I need a little “green” help today, and I know one of you will have an idea that will help.
Here’s my problem. Moss.
I love a mossy pathway, or even moss on the base of a tree, but not growing up the side of my home.
When I moved into my apartment a year ago May (hard to believe it hasn’t been much longer than that) there was moss growing up the entire portion of the brick wall outside my door. It covered an area that is almost 20 feet long.
I was sure I could end the problem. I scraped the moss off as best as I could then sprayed the wall with white vinegar soaking it.
The moss stayed away all summer, I thought I was pretty smart. But now that the rains have returned so has the moss.
So what do you do to remove moss from a brick wall and keep it from returning. I don’t use any chemicals and would rather scrape each year if that’s what it took. We are expecting 70 degree temps Wednesday so I plan to finish up the fall work on the garden and seating area, including planting some bulbs for spring, and would like to attack this problem once and for all.
So anyone who has dealt with a moss problem I’d love to hear from you.
I have had this problem some years ago. We tried lots of different things.
What we eventually did was to pour boiling water on it. Wait a day, then scrape off.
When it starts to return, get it early and pour boiling water on it again.
Although this is not a permanent solution, it is a sustainable one. And no chemical nasties.
Love it! I knew I couldn’t possibly be the only person to have this problem. I will try it this week. Thank you.
We get it on the side of our garage during rainy summers (not this year) – we just use the farm pressure washer to wash it off. I think you can rent them. No chemicals needed, just water and its easier than scraping. I’m not sure how pressure washers do with brick, though.
Thank you, I would probably need to ask management if I could do that, but if it comes down to it I will.
I am not convinced that the moss is really a problem. I suspect that your brick is simply a bit too porous and holding water and this is what is allowing the moss to grow. I also suspect that the moss is actually helpful because it drinks the water and will keep the brick from breaking down when it freezes.
Just my take on it.
Hmm, maybe I will have to do more research on the matter before I start removing it again. Thanks for the suggestion.
I’m interested to know what others have done with moss. On the north side of our house this is a problem. It’s siding and not brick, so we pressure washed it before repainting this summer.
Lili, I hope someone else has some ideas for you. I have heard that if you add a strip of copper near the foundation that water will splash up and control mildew, but not sure about moss.
We don’t have this problem on a wall, but we do have a granite sculpture standing partly in the shade of a tree, and the porous granite tends to turn green with proto-moss on that side. Once a year, CelloPlayer scrubs the sculpture with Borax to return the granite to a brilliant radiance. Also works well on the bluestone pavers on our mini-patio: scrub with Borax, don’t rinse.
Borax, what a great idea thank you.