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MOSS |
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Ball
moss (Tillandsia recurvata) is a small, nondescript
plant commonly found in southwest Texas. It is not a
moss, but a true plant with flowers and seeds. It is a
member of the bromeliad family, so it is related to
the pineapple. Like many other bromeliads, these
plants are epiphytes or "air plants". Epiphytes attach
themselves to limbs, tree trunks, power lines fences
and other structures with their pseudo-roots. These
are not true roots because they do not absorb water
and nutrients. They merely attach the plant to the
aerial structure and do not absorb water and minerals
from their host structure.
Ball moss it is not a parasite. |
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Ball moss survives by
absorbing water and nutrients from the surrounding
atmosphere through its leaves and stems, which have
scales, known as trichomes and help the plant to
capture and conserve water and are critical to their
survival in most climates. Consequently, ball moss
prefers sites with little air movement, high relative
humidity and filtered sun light. Ball moss benefits
the environment by "fixing" atmospheric nitrogen and
adding it to the soil, much like alfalfa and clover.
Live oaks develop a crown which is very thick on the
exterior but quite open in the interior. These
interior branches die partly due to the ball moss
which competes for sun light and the natural low light
environment. Ball moss has not been studied
intensively and evidence of all it's ecological
significance is lacking. Concerns have been raised
about the negative effects on many forests and urban
trees. There is no doubt that heavily laden branches
do shade lower vegetation and intercept light needed
for photosynthesis. Infestations can become so intense
and the competition for sun light so great , that ball
moss can literally smother and weaken the tree, and
death will ultimately reign. Also, branch breakage
does occur with heavy infestations and this can open
the way for secondary infections by oak wilt fungi or
insects.
 Management
There are three methods for control of ball moss. If
it doesn't bother you and it does not endanger the
health of the tree, leave it. Mechanical or hand
removal is the best method of control. This should be
considered when infestations are quite intense and the
tree's health is at risk. Most arborist can remove
from 70 to 90%, which is labor intensive and costly.
This should be integrated and considered as part of
the normal trimming and pruning maintenance program,
thinning the canopy which should last for
approximately five years. This pruning regime is
consistent with proper tree maintenance; however a
word of caution due to oak wilt: prune during the
hottest or coldest times of the year and paint all
wounds. If the remaining ball moss is a problem, then
chemical control should be considered. Ball moss can
be sprayed with baking soda, Kocide 2000 or other
copper-based herbicides and fungicides, which are
labeled for control of ball moss. The recommended time
of year to spray either mixtures is from January
through to leaf fall in late March when the canopy is
usually thinner. Kocide 2000 is labeled for year
around application at the rate of 6 lbs per 100
gallons, and baking soda, though not labeled, can also
be applied at a rate of 50 Lbs per 100 gallons. In
both cases it is best to add about a pint of spreader,
surfactant or sticker per 100 gallons. For the best
results, apply immediately after a rain or in cool
weather. The Ball moss will start to discolor and will
begin to droop in 8 to 10 days, but it will not fall
off for two or three years. Be sure not to spray your
Live Oak trees in April, as baking soda will burn the
new tender leaves.
Scenic Hills
Nursery recommends the following methods
for control of ball moss: mechanical removal
first, as part of your regular pruning
maintenance program, then chemical spraying.
There is a very important eco-system under every
tree. It is like a thick piece of bread, with
micro and macro capillaries, which hold the
necessary gases, moisture and nutrients for the
health and growth of the tree. Ninety-five
percent of all tree roots are within 12" to 16"
from the surface and attached to these roots is
a fungi called mycorrhizae or root fungus. This
root fungus, absorbs, dissolves and feeds the
tree, and in turn the tree feeds the fungi with
sugar and starch. If this micro eco-system
becomes damaged or compacted, gases, nutrients
and moisture become unavailable and then the
tree can be in serious trouble. |
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Baking soda is toxic to fungi as well as the
heavy copper ion-based herbicides and
fungicides. Excessive amounts of fungicides can
damage or destroy the natural fungi and microbes
in the soil. When spraying is necessary as part
of the control and in conjunction with pruning,
the result will be less chemical and least
possible damage to the tree's eco-system.
Remember, neither
pruning nor spraying will remove all the ball
moss from the trees; however they
will certainly benefit the trees and make you
feel better. |
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Tree
is being smothered
by intensity of BALL
MOSS |
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