Moss is not a welcome guest in the flower box. If the rootless spore plants join perennials, ornamental trees and summer flowers, they signal unsuitable conditions. Read here how you can correctly interpret the message from the green indicator plants and respond to it with appropriate measures.
How do you remove moss from a flower box?
To remove moss in the flower box, first identify the possible problems: shady location, low pH, compacted substrate or lack of nutrients. Depending on the cause, change the location, repot or loosen the substrate and fertilize with iron-rich liquid fertilizer.
Understanding moss in the flower box as a signal – this is what you need to do now
Moss cleverly takes advantage of the opportunity when your ornamental plants in the flower box are weak and spreads boldly. The presence of the green pads indicates the following problems in cultivation:
- A location that is far too shady and cool for ornamental plants
- A pH value that is too low in the deeply acidic range
- A compacted substrate with waterlogging
- Acute nutrient deficiency
If you can identify unsuitable light and temperature conditions as the trigger, changing location to the sun will solve the problem. For the remaining 3 of the factors mentioned, moss is banished from the flower box by repotting the plants. If this is not possible in the middle of the flowering period, remove the moss. Loosen the substrate, apply a liquid fertilizer (€6.00 on Amazon) with extra iron (no iron II sulfate) and mulch with grit or pebbles.
Cleaning moss from a terracotta flower box - this is how it works
Terracotta is a porous, breathable material that rootless moss plants like to hold on to with their rhizoids. The green covering significantly disrupts the naturally warm, earthy look. How to clean the mossy flower box without chemicals:
- First scrub the terracotta vessel with a hard sponge and hot water
- Immerse the flower box in a tub with 10 to 20 liters of water for 1 hour
- Then add 300 to 600 ml of vinegar to the water
- After 2 to 3 days, scrub off the loosened moss with a brush
Since the terracotta is soaked with vinegar water, immerse the balcony box in clear water again for 24-36 hours. Now fill in cheap potting soil. After a week, the substrate has absorbed the vinegar residue and can be disposed of. Then the clean flower box is ready for new planting.
Tip
Are you struggling with cool, shady locations where flowers don't want to thrive in the planter? Such a dreary niche can be decoratively greened by populating the balcony box with moss and shade-tolerant, winter-hardy plants, such as rosemary heather (Andromeda polifolia), small-fruited cranberry (Vaccinium microcarpum) or sundew (Drosera intermedia).
