Grass for top dressing

Beginners
1

Hi folks!

Is there a varietal of deciduous grass that could be used as top dressing in a relatively shallow planting (2" or under) with relatively small trees (~12") that would:

  • Accomplish the same filtration as moss;
  • Accomplish the same signaling-dryness function as moss (by drooping?);
  • Not damage the tree or inhibit its growth.

Thanks much!

2

No. Grasses will be taking water and nutrients away from the trees. Moss does not compete with trees for water and nutrients. Your soil will dry out faster as well since the grasses will be sucking up water. Whereas moss slows down water evaporation at the surface. Moss is not a vascular plant, it operates in a very different way than all vascular plants. It’s best to just use grasses in accent plantings, not in the same container as the tree.

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3

That’s what I figured. Thanks!

Follow up question: is there a moss species that leans more yellow that you/anybody know of that could work in a bonsai planting?

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