Moss on Crabapple
I asked this one time and forgot what the response was. My MIL has a flowering crab, not fruiting, that is covered in moss and fungus. Can I simply apply iron, as in MossOut our similar? It is starting to warm up here so buds are opening. Will iron harm buds/flowers?
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(post #12722, reply #1 of 14)
More than likely what you see on that tree is lichens, a relative of mosses, and that is not harmful to the tree. No reason to be concerned about it.
West central Michigan along the lake shore
A sign of a good gardener is not a green thumb, rather it is brown knees.
West central Michigan along the lake shore
A sign of a good gardener is not a green thumb, rather it is brown knees.
(post #12722, reply #2 of 14)
I can see the lichens, but also what appears to be true moss. Here in Seattle, moss is everywhere. Let me check that toilet seat.... EWWWW MOSS!
www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
(post #12722, reply #3 of 14)
Yup, there in Seattle and down here in Oregon it's MOSS. I have had great success eradicating it with the Sulfur spray I use on the apple tree in the dormant season. A little now is okay, but I don't think you could use a strong enough dose to kill moss now without damaging the buds.
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
(post #12722, reply #4 of 14)
Dang, It rained up here for so long I couldn't get out to do anything. The tree is ok, but the flowering is somewhat retarded by lack of new twig sprouts where the moss is. Well, it can wait another year.
www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
(post #12722, reply #5 of 14)
I missed my dormant sprays too. No excuses here either. We had a good long dry spell during the right time, and I procrastinated like a fool. FYI: the recommended formula here is 1 cup Lime Sulphur / gal. water in January and early February; 1/2 cup Lime Sulphur/gal. in February till mid-March; then 4 teaspoons/ gallon till petal drop.
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
(post #12722, reply #6 of 14)
Thanks for the formulary. For us here it just rained so much that there was no window for spraying. I may have to knock down a lot of fungus, mildew and smut this year.
www.etherhuffer.typepad.com
(post #12722, reply #7 of 14)
I never would've thought about sulfur. I'd have thought that sulfur would make the green stuff happy.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12722, reply #8 of 14)
I'm not sure if it's the sulfur or the lime that does the moss in, but it does. I have an old apple that was smothered when I moved here. I pruned it hard and sprayed it the first winter, and the spray smacked the moss silly, so I recommend it for that purpose now.
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
(post #12722, reply #11 of 14)
Do you have to apply it in the winter to avoid harming the tree?
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12722, reply #13 of 14)
Yes. It's what we use as the dormant fruit tree spray to prevent scab and other diseases. The moss kill is just an added benefit. You may have noticed in my earlier post that we have to reduce the potency very dramatically once the buds start pushing or they get damaged by it.
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
Edited 4/6/2009 8:59 pm by the country gardener
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
(post #12722, reply #14 of 14)
That's good to keep in mind if I ever need to get rid of it anywhere. I'd always wondered if one should use an herbicide or lime or bleach or what.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
(post #12722, reply #9 of 14)
Why do you think it necessary to kill even moss growing on trees since it does no harm to the tree?
West central Michigan along the lake shore
A sign of a good gardener is not a green thumb, rather it is brown knees.
West central Michigan along the lake shore
A sign of a good gardener is not a green thumb, rather it is brown knees.
(post #12722, reply #10 of 14)
Have you ever been to the PNW? Moss grows on everything and it holds moisture in an already damp part of the country.
The moss does no harm itself. The moisture and the smothering effects of the moss do harm.
Jeana
Never try to baptize a cat.
Edited 4/6/2009 12:53 pm by Jeana
(post #12722, reply #12 of 14)
I don't think it's "necessary" to kill it; I find it is helpful that the moss gets killed. I have no reason to believe that the moss will kill the tree, but it does grow in a mat that smothers leaf and flower buds, which prevents them from emerging in the spring. The result is a reduced crop of fruit and increased sucker growth. It is not absolutely necessary to kill the moss, therefore; but it does result in more fruit and less sucker growth if the moss is eliminated. I don't personally even attempt to get a 100% kill on it; I try to get as much as I can. I don't know if the increased amount of moisture retained by the moss on the bark is detrimental to the cambium or not, and I don't know if that environment harbors some of the disease pathogens I'm trying to prevent or not. What I do know is that my Lime Sulphur spray kills moss, and I have a healthier and more prolific apple tree as a result.
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins
Marty
"The plants have been good to us." Lester Hawkins