The Benefits of Using Moss in Landscaping
Moss solves problems other plants cannot․ Moss thrives in the wet‚ shady‚ root encrusted places where grass will not grow and mulch will wash away․ If you happen to have one of those shady side yards in Nashville that never seems to dry out in late spring‚ or a spot in Knoxville under a century-old oak tree where nothing else seems to thrive․․․ moss is your answer․ Low maintenance‚ evergreen‚ truly beautiful given time to develop‚ and none of the mowing‚ fertilizing‚ or spraying of turf grass․
Why Moss Makes Sense in Tennessee Landscapes
The humid summers‚ non-freezing winters‚ and abundant precipitation in the state give Tennessee an almost ideal moss habitat․ Middle and East Tennessee are within USDA zones 6b through 7b‚ while West Tennessee is on the border of 8a; mosses are tolerant of the entire state‚ however‚ with no real preference․ It does not care about whether the climate is particularly cold or warm‚ only that it is damp and shady‚ so a moss bed under the shade of mature hardwoods in Chattanooga is similar to one in hill country around Cookeville․
You will find that the plant itself is quite different from anything else in your yard․ Mosses are in the division Bryophyta․ Mosses have no roots․ They cling to the ground by a web of threadlike rhizoids growing out from their undersides and attach to soil‚ tree bark‚ or rock․ They do not absorb nutrient from the ground but reproduce by spores․ Moss can grow in places where seed-bearing plants cannot: a dimly lit cliff‚ a wet-brick sidewalk‚ a tightly tamped clay space under a patio․
The Right Moss for the Right Spot
While not all mosses grow the same‚ some mosses will be better suited for your specific site conditions and establish more quickly․
Cushion moss makes a low‚ dense mound․ It can be used as a groundcover between stepping stones‚ and at the base of a tree․ Sheet moss spreads well; it can be used in a space where a patch of lawn has failed․ Fern moss is soft‚ fuzzy moss that grows in layers next to hostas or ferns in a bed․ Rock cap‚ as the name implies‚ grows wherever it can find a rock or boulder or hardscaping‚ softening the outlines of these elements for a season or two․ Because Sphagnum moss prefers to grow in consistently wet‚ stagnant areas‚ it is widely used around water features or in low spots that do not dry out․
All five of these are available from TN Nursery․ Matching the species to your actual site conditions-sun exposure‚ moisture level‚ surface type-is more important than is generally acknowledged․ But a rock cap moss planted in a damp hollow will not flourish‚ nor will sphagnum moss flourish on a dry rock ledge․
Where Moss Solves Problems Other Plants Can't
The most underrated benefit is what it does to swampy or permanently wet areas․ Mosquitoes breed in standing water and wet soil‚ and this often has a musty or unpleasant smell from stagnant sources․ As it grows‚ a large amount of that excess moisture is absorbed by the moss․ This tends to make areas less ideal for mosquito larvae and cuts down the boggy odor of poorly drained areas of a yard․ Moss may not fix a drainage problem on its own‚ but it does a solid ways toward improving one‚ while also offering a deliberate look․
It's one of the few groundcovers which will do well in deep shade․ Under the canopy of a mature tree‚ grass thins out and grows in patches no matter how much you seed it; moss fills in and stays green․ Most mosses will tolerate some morning or evening sun‚ but midday (especially in July in Tennessee) will probably kill most species․ In fact‚ they will appear stiff and lighter in color‚ and will be dry and crispy․ If there are problem areas in these conditions‚ using a shade-tolerant perennial may be a better choice․
Planting Moss: What to Actually Expect
Moss installation is easier than most ground covers‚ but there are a couple of details that determine whether it works or washes away․
Clean the surface of leaves‚ twigs and other debris‚ and scratch the surface of the soil (via a rake) to allow the rhizoids to grip it․ Moss does not do particularly well in high quality soil‚ where weeds may out-compete it‚ but requires poor quality soil in some form․ Some sources recommend watering the ground before laying the moss‚ pressing it onto the ground‚ and watering it again afterwards․
Water the moss lightly every day or every two days in dry weather for the first two to three weeks (more often if it's windy or especially hot)․ This is the establishment period‚ the time when the rhizoids attach themselves to the substrate (whatever it is that you're growing moss on)․ If you don't keep watering it at this stage it will dry out and lift off before it roots in․ Once established‚ moss requires surprisingly little from you: no more mowing or fertilizing‚ no liming or application of pesticides․
Mosses growing in the dry August months in Tennessee will often become dormant and appear a light grayish-green versus their normal green․ This color change is not an indicator of dieback‚ however․ Most species will green-up within a day or two of the return of rain‚ and sometimes within hours of a good soaking․
Beyond the Practical: What Moss Adds Visually
That's why moss is such a popular element of Japanese garden design and of Pacific Northwest landscaping: it reads established and calm in ways new plants do not․ The stone path‚ bordered by cushion moss‚ and a boulder draped with rock cap moss are two examples of more elaborate decor that have the look of years of training but can be created in a single growing season․ Ferns‚ hostas‚ and other perennial plants fill in the gaps where the moss does not grow‚ creating a bed that appears finished․
If you have a spot in your Tennessee landscaping that is shady, wet, or hard to plant, you shouldn't throw in the towel on it yet! The TN Nursery sells cushion moss‚ sheet moss‚ fern or rock cap mosses‚ and sphagnum mosses that are ready to plant․ The moss you choose will determine if your new garden takes years to get established‚ or is ready to care for itself in a year․
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