Yesterday, I was out with the dog, throwing her tennis balls, and took a good look at the area that I had limed. The moss growing there was thicker and healthier than I had ever seen it. What's with that? The lime was fine enough that at least two-thirds of it should have broken down by now.

It also seems to indicate that liming soil without tilling or mixing it into the soil doesn't have much effect.

Any insights here?

Sue

So tilling should help to get it down further in the soil which would help the root zone. Still the depth of tilling is less than a foot so not that much difference.

I've been thinking about putting lime now then on second thought being in a cold area with frozen soil thought better to wait until the soil had begun to thaw figuring it would just run off and go somwhere else. Fall or Spring are the recommended times for doing it.

Mulling further about this I think the amount of lime recommended allows for the fact that it is used up and more is there to react further.

Lime powder does not need to be tilled in. Even prilled doesn't necessarily have to be tilled in. The rain washes it in.

I have moss in my lawn, where it gets full sun, is on a well-drained gravelly soil, and the pH is about 6. So forget about moss being an indication of wet shady acid conditions. Moss grows wherever it wants here, and it most often seems to be an indication of lack of competition from higher plants.

You may need to lime more often than every two years if your pH is as low as you say. Have you checked the pH again? I'd do that first, before deciding that liming didn't work. Most people here lime every year.

If you are applying to your lawn, then yes, annual applications may be appropriate. Turf grasses prefer less acidic conditions to grow well and our naturally acidic soil tends not to be to their liking. Lime does not kill moss, it only helps to create conditions less favorable to moss growth and in lawns, promote the growth of the turf grasses by creating more suitable pH. As stated by others, in the PNW moss grows everywhere and is not necessarily a result of too acidic soil. Soil compaction, fertility and moisture content will have a huge bearing on how easily moss thrives in your garden but it is not necessarily a bad thing unless these conditions are too far out of whack. The prevelance of moss in lawns in this area is typically directly related to a combination of factors - compacted, infertile soil, high moisture levels (especially fall through late spring), light conditions and soil pH.

Yes, it DOES seem to grow everywhere here! I was under the impression that it would reduce moss, esp on the surface, and here it is, more luxurious than ever! But I grew up in alkaline-soil areas -- don't see much moss in SoCal.

Yes, I will have more tests done, but will wait until a bit later in spring.

Sue