liverwort

[ajeans]

Hi,

Does anyone know of a good way to get rid of liverwort on open ground? I've tried Roundup and vineagar (separately) without much effect. The liverwort is taking over areas which used to be covered with a nice moss.

Thanks, Albert in SF Bay Area

[William Wagner]

If it likes acid I'd try lime or wood ash this with cultivation.

Bill who also thought of flame but it seemed not a option if it is dry by you.

[paghat]

Liverwort likes alkalinity and will grow where other plants fail. It probably thought the vinegar was fertilizer, & it has no roots so systemic herbicides are useless, though liverwort is excellent for cleaning the toxins out of soil where non-organic gardeners have rendered soil inconducive to healthy plant growth.

A richy humusy-acidic soil such as mosses prefer will often slow it down so that it fades out over time. It also tends to die out when in shade, so doesn't compete well with larger plants planted nearby. Moss by comparison generally does like shade & will have a better chance of re-establishing with lowered alkalinity & shrubs nearby for shading.

You could try turning the ground over to half bury the liverwort, then put an inch or two of well-decayed crumbly black compost or steer manure on the surface. That will acidify the ground and while smothering the liverwort, then the ground can be turned again & planted with anything, including cruched-up moss mixed with a bit of buttermilk & spread around the area you want moss to return.

Sometimes liverwort is attractive, but it tends to get cruddy and spotty as the soil improves, then vanished almost entirely when the soil is full repaired. It's often the first plant to return after a forest fire when the ground is thick with ashes, but as the alkalinity lowers from rainfall and topsoil is reworked by worms and burrowing animals, bigger plants displace the liverwort. Liverwort doesn't generally displace moss because moss wants less sunlight but there are all sorts of reasons for exceptions to the rule.

-paghat the ratgirl

[ajeans]

paghat ( [e-mail]) wrote: : Liverwort likes alkalinity and will grow where other plants fail. It : probably thought the vinegar was fertilizer, & it has no roots so systemic Vinegar is acidic so I thought it should work. Maybe it got neutralized too quickly? I'll try the compost idea.

Thanks, Albert