133.pdf.
7. Metro. 2003. Simple steps to a healthy lawn. www.metro-region.org. 8. Univ. of Calif. Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. 2003. The UC guide to healthy lawns. www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/.
9. Stahnke, G.K. et al. 2001. Home lawns. EB0482. Washington State Univ. Cooperative Extension. http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb0482/ eb0482.pdf.
10. Washington State University Extension. 1996. Gardening in western Washington: Moss control in lawns. http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/ lawn003/lawn003.htm.

Regions Impacted: Northeastern, Northwest, Northwestern, Pacific, Pacific Alaska