Mention moss, and half the people in the room will say it's a good thing, while the other half will insist it's bad. So which is it?
Gardening by the Yard host Paul James says it's neither.
Mosses of all kinds are used to line hanging baskets, dress up container plants (figure A) and create some of the most stunning gardens ever seen. It also looks great when it randomly appears growing on rocks, on trees and in the lawn.
But it's probably the moss growing in lawns that causes many homeowners to develop a disdain for it: To them, it's an eyesore.
Paul couldn't disagree more. But the presence of moss indicates that the soil is too poor, wet, acid, compacted and/or shaded. Getting rid of moss, then, involves fertilizing, aerating and liming the soil and opening up nearby trees to let in more light.
Moss factoid
If you've heard that moss grows on the north side of trees, know that that's not always the case. If the trunk of a tree is totally shaded by the canopy above, moss can grow all around it. So if you're ever lost in the woods, don't use moss as a crude compass.
)
)