The star moss is a small, white flowering perennial. In the right location, the ground cover requires little care.
Star moss (Sagina subulata) is a pretty evergreen plant that is easy to grow and uncomplicated. Even if it looks like moss, the small perennial is actually a carnation plant. With its numerous white flowers, the ground cover is very suitable for the rock garden, but can also serve as a lawn replacement.
You can read here what you should consider when caring for the Sagina subulata.
Care for Star Moss
➔ Pour star moss
How intensively you have to water star moss depends on the location of the plant. Since the perennial has few demands on the location, the star moss also grows and blooms in the shade. Irrigation can be done sporadically here. On the other hand, if the plant is in the sun, daily watering is necessary during the summer months.
In intense sunlight, the plants dry out very quickly. If you have missed watering, make up for it quickly instead of disposing of the apparently dried up plant. The robust star moss forgives some care mistakes and usually regenerates itself. However, there will probably be no flowering.
A semi-shaded location with around two hours of sunshine a day is ideal. Regular watering is not necessary in this case. However, make sure that the soil does not dry out completely. The soil should always feel slightly damp. In a full sun location, you should water the Sternmoos several times a day on hot days. Use the morning and evening hours for this.
Watering Star Moss at a glance:
- Water sporadically in the shade and semi-shade
- Water daily in sunny locations
- Earth must not dry out
- Avoid waterlogging
➔ Fertilize star moss
The nutrient requirement of the plant can be assessed as moderate. In a normal garden soil that is not too barren, the star moss usually gets along without fertilization. Lean soils can already be upgraded when planting Sternmoos by adding mature compost. This gives theUse a slow release organic fertilizer for perennials and no additional fertilizing is required.
During the growing season you can apply liquid fertilizer every four weeks. Fertilization should be stopped from the end of July. Otherwise, offshoots and fresh shoots could continue to form, which could no longer mature sufficiently before the first frost.
Coming soon:
- rather moderate nutritional requirements
- fertilize in poor locations at four-week intervals
- Stop fertilizing from the end of July
➔ Does star moss need to be cut?
The star moss only reaches a low growth height of a maximum of five centimetres. Cutting measures are therefore not necessary. If you use Sternmoos as a lawn replacement and want to match the height of the plant to the rest of your lawn, you can use planting shears. Star moss tolerates pruning well.
» Tip: Lawn curbs can be used to limit lateral spread.
➔ Overview of the most important care instructions
| Care measure | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Casting | The water requirement depends on the chosen location. Regular watering is not necessary in shade and semi-shade. If the plant is very sunny, it should be watered in the morning and evening in summer. |
| Fertilize | Normal garden soil is sufficient for the nutrient requirements of the plants. Particularly poor soil can be made richer in nutrients by adding compost. The application of liquid fertilizer can be recommended at four-week intervals.Fertilization should be stopped from the end of July. |
| Cut | The low-growing carnation plant does not need to be cut. It can be adapted to the lawn as the plant tolerates pruning well and regenerates quickly. Lawn edging stones prevent uncontrolled spread into the Width. |
Star Moss Species
The star moss belongs to the order Bryales. This is divided into 15 genera with about 370 species, which are divided into two subfamilies.
❶ Schwanenhals Sternmoos
The swan neck star moss prefers moist forest floors. A lime-poor soil is preferred. The plants like high humidity and also grow on dead wood and tree trunks. In the northern hemisphere, Schwanenhals Sternmoose occurs at altitudes of up to 1,700 meters.
❷ Wavy Star Moss
This plant reaches about twice the height of conventional star moss. The conspicuously large leaves reveal their waviness, especially when wet. The plants are undemanding and thrive in almost any location that is not too dry, preferably at the edges of streams, at the edge of the forest or in meadows. Since the plants prefer a nitrogen-rich soil, the wavy star moss is often found in inner cities.
The “Aurea” variety should also be of interest to hobby gardeners. The yellowish leaves offer a nice contrast to the classic light green leafy species. The species "Lime Moss" and "Green" also set welcome splashes of color in the rock garden bed with their yellow-green foliage.
Propagate star moss
If the location and substrate are right, it won't be long before star moss forms dense carpets, because the plant will self-seed.
Tip: If the ground cover has spread too much, individual parts of the plant can simply be cut out with a spade and immediately put back into the ground at another location.
If you want to multiply the star moss yourself, you can do this by dividing and sowing.
➔ Propagate star moss by sowing
If you want to sow the star moss, start with it in late winter. A shallow seed container is filled with potting soil. Alternatively, you can also use a peat-sand mixture. In any case, the soil should not be too coarse and should have good permeability.
Tip: Before sowing the seeds, mix them with bird sand, this weighs down the light seeds.
The seed is only lightly covered with soil. With a powerful jet of water you would flush out the seeds again. Therefore, watering should be done with the help of a water sprayer.
In order to promote germination, the planter is provided with a foil cover. However, you must air them regularly to prevent mold from forming in the warm, humid planter. Keep the substrate evenly moist but not too wet. After the first leaves have formed, the plants can be separated.
➔ Propagating star moss by division
Star moss can be divided in spring or autumn. For this purpose, the star moss is dug out of the ground. Be careful not to damage the delicate roots. The rosettes are divided with a sharp knife. In this way, new plants can be won, which immediately after theDivision should be put directly back into the ground at the new location.
Sternmoos - diseases and pests
The star moss is robust and is hardly attacked by diseases or pests. However, various deficiency symptoms can occur if the location is too wet or too dry.
Warning: The delicate shoots of star moss are preferred by snails.
Therefore, install a snail fence or use natural remedies. Slug pellets should only be used in emergencies. Aphids don't stop at Sternmoos either. However, if the plant is sprayed several times with soapy water, the pests should disappear again.
If the drought persists, spider mites can also appear. If attention is paid to sufficient moisture supply and the plant is sprayed more frequently, the pests can also be expelled naturally.
hibernate star moss
Star moss is hardy and easily withstands temperatures down to minus 15 degrees.
In winter, however, there is a risk of persistent dampness. If the soil is not permeable enough, waterlogging can occur. This usually goes unnoticed in the winter garden and causes the roots to rot. The plants can die off over the winter. Therefore, ensure that the soil has good permeability and that excess moisture can drain off easily.