- The star moss (Sagina subulata) as a plant in the garden
- Effectively combat moss in the lawn
- Prevent moss infestation when laying out a new lawn
Star moss (Sagina subulata) with its small, star-shaped flowers is valued by many gardeners as a green cushion in the rock garden or as a lawn replacement. If, however, there is talk of a "star moss plague in the middle of the lawn", this usually means a different plant.
Widertonmoos is also known as Sternmoos
The star moss (Sagina subulata) as a plant in the garden
The so-called star moss or pearlwort is a hardy plant that is often used for greening wall cracks, paving joints and rock gardens. The plant grows in the form of round cushions and can also spread laterally at one location in such a way that paved paths or walls are partially covered. If this is the case, cutting off with a spade is relatively easy. Self-sowing of the very fine seeds does not usually lead to problems with star moss (Sagina subulata), as it is extremely weak in asserting itself against other "weeds" and plants in the garden.
Effectively combat moss in the lawn
Strictly speaking, the mastwort of the genus Sagina, known as star moss, is actually not a moss, but belongs to the carnation family. The actual type of moss, often referred to colloquially as star moss due to the shape of the plant, is usually the beautiful Widerton moss or maidenhair moss (Polytrichum formosum). This can sometimes actually become an aesthetic problem for a lawn if certain criteria for its spread are met. These are for example:
- a rather acidic soil pH
- a compacted and therefore permanently moist soil
- poorly aerated soil substrate
- little dense turf
As a countermeasure against a high proportion of moss in the lawn, you can aerate the subsoil with a scarifier (€84.00), tackle the moss with a special iron fertilizer (mosses are low-eaters) or manually pluck out the moss in places and sow new grass seed.
Prevent moss infestation when laying out a new lawn
If you want to create a new lawn in your garden or there is no other way to deal with the moss problem, you can use a well thought-out approach to achieve a lawn without moss or with a small amount of moss. Loosen up heavy soil and apply a permeable layer of compost and sand to loamy subsoil. Avoid over-compacting the lawn and select grass seed that can cope with a possible lack of direct sunlight.
tips
The Widertonmoos (Polytrichum formosum) is less able to gain a foothold in the lawn if you ensure dense grass growth with a medium cutting height when mowing. Absolutely shady and very moist areas are sometimes suitable for planting star moss (Sagina subulata) as an easy-care lawn substitute.