This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Unidentified weed
Robert Fleming
Posts: 18
in Talkback
Dear All,
I normally don't have a probelm with weeds; however I have a weed or some form of grass in my clay soil that is impossible to pull out. Can anyone identify it and also offer a solution?
0
Posts
The photos aren't clear. Do you mean the dark, mossy-looking stuff? Have you cut it back or is it new growth?
I think I can see the one you mean. I think that's a moss, a polytrichum.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Yes looks like moss to me, I would pick it out and turn the soil over every now and then, probably because we've had plenty rain or in a shady position
It's not quite clear from the picture but does this plant have very small round leaves? If so, it looks as if it could be Mind-Your-Own-Business (Soleirolia soleirolii). Not unattractive but when we had this is in a bed in Surrey it tried to grow up the side of the house, Difficult to get rid of.
The one I was looking at doesn't have small round leaves but a lot of things in that pic. Robert describes it as some sort of grass and this moss looks like a tiny grass.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Pearlwort (Sagina procumbens), which is a member of the carnation family, not a moss.
I've only just looked at Robert's second photo and I'd agree it does show Pearlwort. I have it in the gaps in the paving inside the greenhouse - it stops worse things taking root. The first photo also has a few bits of Pearlwort but I think also has the small plant with round leaves that could be Mind-Your-Own-Business.
You could try putting down a mulch such as bark chips Robert. It doesn't grow very tall and would be smothered. The mulch would help improve the soil over time, too.