Planting Irish moss

Question

I laid down weed protector sheets first then cut holes and planted Irish Moss 12 inches apart. Will this work or do I have to take up the sheets of weed protector and plant them directly in the soil?

Sincerely,
Neil

Answer 1

If your goal is a groundcover, I don’t think this will work. Irish moss grows 6-12 wide which may leave you with gaps. In part, this depends on whether you are planting small plugs or 4″ container plants. It is not a fast grower and won’t be able to spread via seed with weed fabric. While I understand the appeal of landscape fabric, I don’t like it except for annuals. It decreases the amount of water and oxygen that reaches the soil. Weeds grow through it, entangling their roots in the fabric which makes them impossible to fully remove. Even if you don’t mulch, dust and dirt land on top of the fabric which is enough to allow some weed seeds to germinate. While the irish moss if filling in, exposed black fabric will heat up the plants and soil creating unfavorable conditions. It also keeps you from having a good sense of how moist the soil is which is a critical element in growing irish moss. This is my opinion and my experience with landscape fabric. It may work splendidly for you. I would advise you to put the plants at 9″ apart and stagger them so you aren’t planting in straight rows. Irish moss must have afternoon shade where summers are hot and soil that is consistently moist without being wet or soggy. Like any groundcover, there is an initial period of frequent watering and weeding.