Re: [SG] Introduction and questions

On Fri, 23 Apr 1999 23:57:49 -0700 Dennis Goos <Dennis_goos@MINDLINK.NET>
writes:


>Under this is a shade tolerant grass that gets to be less tolerant
>and less grass every year.
>
Like Dennis, I am a newcomer, but jumped the gun a few days ago when I
replied before I introduced myself. So here goes.  I am a novice in
gardening, although I've been gardening now for 10+ years.  Mostly, I
have not been able to devote the time necessary to really make a
successful garden or to research the various techniques and to apply when
needed.  So that's why I'm here, to learn.

My backyard has 13 shade trees (maple, oaks, sycamore, hickory) on an
average sized, downward sloping yard away from the house. When we moved
in, there was almost nothing else, except dying grass and weeds where
others before me had tried to grow a lawn.  In one corner, a few hostas
(green and white variegated) were growing, plus a newly planted mountain
laurel that has since died.

I spent the first four months (winter) planning the garden and have spent
the remaining eight years carrying out that plan, sometimes
enthusiastically, sometimes wearily.  It was clear it was going to be a
shade garden, since I didn't have the money to cut out any trees.  The
first steps included defining the beds around the trees, and visually
trying to connect up beds with paths.  My family hates the word "rock,"
as in "There's a rock that will make the edging for the beds."  Much of
my time has been at construction sites gathering rock, slinging it into
the van, and hauling it to the backyard.  My idea was to emulate the rock
edged streams that are abundant around here.  I used all sizes of stones,
including piles of little ones, trying to vary the edging like nature
does.

Then there was the matter of the soil.  There was a reason not much was
in that backyard.  Not even the hardiest weeds paid much attention to my
dry clay soil.  But there was some moss growing on the upper slopes.
This brings me to the reason I'm posting now, since I have some
experience with developing a moss area.

For several seasons, I hand picked the weeds and grass out, so that today
I have very little grass left and the weeds that were left were declared
wildflowers, and permitted to stay.  I have come to realize that I need
something with roots to help anchor the moss or it tends to come off in
sheets, exposing the dirt.  For a perfect moss garden, get rid of the
squirrels.  They like to dig in looking for food, leaving little holes
and scarred moss. I didn't  and couldn't even if I wanted to. But if you
don't strive for large expanses of moss perfection, then these little
pocks won't be so noticeable.

It's very important not to disturb the ground underneath, to grow moss.
I put in a pond and had to do quite a bit of digging.  Where I scraped
the top of the soil, the moss has not come back after four years, despite
there being adequate growth right next to it.  I don't know why.  I've
also notice that around the mole hills, where I patted them back down,
these areas are also next to impossible to get moss to regrow.

I've heard of using a buttermilk solution blended in the blender with
crumbled up moss and poured over these areas, but have never gotten
around to trying it out.

For the most part, I don't do anything at all, except pull weeds and
grass.  In the driest of the summer sometimes I give it a drink, but it
goes into a state of dormancy, otherwise.  Mostly I spend my few hours
trying to get water to the rest of the garden.

In the fall, be exceptionally careful or raking the leaves to avoid
scrapping the surface.  Blowing them with a blower is the safest way. You
do want to get them off the moss or it will smother out.

Peggy
Louisville, KY  zone 6a

>We want to convert a large part of the shadiest part to a moss
>garden where we can collect and plant the multitude of natural
>mosses found in the local environment.
>
>So after all that scribble, I have a question. How do I convert from
>grass to moss ? Has anyone done it successfully and can pass on
>their experience ?


>Suggestions and comments would be appreciated.
>
>Dennis
>
>Dennis_Goos@mindlink.net

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