There’s the issue of tending to your greens, even to little details like knowing what is the difference between moss and liverwort. Having a garden in the UK requires effort.
It’s no accessible business to grow your plants in your UK backyard. You’ve got to familiarise yourself with lots of plant species. With a bit of unwanted luck, some plants will create challenges for you along your gardening path.
Liverwort
Generally considered harmless, liverworts are small green plants often mistaken for mosses by most people in the UK. These leafy species have a reasonably global distribution, though they abound in humid locations most of the time.
Appearance
UK gardeners often overlook liverworts due to their tiny size (2 to 20 mm wide and 4 in. long). The most familiar liverwort consists of a flat ribbon-like thallus or plant body, while there is also a kind that has flattened leaves.
Reproduction
Liverworts reproduce from spores, not seeds, which is similar to that of mosses. Also, they can do it asexually (without the need for an egg and sperm) and sexually.
For sexual reproduction, male and female liverworts develop small umbrella-shaped structures. Sperm from the male umbrella fertilises the egg. The embryo later develops into a capsule that releases spores carried by the wind to a new location.
Symptom
When a liverwort appears on trees or shrubs, it could signify that the plant is getting old or sick. They thrive in moist, shady areas with high soil moisture, high humidity, and high nutrient levels in the soil, notably nitrogen and phosphorus.
Benefits
Collectively, bryophytes (UK experts classify the family liverworts as under) do much to reduce groundwater contamination and prevent erosion. They could also help decrease stormwater overflow and eventually minimise air pollution.
Prevention or treatment
Liverworts take advantage of the same conditions that make plants grow. Therefore, avoid overwatering plants, space them farther apart, and increase air circulation in the environment to reduce humidity, thereby slowing liverwort growth and infestation.
Moss
On lawn walls, there are mosses pretty much everywhere on road cracks, even on the roofs over our heads. They have extreme survival properties, and surprisingly, they have an essential role in maintaining biodiversity.
Appearance
Mosses are tiny, rootless, flowerless, non-vascular plants commonly found in moist shady locations, such as woodland and forest floors. They typically grow in large clusters and create a dense layer of foliage similar to that of a carpet.
Reproduction
Mosses reproduce by spores instead of seeds. Under favourable conditions, the spore germinates and branches out to become a green thread, otherwise known as a protonema.
Symptom
Several conditions could lead to the presence of moss. Moss tends to grow where there is damp soil due to poor drainage, acidic soil or soil with insufficient nutrients or oxygen, and excessive shade where sunlight does not reach adequate plant growth.
Benefits
Moss has good absorption capabilities, likened to that of mulch, which can be an excellent way to minimise the incidence of soil erosion. Since it also has water-purifying effects and prevents water from becoming stagnant, it deters mosquito breeding.
Prevention or treatment
Try Ferrous Sulfate or Iron (II) Sulfate. It’s a water-soluble fungicide and herbicide that can change your soil’s pH levels for healthier growth and moss removal.
Why Should You Grow Your Plants in a Semi-pro Greenhouse?
Many gardeners use greenhouses to protect their plants from temperature changes and unwanted pests and diseases. If you haven’t tried using one or you’re still on the fence, here are several reasons why you should:
A semi-pro polytunnel protects your plants from pests
Aphids, caterpillars, spider mites, thrips, and other pests would love to munch on your plant’s leaves, flowers, and produce if given a chance. Keep these nasty critters away by placing your plants inside a semi-pro greenhouse. You can even use screens and traps to protect your plants further.
A semi-pro polytunnel allows you to grow different plants even with limited space
If you love growing crops but don’t have space, a semi-pro polytunnel is a great solution. They’re compact and affordable, perfect for gardeners or would-be gardeners with limited space. You can place semi-pro greenhouses on your balconies, decks, and patio – some even fit on tabletops!
A semi-pro polytunnel lets you plant any time
With a semi-pro greenhouse, you don’t have to wait for planting season to grow your crops. You can use heating/cooling systems to alter the temperature inside the polytunnel based on your plants’ needs.
A semi-pro polytunnel shields your plants from inclement weather
Semi-pro greenhouses can effectively protect your plants from the adverse effects of bad weather. Thunderstorms, heavy rain, high winds, and excessive heat can damage even the most resilient plants. Apolytunnelprotects them from bad weather so your plants will grow healthy and strong.
The Bottom Line: What is the Difference Between Moss and Liverwort?
Being a UK gardener is not merely a matter of digging and planting and then calling it a day. It’s also about being able to differentiate the trivial stuff, things like what is the difference between moss and liverwort – even if you don’t have a green thumb.