On 29/11/2013 17:34, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-11-29 16:42:43 +0000, Spider said:

On 29/11/2013 15:59, Sacha wrote:
On 2013-11-29 14:10:25 +0000, Emery Davis said:

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:12:47 +0000, Muddymike wrote:

On Thu, 28 Nov 2013 09:36:36 +0000, Broadback wrote:

Can anyone recommend a suitable product to do this, the pavioured
area
is quite large.

I have recently been experimenting with using my old Sheen weed
burner.
So far the results on the moss look promising.


Um, any reason not to just clean it with a Karcher?


Has a Karcher become the pressure washer equivalent of a Hoover?


Heh, in France it certainly is... At least since Sarkozy said he was
going to clean out the tough neighbourhoods with a Karcher. Which
didn't
go over very well!

Anyway I still think a pressure washer is the right solution for this
kind of work. I've used it to clean moss and lichen off of stone and
brick walls, very easy.

I must be missing something here. I LIKE moss and lichen! I'm not
tallking about the green slippery fimy stuff but the hummocky pretty
stuff.



So do I! I leave it wherever I can, but I have to admit I've got one
*very* mossy path on a slope which I must tackle. I really need to
cut back hard the evergreen trees which are creating it. Elsewhere, I
leave moss and lichen alone and simply admire it.

The first time Ray took me to Tresco we were going round the Abbey
Gardens with Mike Nelhams, the Curator. A woman stopped him and
gesturing towards some lichen spotted branches, asked him "How do you
get rid of this?". He replied that they don't as the lichen does no
harm an is an indication of very clean air. I quite understand if
someone is worried about slipping on it but if it's just a desire to be
'tidy' then it passes me by. Someone did a 'moss wall' at Chelsea (?) a
year or two back and it's one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.
Istr that Tom Hoblyn did something similar as a decorative staircase in
a garden at Hampton Court many years ago and it was stunning. Like a lot
of showcase gardens, it wouldn't take daily wear and tear but as a
thought prodding feature in a show garden, it worked wonderfully.




Yes, I think we're sowing from the same seed packet, so-to-speak. I
must get rid of some moss on a dangerous sloping path, but I encourage
it in most other places. I even buy Selaginellas when I see them and
admire mossy Saxifragas, however common they may be. After all, Prince
Charles loves mosses and tries to grow them, so they can't be all bad.
They can look magnificent in woodland gardens, with ferns, Corydalis and
broader leaved woodland plants. I'd like to extend an already partly
mossed area into a bigger hummocky mossy bed studded with Winter
Aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) in late winter. That would be so pretty.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 2013-11-30 23:02:30 +0000, Spider said:

On 29/11/2013 17:34, Sacha wrote:


snipThe first time Ray took me to Tresco we were going round the Abbey
Gardens with Mike Nelhams, the Curator. A woman stopped him and
gesturing towards some lichen spotted branches, asked him "How do you
get rid of this?". He replied that they don't as the lichen does no
harm an is an indication of very clean air. I quite understand if
someone is worried about slipping on it but if it's just a desire to be
'tidy' then it passes me by. Someone did a 'moss wall' at Chelsea (?) a
year or two back and it's one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.
Istr that Tom Hoblyn did something similar as a decorative staircase in
a garden at Hampton Court many years ago and it was stunning. Like a lot
of showcase gardens, it wouldn't take daily wear and tear but as a
thought prodding feature in a show garden, it worked wonderfully.


Yes, I think we're sowing from the same seed packet, so-to-speak. I
must get rid of some moss on a dangerous sloping path, but I encourage
it in most other places. I even buy Selaginellas when I see them and
admire mossy Saxifragas, however common they may be. After all, Prince
Charles loves mosses and tries to grow them, so they can't be all bad.
They can look magnificent in woodland gardens, with ferns, Corydalis
and broader leaved woodland plants. I'd like to extend an already
partly mossed area into a bigger hummocky mossy bed studded with Winter
Aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) in late winter. That would be so pretty.

