Whether on the house wall, in the lawn or in the flower bed: moss spreads almost everywhere. But with our tips you can get your flower beds moss-free again.
Actually, moss is primarily found on sidewalks, on house walls or in lawns. But in shady areas, he can also show up in the beds. Moss only needs a moist substrate to thrive and if not enough sun gets to a spot, then it has an easy time there. Much to the annoyance of many gardeners, because the flower beds really don't look pretty.
So what to do to get rid of the moss? Very simple: try our tips! These will tell you how to prevent and combat moss infestation in flower beds. But one thing should be said beforehand: You can hardly ever get rid of moss permanently, because the conditions that lead to its spread can only rarely be changed.
Tips for controlling moss in the flower bed
➤ Tip 1 - create raised beds:
Prevention is still the best solution, because it is not easy to get moss under control in the long run. Unfortunately, it will always form again. In the case of beds, you only have the option of switching to raised beds (reading tip: Build your own raised bed in 7 steps).
➤ Tip 2 - Install drainage:
If the subsoil is generally very wet, perhaps also because it is much too dense and heavy, then installing drainage can help.
➤ Tip 3 - Loosen the soil regularly:
If you loosen the soil regularly, it can dry better. This in turn creates bad conditions for moss, since it needs a lot of moisture to thrive. So grab a hoe or a cultivator every now and then and loosen up your beds.
➤ Tip 4 - Additives for the garden soil:
Moss does not like soil that is rich in nutrients. Therefore, you should apply fertilizer from time to time. Liming the soil can also help, but be careful not to overdo it as lime is not good for some plants. You can also improve the soil by adding rock flour and/or sandimprove.
Warning: Never use iron sulphate!
One thing is for sure: Ferrous Sulfate is very effective in controlling moss in flower beds. After application, the moss will gradually turn brown and shrink. Then it can be easily removed. But now comes the catch:
Although iron sounds he althy at first, it can be toxic to animals and humans. Therefore, extreme caution is required when using it in the garden. Inhalation and skin contact can be severely irritating, requiring protective clothing and a mask to be applied. Unfortunately, hardly any hobby gardener does this.
There are special means for removing moss on the market, but you can be sure that most of the means also contain this iron sulphate. Even with an iron fertilizer, you will not get rid of the moss in the garden in the long term, because the spores are constantly being redistributed. You can and should therefore avoid using such chemical agents to combat moss.