Potassium Bicarb, To Kill Spanish Moss On Live Oak

Question

I have a huge ‘granddaddy’ Live oak that I’ve been battling Spanish moss and ball moss on for decades. I’ve hired manual pullers and sprayed (what I myself could reach) with copper using a hose-end sprayer. I’ve been researching potassium bicarb. but can’t seem to find it in suitable quantities if at all!.. The copper is very thick and clogs the aperture on the spray jar. Where can I find the po. bicarb and does it dilute to suitable in a spray jar? Thank u very much

Answer 1

My research shows it's better to leave the moss. Killing it chemically will make it look worse than when it was alive, and you will still have to remove it. It poses no harm to the tree. In fact, host trees usually were failing before the Spanish moss arrived. The best thing you can do is keep your tree healthy with adequate water and fertilizer.

But if you want to give it a try, in our article, we say you can buy a commercial product called Bio Wash, and add 1/4 cup of baking soda or potassium bicarbonate per gallon of spray and it is supposed to work well.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP485

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/foliage/spanish-moss/spanish-moss-removal.htm