Beautiful, Spider. What a really good idea. When the glasshouses here
were power-washed earlier this year to clean off the glass, lots of
moss got washed off. One of the girls picked some up and arranged
different types in one of those terracotta saucers and took it home.
It was absolutely lovely!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 01/12/2013 12:26, sacha wrote:
On 2013-11-30 23:02:30 +0000, Spider said:

On 29/11/2013 17:34, Sacha wrote:


snipThe first time Ray took me to Tresco we were going round the Abbey
Gardens with Mike Nelhams, the Curator. A woman stopped him and
gesturing towards some lichen spotted branches, asked him "How do you
get rid of this?". He replied that they don't as the lichen does no
harm an is an indication of very clean air. I quite understand if
someone is worried about slipping on it but if it's just a desire to be
'tidy' then it passes me by. Someone did a 'moss wall' at Chelsea (?) a
year or two back and it's one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.
Istr that Tom Hoblyn did something similar as a decorative staircase in
a garden at Hampton Court many years ago and it was stunning. Like a lot
of showcase gardens, it wouldn't take daily wear and tear but as a
thought prodding feature in a show garden, it worked wonderfully.


Yes, I think we're sowing from the same seed packet, so-to-speak. I
must get rid of some moss on a dangerous sloping path, but I encourage
it in most other places. I even buy Selaginellas when I see them and
admire mossy Saxifragas, however common they may be. After all,
Prince Charles loves mosses and tries to grow them, so they can't be
all bad. They can look magnificent in woodland gardens, with ferns,
Corydalis and broader leaved woodland plants. I'd like to extend an
already partly mossed area into a bigger hummocky mossy bed studded
with Winter Aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) in late winter. That would
be so pretty.

Beautiful, Spider. What a really good idea. When the glasshouses here
were power-washed earlier this year to clean off the glass, lots of moss
got washed off. One of the girls picked some up and arranged different
types in one of those terracotta saucers and took it home. It was
absolutely lovely!



I confess I've occasionally rescued a good patch of moss when clearing a
bed and tried to establish it elsewhere. Alas, it doesn't take very
well, although it keeps its velvety greenness for a long time.
One day, when I've got nothing else to do(!), I must try and learn about
the different types of moss. They're so attractive.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 29/11/2013 18:21, Emery Davis wrote:
On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:38:34 +0000, Sacha wrote:

I understand that but the OP isn't talking about a wall. He's talking
about it *between* paving stones, where many would grow low-growing
herbs if conditions were less moist or shady.


Well, I can understand getting the paving stones clean, especially if
it's nice stone, or slippery. But I agree, between the stones is another
matter. At Yamazakura, the Japanese house where I selected your Acer
ginalla -- which I hope is still alive BTW ! -- there is a lovely patio
with creeping thyme between the flags. As you walk on it in summer the
scent of the thyme rises up in the sun.

We have some wood fence with tons of lichen on it, I wondered the other
day if it's not making it rot a bit faster...

Acting as a sponge, you mean? All I can say - quoting Tresco again as
my source - is that there's a wooden fence on one part of the island
that surrounds a horse paddock. I've only known the island for 14 years
but to my certain knowledge that fence has been there at least that
long. Every plank of it is topped with lichen, so that it looks as if
it's rimed with frost, even in August. The fence should, in theory, be
destroyed if the lichen was harming it, or so I would imagine.

I hope you're right, that's certainly encouraging.

-E



Mmm. It could be encouraging, but it could also be the difference
between a good oak fence and a lower grade wooden fence. No offence to
your fence, Emery. Do you know what your fence is made of?

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On Sun, 01 Dec 2013 16:14:12 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 01/12/2013 12:26, sacha wrote:
On 2013-11-30 23:02:30 +0000, Spider said:

On 29/11/2013 17:34, Sacha wrote:


snipThe first time Ray took me to Tresco we were going round the Abbey
Gardens with Mike Nelhams, the Curator. A woman stopped him and
gesturing towards some lichen spotted branches, asked him "How do you
get rid of this?". He replied that they don't as the lichen does no
harm an is an indication of very clean air. I quite understand if
someone is worried about slipping on it but if it's just a desire to be
'tidy' then it passes me by. Someone did a 'moss wall' at Chelsea (?) a
year or two back and it's one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.
Istr that Tom Hoblyn did something similar as a decorative staircase in
a garden at Hampton Court many years ago and it was stunning. Like a lot
of showcase gardens, it wouldn't take daily wear and tear but as a
thought prodding feature in a show garden, it worked wonderfully.


