What is this??
- Thread starter dtabor
- Start date
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Scotch Moss and Lichens.
Go on the Internet and do a search for how people get rid of it in their lawns. You have too little sunlight and / or too much moisture.
Good luck.
Go on the Internet and do a search for how people get rid of it in their lawns. You have too little sunlight and / or too much moisture.
Good luck.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
A man could go all his life and not see every kind of lichen. There are over 20,000 varieties.
Lichen was my guess based on what I could see in those poor quality pictures. Get some better pictures and my answer might change - or it might not change.
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I had to downsize the pics to post them. Those are really close up as further away is a sea of green. They are very small but touching them feels like almost rubbery. The picture with the larger leaves was spread out more so thought it would show more of what they look like
What kind of picture would help? I can try tomorrow after work
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Sounds more like liverworts. Look for some pictures of those on the Internet.
BUT - You've already said that you have moss. Whether the rest is lichens, liverwort, algae or whatever else - you have established that you have a soil problem. Fix the soil problem and it goes away.
The following is about lawns but the reasoning is the same: https://www.gardenseeker.com/lawn-care/pests-diseases/dog-lichen/
I'm out of here. Good luck.
Yup, Pretty sure its liverwort, looking at pictures etc online. And, of course, its almost impossible to kill off. I can cut back some trees and allow more light in but thats not likely to kill it. Maybe no till is not in the cards. just have to disc the plots each year and plant.
Troubled Trees
New Member
It is difficult to see from the pictures, I couldn't figure out how to post pictures so I commend you for at least doing that lol
I believe I have the same stuff growing on top of the gravel area in front of my shed, I do most of my mechanical work there and also where my riding mowers, 4 wheelers and boat are parked so I always figured it was something that fed off rust or oils that have dripped off leaky 4 wheelers kind of thing. It is mushy yet holds together after a rain but very rubbery when dry. It only grows in that 30x40 area at my house and only in the dry gravel area. I will definitely look it up, thank you for bringing this up!
I believe I have the same stuff growing on top of the gravel area in front of my shed, I do most of my mechanical work there and also where my riding mowers, 4 wheelers and boat are parked so I always figured it was something that fed off rust or oils that have dripped off leaky 4 wheelers kind of thing. It is mushy yet holds together after a rain but very rubbery when dry. It only grows in that 30x40 area at my house and only in the dry gravel area. I will definitely look it up, thank you for bringing this up!
Sorry about the pics. I had to resize them to have them post and it degraded them. After looking on the net for Liverwort, Im about positive that is what it is. Problem is, other than getting more sunlight and drying out the area, there isnt much hope of destroying it. Gly wont touch it. I had planned to do some cutting around those areas anyway but seeing it growing out in the middle of a plot where sunlight hits doesnt give me much hope.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That soil looks wet, compacted, acidic, and poor nutrients. Do a soil test, amend soils, and then consider drainage options. While tillage is normally considered bad, in soil like that it may be a good thing. Just regrading and re-sloping the ground contour, or a tile line, or subsoiling with a big chisel plow and a 200 hp tractor, or a drainage ditch, would be some methods of getting the soil drier.
In wet bottomland fields farmers often ridge their dirt into 30" rows over winter before planting fall cover crops, to avoid tight wet soils in the spring.
In wet bottomland fields farmers often ridge their dirt into 30" rows over winter before planting fall cover crops, to avoid tight wet soils in the spring.
