Austin Ball Moss Removal
Don't Let Ball Moss Overtake Your Yard - Our Austin Tree Company Can Remove It and Leave Trees Looking Better Than Before
Ball moss can often be found clinging to the limbs of live oaks and other trees in Southwest Texas and Central Texas. However, it isn't a moss but a true plant that can seed and grow. Just how big do they grow? A clump of ball moss can range from the size of a golf ball to the size of a soccer ball!
Needless to say, ball moss can become unsightly, and if it gets out of hand the canopies can become heavily covered to the point limbs can die from lack of sunlight.
So what can you do about it? You can call Tree Green Services! We've been in operation since 1998 helping Austin property owners get control of ball moss before it becomes an ugly problem.
Our ball moss services include:
Visual inspection of infested trees and plants
Creating a strategy to safely remove ball moss
Removing the ball moss
Cleaning up any plant debris
Since we're a true full-service Austin tree company we can provide additional services if needed while we're taking care of the ball moss. We'll leave your yard looking even better than it did before the ball moss rolled in.
We've got ball moss control covered!
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How to Remove Ball Moss
Our team will always practice proper safety techniques to ensure the health of your trees and plants. The measures taken must provide adequate control over the ball moss or you may not truly solve the problem. Often a combination of techniques are applied for ball moss removal.
Physical Removal by Hand
Hand picking involves physically pulling the ball moss from plants. While this is a highly effective method of removal, it can also be very labor-intensive. Often some degree of hand removal is needed to get all of the ball moss gone.
Another thing to consider with hand-picking ball moss is that it involves getting up into the tree's canopy. That can be a dangerous endeavor even for our professionals. With tall trees a cherry picker may be necessary for safety.
Trimming and Pruning
Trimming or pruning oaks and other trees that have ball moss is one strategy for removal. We use trimming to remove larger sections, such as a limb that is overrun with ball moss. This is often the case given that ball moss prefers dead limbs that should be removed regardless. Pruning consists of finer work where our crew goes in close to clip away smaller parts.
Applying Fungicide
It is possible to treat ball moss with a foliar spray containing copper fungicide. The spray must be applied by a licensed, certified and insured arborist or professional chemical applicator. If the wrong chemical concentration is used it will damage trees and plants in addition to killing the ball moss.
When using a fungicide, it's important to understand a few things. While the ball moss will die within 5-7 days, it's still going to be in the tree. It will either need to be handpicked or eventually blown out of the tree by the wind.
Need help getting rid of ball moss? Give Tree Green Services a call to schedule a free onsite estimate.
Discouraging Future Infestation
The most thorough treatment for ball moss is one that prevents future infestation. In addition to using a variety of techniques to get rid of ball moss, we can also provide advice on how to discourage future infestations.
One way that we can discourage ball moss from laying down pseudo roots is by thinning out the canopy of trees. A light thinning will clear out some of the foliage and bring more sunlight into the interior canopy making the tree less appealing to ball moss.
While we're at your property the Tree Green Services team can do additional tree trimming to help you avoid ball moss issues in the future!
Ball Moss FAQ
If you have never dealt with plants and tree branches covered in ball moss, you probably have a lot of questions. You're in luck, because we have answers to all of the most common questions about ball moss.
What is ball moss?
Ball moss is actually not moss. It's a true plant with flowers and seeds, but it has pseudo roots. That means instead of being planted in the ground it grows on other things, like It's a member of the bromeliad family which also contains Spanish moss and pineapple along with about 3,700 other plant species. Ball moss is considered an invasive species
Is ball moss the same as Spanish moss?
Ball moss and Spanish moss are each what's known as an epiphyte commonly found clinging to limbs and plants. Although they are both in the bromeliad family, they are two distinctly different species. One of the most noticeable differences is Spanish moss doesn't clump up in a bunch like ball moss.
Where does ball moss grow?
Ball moss is a small epiphyte commonly found on a lot of plants from the limbs of live oaks to garden beds. But it doesn't need another plant to grow. Ball moss can grow on power lines and fences as well. Although it can grow anywhere, ball moss prefers areas where there is shade or partial shade, humidity and little airflow. This is why you'll often see it clinging to the inside of a tree's canopy where the conditions are ideal.
Can ball moss hurt my trees?
Possibly. While ball moss plants aren't considered parasites, they can do damage. The moss won't take nutrients from trees like a parasite. However, ball moss can grow so thick that it blocks out the sunlight causing limbs to die.
Can ball moss kill a tree?
Ball moss isn't known to kill trees completely. It can, however, kill off limbs.
Is ball moss bad for other plants?
Trees aren't the only plants that ball moss can attach to. It creates the same problem of blocking sunlight and negatively impacting growth.
How do I control ball moss?
You can control ball moss in a few different ways. Hand picking and pruning can be done by a homeowner to control the infestation, but it requires the right tools to get up in the canopy and cut away affected limbs. A fungicide can also be used, but this method has to be done by a certified arborist.
Ready to get the ball moss gone? The Tree Green Services team can use any and all methods to safely remove ball moss. Contact us today to learn more about ball moss removal services!