Moss and slime on hard surfaces

Sponsored article

It is well known that certain conditions favour the growth of moss or algae. If you have one or more of these conditions there is certainly a greater chance of ‘greening’

  • Dark, shaded areas – out of direct sunlight
  • Wet or permanently damp surfaces, i.e; poor drainage
  • Humidity
  • Where airflow is reduced, ie; enclosed areas, courtyards, etc

Moss requires moist air to grown and reproduces via spores that attach to the nearest suitable surface. Since the reduction in air pollution, acid rain and sulphur dioxide in the air, moss, algae and lichen has become common everywhere. Often all three suspects are found together; however the small flat, dark spots of lichen are almost impossible to remove without jet washing or blasting.

How to get rid of moss & algae

Although the problem is treatable, unless the conditions in which the moss & algae grew are changed there may be some re-growth and this is where you need to manage customer’s expectations. Where you can it is best advised to chop away any overhanging trees or bushes, improve drainage around edges of mossy patios by digging a small channel and backfilling it with gravel. Removing rotten fences and bushes are also an option that can also serve to improve airflow and reduce the incidents of moss & algae.

There are a number of moss and algae control products on the market but Algoclear Pro is one of the few super concentrated biocides, containing quarternary ammonium compounds. Four times more concentrated than regular products it neutralises the acidity in growing conditions and bonds to treated substrate so that it can keep on working well after spraying. AlgoClear Pro is applied diluted in a pump spray. Suitable for use in a variety of situations such as patios, artificial sports pitches & lawns, tennis courts, timber, vertical cladding and roof tiles - this is a highly versatile product.

AlgoClear Pro in action

Slime on a north facing shed door was sprayed and left for over a year with no subsequent intervention and has kept free of green. The Algoclear works into the wood and any biofilm (greening, slime etc) which tries to attach itself is washed off by natural weathering and rainfall.

This post is sponsored by Progreen weed control solutions.

Votes: 0
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of Landscape Juice Network to add comments!

Join Landscape Juice Network

Open forum activity

Billybop replied to clive bates's discussion Privet hedges dieing
"i quite like photinia, quick to get to a good size, yes not so dense but it depends on the customer's requirements, to me its like the difference between solid wood fence and a trellis with plants on, still marks the boundary but not as…"
29 minutes ago
John F replied to clive bates's discussion Privet hedges dieing
"Is this an isolated stretch of privet Clive or all the privet in general ? 
Worrying if it's all the local privet , I know of flourishing privet over 70 years old .
Do you know when the affected privet was last pruned , I am thinking is it stressed…"
6 hours ago
Ian Harvey replied to clive bates's discussion Privet hedges dieing
"I would agree with Peter's suggestion of Grisilinia. I have some in a mixed shrub hedge, and it makes an excellent hedge. It's quite fast growing, but upright in growth as well, meaning that it keeps its shape well without too much side shoots…"
10 hours ago
Peter sellers replied to clive bates's discussion Privet hedges dieing
"Suspect Honey Fungus its highly susceptible and before retirement a few months ago we were seeing a lot of it, whether the weather has suited it and hence the increase?
As to replacement I would not use Photinia it has a rather open habit and does…"
13 hours ago
clive bates posted a discussion
Hi Has anyone got the same problem we have in our area in Warwickshire, the privet hedges atleast 40years old or more are dieing, I appreciate the dry weather hasn't helped but this looks like the same as what's destroying the box hedging.And any…
22 hours ago
Jake replied to William Frost's discussion Paving pushing up because of the hot and super dry weather
"Happened this year on a patio I installed 4 years ago. Lifted two porcelain slabs 10mm but were still stuck solid to mortar and the mot stone base. The base was 200mm and rolled with a sit on bomag roller with Terram membrane underneath the mot.…"
yesterday
Jack Wright updated their profile
yesterday
Landscape Juice replied to Peter sellers's discussion Help change email on here
"Hi Peter,
Let me have a look into this.
Craig"
yesterday
Peter sellers posted a discussion
Trying to change my email on here, followed instructions and received an email from LJN asking me to confirm changes by clicking on link within the email ,but there is no link!!  Why make it so difficult?  LJN is not exactly a high risk site , in…
yesterday
Peter sellers replied to Brian's Garden Maintenance's discussion Revive a lawn
"Liquid fert, anything will do miracle gro etc. Liquid iron will help it green up and get some granular fert on it when rain is forecast or water it in."
yesterday
Intelligent Landscapes updated their profile
yesterday
Juliet Roper and The Stonemart Ltd are now friends
Monday
Billybop replied to William Frost's discussion Paving pushing up because of the hot and super dry weather
"A good idea to have a "Force Majeure" clause in your contract for such work. Just as nobody would expect a patio to withstand an earth quake of significant magnitude, nor a sink hole opening up beneath it, less exciting than such unexpected events,…"
Sunday
John F replied to Graham Mitchell's discussion Gardening & Landscaping Recruitment
"Initially I started gardening after being made redundant from a trade where decent take home pay would depend on lots of overtime but the bottom dropped out due to cheap imports . 
I started with a push bike , a pair of vintage rolcut secateurs and…"
Sunday
Brian's Garden Maintenance posted a discussion
Hi AllI would like some advice on the best way to revive a lawn after this hot weather we've had, please.I look forward to hearing from you
Saturday
MF Hodgson replied to William Frost's discussion Paving pushing up because of the hot and super dry weather
"Not the patio, but the ground where I work has changed shape and developed dips and bumps across all the lawns. It's quite strange to walk on and not what I've been used to for the last 12 years. 
The other issue this summer has been the surrounding…"
Saturday
More…

Privet hedges dieing

Hi Has anyone got the same problem we have in our area in Warwickshire, the privet hedges atleast 40years old or more are dieing, I appreciate the dry weather hasn't helped but this looks like the same as what's destroying the box hedging.And any…

Read more…
4 Replies · Reply by Billybop 29 minutes ago
Views: 64