Moss

[jack6480]

Does anyone know what a lot of moss on soils is an indicator for? Some of our fields are covered in moss especially wheat thats been planted, i know its been wet this time but last year fields were similar.

Thank you

 

[Dry Rot]

I don't think I have ever known it to be so continually damp as opposed to wet. The wet spells usually come with dry spells in between but the last 12 months have been damp all the time. Ideal for moss.

 

[Clive]

Does anyone know what a lot of moss on soils is an indicator for? Some of our fields are covered in moss especially wheat thats been planted, i know its been wet this time but last year fields were similar.

Thank you

have you tested pH ?

 

[Spencer]

Get moss here on limestone soils with pH 7.. I think moss is a sign of it being fecking wet and low light levels during winter months ?‍ Good dose of N usually gets rid of it

 

[yellow belly]

We have moss on notill fields but also the lawn 3 inches soil above limestone

 

[Lincsman]

Low air pollution, noticed all the Lichen stuff growing on everything?

 

[Hilly]

Wet and acidic.

 

[farmerm]

its a sign of 6 months dark, damp and relatively mild weather I suspect...

 

[Bogweevil]

Moss is good. It has no roots so cannot rob the crop. Think of it as mulch. Shame paraquat gone. Nothing like paraquat for promoting moss.

 

[jack6480]

Ph is 6.5 from last test in that field


Went to a talk tonight were Tim Parker spoke about his farm, and he said he’s seen a lot of moss on his no till ground to,

 

[Kiwi Pete]

How's your sulphur availability?

 

[parker]

Ph is 6.5 from last test in that field


Went to a talk tonight were Tim Parker spoke about his farm, and he said he’s seen a lot of moss on his no till ground to,

its Tim Parton parker is the nick name my wife gave me, yes I have moss and as I said last night it doesn't seem to be taking any yield of the crop, but does act as a mulch, iron sulphate would soon clean it up if it was a problem, and no I am not short of Iron, it is a DD regular occurrence I find, in a conventional system I would test PH and Iron just to be sure

 

[Cab-over Pete]

pH has no bearing at all on moss growth.

I’ve seen it on pH 5.0 and I’ve seen it on pH 8.0. I’m sitting right this minute having a sandwich in a yard next to a heap of brick hardcore and it’s growing on that. pH of the rubble will be sky high.

If you leave a bit of lime in the corner of the yard for a long time it will even grow on the heap.

If you have lots of moss and then test finding a low pH it’s just coincidence.

You can put the lime on and it won’t kill the moss. You might think it’s made the situation better but, in reality, the corrected pH has just made it easier for the intended crop to thrive and outcompete the moss.

I wish it was true, but lime doesn’t get rid of moss.

 

[jack6480]

How's your sulphur availability?

haha low

 

[jack6480]

 

[Kiwi Pete]

haha low

That's where I'd start; either put some elemental S on with whatever you use normally, or use AS as your N fert (especially at the shoulders of the growing season) instead of urea or AN.
Sulphates are in general a wee bit more expensive than alternatives but S is probably the most overlooked nutrient behind Si

If you mainly rely on fixed nitrogen, then I'd also look at bumping up your moly a bit, as you won't fix much N if Mo is low, even with everything else in check.

 

[Dry Rot]

I power washed an empty kennel a couple of months ago because it looked disgusting with green slime and fungus. It was shiny white concrete again. Back to green again, I wouldn't mind rain but it is repetitive showers of drizzle, one after the other. Big lumps of it on the roof. It's just the weather.

 

[BSH]

I have moss on my arable ground. In the past I have had a major problem with moss on grassland. The grassland issue was compaction and change of practice and slitting solved it. On the arable side i think it is a consequence of surface capping after the rain, there doesnt seem to be any compaction under the surface.

 

[Exfarmer]

Think moss likes high ph certainly iron sulphate (ph2 ) kills moss