[We built home and improved yard in Wenatchee Valley, Wash State 37 yrs ago. Soil is heavy, moderately alkaline -- former pear orchard. About 15 years ago moss first appeard in a few shady spots of planting beds. I have followed the standard "moss control" procedures every Spr and Fall since but the moss keeps spreading untill it now infests about 90% of all planting beds not densely covered with groundcover --- about 800 sf of moss (with only a few sq. ft. in lawn). Some details: 1) Although neighbors on both sides (same soil, etc) water at least double what I do, they have little or no moss. 2) Neighbors beds have 3"+ of bark as they do very few annuals. My beds are only 'barked' in a few places as they are mainly used for planting annuals. But even the barked areas are now getting mossy. 3) Lilly's "Moss Out" seems to act more like a fertilizer/stimulent than an hericide --- kills the moss back for a couple weeks but then it comes back thicker and more agressive than ever. Any sugestions?
Moss killer products available in the market place, is truly a waste of your hard earned money....if you have shade and moisture prevalent year round, then you likely always will have moss, and bark mulch encourages more moss due to its acidity. Can you rake out the moss? This is only a temporary fix... however, sand inhibits moss development. If your moss occurs mostly in the shade, you may also consider pruning to allow for more direct sunlight... and yes, moss can still easily grow in direct sunlight...and especially in acidic soils....
