How to Treat Spanish Moss
Spanish moss is a plant that grows in the branches of trees, hanging down in gray or greenish nest-like clumps. It is common in warm, humid areas, for example close to rivers and swamps. While some homeowners think it has a Southern charm or allure, others consider it an eyesore and want to get rid of it. If you want to transplant Spanish moss to your own trees, the trees must be near moisture. Too far from the river or bog and the Spanish moss will wither. But if your goal is to remove Spanish moss, chemicals may harm your tree, so mechanical removal is preferable. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Avoid the need for a ladder when physically removing Spanish moss by purchasing a long telescoping pole, or by combining several 5-foot plant stakes attached together with duct tape. Telescoping poles can be ordered from home improvement stores, while your local garden store will sell plant stakes. Overlap the garden stakes by a foot each and heavily tape the overlapping portion of the stakes together. The length of the pole you will need to buy, or make, depends on how high you must reach to remove the Spanish moss.
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Attach a hook, such as a coat hook, to your pole with duct tape. It should be oriented to curve up, so the Spanish moss can be lifted off the branches. Some poles you can purchase include hooks.
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Remove the Spanish moss with the hook end, taking care not to touch any power lines or bird nests.
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Consider hiring someone who uses Spanish moss for looming or other crafts. Buyers and sellers advertise on craigslist.org. You may find people who want Spanish moss and are even willing to remove it themselves.
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Tips & Warnings
The one chemical treatment removal option is to apply copper-based herbicide to the Spanish moss, but only on mature trees. Young trees may not respond well. Apply the herbicide early in the season before the trees bud, or late in the season when they are not as sensitive.
Replace Spanish moss often if you are using it for interior decorating, such as centerpieces or floral arrangements.
Since chiggers and red bugs may live in Spanish moss that at some point came in contact with the ground, you should avoid close contact with the plant. Before Spanish moss is brought into the house for interior decorating, spray it with an insecticide, or else eliminate any mites by boiling or microwaving the Spanish moss in small quantities at a time.
Note that too much Spanish moss on a tree can cause the tree's limbs to break after a rainstorm. Spanish moss can soak up a tremendous amount of moisture, which makes it too heavy for some branches. Otherwise, Spanish moss is not a danger to trees, since it obtains nutrients from the air, not the trees themselves.
Before completing removing Spanish moss, consider that some birds use the plant to build nests. Eliminating Spanish moss entirely can deter songbirds from inhabiting your trees.
