Spanish Moss

To most Floridians Spanish moss is just a part of our everyday scenery draped over old Live Oak trees, swaying in the wind… it’s what makes North Florida home. Spanish moss can seem to appear out of nowhere adding a that relaxed, laid back feeling to our small towns.

However, Spanish moss can quickly become a nuisance to your trees and landscape – multiplying and growing fast with a wet growing season. In our previous blog: 10 Fascinating Facts About Spanish Moss, we mentioned that it’s not Spanish or a moss at all; it’s an epiphyte meaning Spanish moss is a plant that grows on another plant without directly gaining any nourishment from it (the host).

DID YOU KNOW??

• A large amount of Spanish moss on a tree can smother small and even larger limbs.
• Spanish moss is home to other pests like redbugs.
• The University of Florida stated it should be removed from citrus and Crepe Myrtles as it can be come too much for the tree and suffocate it.
• Spanish moss literally does nothing good for hosts – it uses it and gives nothing back in return.

(MATH ICON) Here’s a simple math fact: One pound of Spanish moss can hold 2 or more pounds of rainwater, becoming a total weight of 3 pounds. If a tree has a total of 500 dry pounds of Spanish moss hanging from it, once it rains it will become 1,500 pounds of excess weight that your tree now has to support. Couple that with the strength of wind, thunderstorms and hurricanes – it’s no wonder your tree can suffer significant amounts of damage when dealing with Spanish moss.

It only makes sense to thin or remove Spanish moss from your landscape! You can start by pulling it out of branches. Our Lawn Pest Specialists provide a copper treatment to thin trees that are weighed down by excessive amounts of moss, have us take care of it for you and call Maryanne in our Lawn Department today at 386-362-3887!

What Can Live Oak Pest Control Lawn Pest Specialists do to stop Spanish Moss from taking over your trees?

• Spanish Moss Spraying

One of the most effective way to thoroughly eliminate the most Spanish moss is to spray it with copper sulfate. The spray will methodically travel throughout the entire mass. We limit treatments to the size of large Dogwood trees, approximately 40 feet. Copper, is one of the main ingredients in fertilizer, aiding in tree and plant recovery.

• ArborJet Tree Injections

If your home is near a river or pond – we have a Spanish moss remedy that won’t harm marine or tree life. ArborJet trunk injections is an effective, non-toxic solution to Spanish moss and other tree ailments. Solutions are sealed and injected directly into the tree so there is no drying time or environmental dangers. Trunk injections often use smaller amounts of solution when compared to other treatment methods due to the “drill, plug and seal” application approach that are quickly absorbed by the tree’s vascular system. ArborJet Trained.