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When I moved into my house (MANY years ago) only had ONE tree in middle of front yard. It provided verty little shade. Over the years that tree and others that were planted have become a source of almost total shade. LOVE it when weather gets HOT in the summer, cuz sun doesn't beat in thru windows much.

Probably half of my front yard is now covered with moss. Have NO idea what kind(s) and have ZERO complaints about it. When grass needs to be cut... it's only half of the yard.

Back in the fall, my crazy/GOOD neighbor took it upon himself to totally rip out a pretty weedy spot right outside my front door. Again, NO COMPLAINTS for this favor! Now spring is right around the corner... irises starting to poke up in that area. Almost half of THAT patch has healthy moss growing on it.

Considering doing an herb garden there. Can I transplant patches/plugs of moss and hope to have it become a natural weed barrier between plants or small seeded areas? Know the moss has shallow roots. Thinking if a scratched up the soil around plants really well, and sliced off slabs of moss from other areas of the yard, it might take?

Any tips or suggestions?

Hi Chairlady...you do have a crazy/GOOD neighbor. LOL

I found a cool site for you re: transplanting moss...looks pretty easy.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/c...lant-moss-60604.html
Good luck.

Good info mgt! Site said best to move in fall... well, spring is coming and thinking have nothing to lose!?!

Mosses are first stge plants that Ma Nature grows where nothing else will to provide the soil conditions necessary for more developed plants to grow. Many people think moss only grows in shady, acidic, moist soils yet I have seen moss growing in full sun, on concrete blocks (think lime), and on crushed dolomite (limestone).
Take a good, in depth look at the soil where the moss is growing quite well and replicate those conditions where you want this moss to grow. Moss is very easy to grow if you provide the right conditions for it to grow.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: KimmSr,

Here in humid Florida we have several kinds of moss. Irish moss, Reindeer moss, Spanish moss. I love the bright green moss that grows in between the stones in the center courtyard. There is no soil there but no sun either, when it's warm and moist outside it does the best. The reindeer moss just grows on top of the leaf litter under the trees in the woods.

I'm not sure what kind this is but it's has cute little sprouts.

The moss in my garden sprouts up like that, too. Must be part of it's flowering & seeding lifecycle, huh?

I think reindeer moss is just the coolest. If you ever get the urge to gather some, I'd love to have some for floral arranging, etc.

Chairlady, I don't think you have anything to lose, by transplanting the moss in the spring. I'd say, yep, nothing to lose so go for it.

My sister has a great place in WV mountains. All around is this ground cover stuff that looks like mini pine trees? Have NO idea what it is, but just might dig some up next time I'm there and see if it like NJ. Seems to thrive in sunny, but mostly shaded areas under the trees.

Oooo I think I know what that is...my friend has it growing up at her cabin. Her hubby used to make her Christmas wreaths with it when he was there deer hunting. Might be called Princess Pine, but I'm not sure.