Yes, I think we're sowing from the same seed packet, so-to-speak. I
must get rid of some moss on a dangerous sloping path, but I encourage
it in most other places. I even buy Selaginellas when I see them and
admire mossy Saxifragas, however common they may be. After all,
Prince Charles loves mosses and tries to grow them, so they can't be
all bad. They can look magnificent in woodland gardens, with ferns,
Corydalis and broader leaved woodland plants. I'd like to extend an
already partly mossed area into a bigger hummocky mossy bed studded
with Winter Aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) in late winter. That would
be so pretty.

Beautiful, Spider. What a really good idea. When the glasshouses here
were power-washed earlier this year to clean off the glass, lots of moss
got washed off. One of the girls picked some up and arranged different
types in one of those terracotta saucers and took it home. It was
absolutely lovely!



I confess I've occasionally rescued a good patch of moss when clearing a
bed and tried to establish it elsewhere. Alas, it doesn't take very
well, although it keeps its velvety greenness for a long time.
One day, when I've got nothing else to do(!), I must try and learn about
the different types of moss. They're so attractive.

In traditional Japanese gardens they have to weed out the grass from
the moss!

Pam in Bristol

On 01/12/2013 16:47, Pam Moore wrote:
On Sun, 01 Dec 2013 16:14:12 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 01/12/2013 12:26, sacha wrote:
On 2013-11-30 23:02:30 +0000, Spider said:

On 29/11/2013 17:34, Sacha wrote:


snipThe first time Ray took me to Tresco we were going round the Abbey
Gardens with Mike Nelhams, the Curator. A woman stopped him and
gesturing towards some lichen spotted branches, asked him "How do you
get rid of this?". He replied that they don't as the lichen does no
harm an is an indication of very clean air. I quite understand if
someone is worried about slipping on it but if it's just a desire to be
'tidy' then it passes me by. Someone did a 'moss wall' at Chelsea (?) a
year or two back and it's one of the prettiest things I've ever seen.
Istr that Tom Hoblyn did something similar as a decorative staircase in
a garden at Hampton Court many years ago and it was stunning. Like a lot
of showcase gardens, it wouldn't take daily wear and tear but as a
thought prodding feature in a show garden, it worked wonderfully.


Yes, I think we're sowing from the same seed packet, so-to-speak. I
must get rid of some moss on a dangerous sloping path, but I encourage
it in most other places. I even buy Selaginellas when I see them and
admire mossy Saxifragas, however common they may be. After all,
Prince Charles loves mosses and tries to grow them, so they can't be
all bad. They can look magnificent in woodland gardens, with ferns,
Corydalis and broader leaved woodland plants. I'd like to extend an
already partly mossed area into a bigger hummocky mossy bed studded
with Winter Aconites (Eranthis hyemalis) in late winter. That would
be so pretty.

Beautiful, Spider. What a really good idea. When the glasshouses here
were power-washed earlier this year to clean off the glass, lots of moss
got washed off. One of the girls picked some up and arranged different
types in one of those terracotta saucers and took it home. It was
absolutely lovely!



I confess I've occasionally rescued a good patch of moss when clearing a
bed and tried to establish it elsewhere. Alas, it doesn't take very
well, although it keeps its velvety greenness for a long time.
One day, when I've got nothing else to do(!), I must try and learn about
the different types of moss. They're so attractive.

In traditional Japanese gardens they have to weed out the grass from
the moss!

Pam in Bristol




I can understand that. In fact, I do it myself in an area where I want
to maintain good moss cover. Uninterrupted hummocks of mossy growth can
be very attractive.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On Sun, 01 Dec 2013 16:17:40 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 29/11/2013 18:21, Emery Davis wrote:


I hope you're right, that's certainly encouraging.

-E



Mmm. It could be encouraging, but it could also be the difference
between a good oak fence and a lower grade wooden fence. No offence to
your fence, Emery. Do you know what your fence is made of?

Well, Sacha's fence is probably oak, but mine certainly isn't. It's
autoclaved pine (or maybe douglas) from a local company; good enough as
it goes, I'm told in the local conditions the posts should last 50 years,
and after 20 there's no sign of rot on them. The rails are another story
though, I've already replaced a few, some have rotted around the nail,
most are still in good shape.



