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techiestar_gw

Moss on roses, harmful?

techiestar
15 years ago

I did a search in this forum on moss, as I have it in my yard and in one flower bed that stretches the length of the southern side of the yard. I'm glad to see that it's generally not a problem, but I have one question that others didn't ask. All through this bed are perennials, rose bushes, and climbing vines. Today I found moss growing on the bases of the roses. I get the feeling that due to her age, the previous owner wasn't able to tend the roses and now they need help. Can I leave the moss, or could this be part of what is harming the roses? Also, there are bulbs out there that keep surprising me with their presence. Does the moss inhibit sun getting to the bulbs? Thanks in advance, you guys always have the answers.

Comments (5)

  • scarleta
    15 years ago

    If you can do remove the moss as it helps.I find if i remove it not only it looks better, but they perform better too.

  • Embothrium
    15 years ago

    Moss occurs where there is a film of water on a surface. If your beds are mossed over it means the surface is compacted enough for it to develop. Mulching with would chips would smother it and soften the soil, without digging the ground and damaging the roots of the plants in the bed.

    All plantings except warm season vegetables should be kept mulched anyway.

  • scarleta
    15 years ago

    Roses need to be feed and if you are planning to spread any fertilizer then you don't want to put any chips as it would not get the food to the roots fast enough.I did use bark mulch and later had to remove it to feed my perennials.Also the moss will eventually grow on the wood chips as we are in PNW wet area.If you use liquid fertilizer mulching with wood may help, but my preferred method would be to remove the moss from the canes at least.Roses do have shallow roots, but I have never damaged the roots when removing moss from around them.See what works for you.Moss will return no matter what you do.

  • Embothrium
    15 years ago

    Granular fertilizers wash right into the soil and should never be dug in as it is a waste of time and may damage plant roots. Liquid fertilizers are generally inferior to granular fertilizers for most situations. Beds around ornamental plants should always be kept protected by a blanket of mulch or ground cover plants that trap and hold litter beneath them, producing a similar result. Mulching results in superior plant response, it is normal in nature for the soil to be covered by litter and vegetation in all but climates or sites too dry or cold for this to occur.

  • reg_pnw7
    15 years ago

    Moss does not cause problems itself, but can be an indication of other problems - like compacted soil not draining properly, or too much shade.

    Moss is not hurting your roses, or preventing sun from getting to your bulbs. The bulbs are sprouting in response to soil temp and they don't even see the light of day until they've sprouted their way all the way to the surface, so they don't need sun to sprout.

    The moss on your roses is not rooting into or sucking anything from your roses. Moss does not have any roots. It has root-like structures that anchor it to a suitable substrate, like rose cane bark, but these 'rhizoids' do not pick up water or nutrients the way true roots do. So the moss is growing on your roses because the roses are old enough to have loose, fissured bark, and the area is wet.

    In my own rose garden, no individual rose cane is allowed to hang around long enough to develop the loose fissured bark that would be required for moss growth. I prune out most all canes once they've gotten to be about 3-4 yrs old, as they both lose vigor and develop unhealthy populations of blackspot cankers.

    You say that something is harming the roses. Can you be more specific as to why you think the roses are being harmed?

    There are many species of mosses, with slightly different growing requirements, but most mosses require acid soil or other substrate (bark, rock, gravel, rotting wood - different mosses prefer different substrates) and a long-lasting or frequent film of water. Since they have no true roots, they absorb water and nutrients directly through their leaves and stems, so they need to be sitting in water, even if not enough water for us to see. Lime can reduce soil acidity, and reducing shade can discourage most but not all mosses by drying the surface.

    Lichens are very common here too, and often are called mosses as the two can look very similar. Lichens are a bit tougher than mosses and can live on drier substrates. To a large extent, moss and lichen growth are inevitable, and for me at least part of the charm of the PNW. I have lichens on my metal mailbox, for instance. Anything that sits still for a few years is going to develop lichens or mosses.