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

I have used a product called "Patio magic" a few times now. I suspect it is the same formulation as "Algon". Rather than spraying it, I tip a bit out of a bucket and push it around with a brush. Means it doesn't quite go as far as it says it should, but the effort saving is large. I think I may dilute it a bit when I do that. If you have a luxuriant growth of moss, then you will lose some to it soaking into the moss, and you might be better spraying. But if you do it say every second year then you don't get such a luxuriant moss build-up and the job gets easier. There is a smell of decomposing seaweed for a while after using it, but that goes away. It says on the packet that the algae slowly abrades from the surface over an extended period after application. I was a bit dubious about this, but it's true. Best applied in spring, when there is no immediate forecast of rain.

I have tried pressure spraying, but it was an enormous job, requiring me to direct the jet individually at every square inch of every pavior. A huge amount of the jointing sand came out and some paviors sank. I got completely covered in water and moss. And there was a huge and tough sweeping job afterwards. Not doing that again.

I (mostly) have clay paviors which have a texture on the surface of the pavior which makes it easier for stuff to grow than on concrete paviors.

On 02/12/2013 08:50, Emery Davis wrote:
On Sun, 01 Dec 2013 16:17:40 +0000, Spider wrote:

On 29/11/2013 18:21, Emery Davis wrote:


I hope you're right, that's certainly encouraging.

-E



Mmm. It could be encouraging, but it could also be the difference
between a good oak fence and a lower grade wooden fence. No offence to
your fence, Emery. Do you know what your fence is made of?

Well, Sacha's fence is probably oak, but mine certainly isn't. It's
autoclaved pine (or maybe douglas) from a local company; good enough as
it goes, I'm told in the local conditions the posts should last 50 years,
and after 20 there's no sign of rot on them. The rails are another story
though, I've already replaced a few, some have rotted around the nail,
most are still in good shape.





Posts tend to last longer because of their bulk. The danger area on
them is concealed in the ground of course. The first you know about rot
there, is they've keeled over! Hope yours last the full 50yrs. Rails
are more tricky because they can have water sitting on them for short
periods. There's nothing on the market (that I know of) that is any use
for preserving or waterproofing them. It might help if you could keep
wet plant material off the wood, but then you would be left admiring a
bare fence:-/.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:22:36 +0000, Spider wrote:

There's nothing on the market (that I know of) that is any use for
preserving or waterproofing them. It might help if you could keep wet
plant material off the wood, but then you would be left admiring a bare
fence:-/.

I thought about creosote, which I think I could still get at the ag coop,
but even if I wanted to deal with the whole nasty and toxic mess the
situation is complicated by the fact that I've trained climbing roses to
quite a bit of it that gets full sun. Oh well, the lichen is pretty
anyway.



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 19:15:01 +0000, sacha wrote:

Yes, the Acer is alive and well and thank you!

No thanks necessary of course, I'm glad to hear it's growing!

I'm pleased to report mine from Hillhouse did brilliantly this year.

cheers,

-E



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 2013-12-03 17:12:47 +0000, Emery Davis said:

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 19:15:01 +0000, sacha wrote:

Yes, the Acer is alive and well and thank you!

No thanks necessary of course, I'm glad to hear it's growing!

I'm pleased to report mine from Hillhouse did brilliantly this year.

cheers,

-E

Always nice to read something like that! ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

On 03/12/2013 17:09, Emery Davis wrote:
On Tue, 03 Dec 2013 14:22:36 +0000, Spider wrote:

There's nothing on the market (that I know of) that is any use for
preserving or waterproofing them. It might help if you could keep wet
plant material off the wood, but then you would be left admiring a bare
fence:-/.

I thought about creosote, which I think I could still get at the ag coop,
but even if I wanted to deal with the whole nasty and toxic mess the
situation is complicated by the fact that I've trained climbing roses to
quite a bit of it that gets full sun. Oh well, the lichen is pretty
anyway.





Looks like the lichen is safe for now. Creosote, for all it carries the
same name, is not the Creosote most of us remember. I understand it's
next to useless.

--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay