To create a beautiful aesthetic lawn, many use special plants. Lawn mshanka is represented by creeping branched stems, on which small flowers and needle-shaped leaves are arranged. It is this feature of the plant that played a role in the origin of its name. The diameter of the flowers is about 5 mm.
The growth of bryozoans is quite rapid, it quickly creates an imitation of a thick green carpet.
Mshanka awl: what good is such a lawn
For certain, it will be interesting to you to learn, than the lawn from a perennial plant became famous. Such a question arises in many designers who use grass to create artificial landscapes. We list the main advantages:
- there is no need for grass mowing, as the plant height does not exceed 8 cm;
- the lawn is resistant to active influence - jumping, frequent walking, running;
- the stylope mshanka has a very dense carpet through which weeds do not sprout;
- no need to water the lawn often. Only during long droughts may there be a need for soil moisture;
- due to the rapid self-expansion, the restoration of damaged areas occurs fairly quickly;
- the presence of flowers on the grass field makes it more beautiful and fresh in springtime;
- thanks to the fragrance that comes from the little flowers, you will always enjoy the sweet smell of honey.
Did you know? Translated from the Latin "mshanka" means an awl, which explains the Russian-language name of the plant.Be careful when choosing varieties of lawn: the styloid mshanka is a beautiful green carpet, and the mshanka is recumbent is a common weed. Sowing it near the house, you, to put it mildly, will be unpleasantly surprised by the result.
Site selection and preparation
Before you start sowing Irish moss, it is very important to choose and prepare the site correctly. Sunlight should freely penetrate the territory, however slight shade is allowed. If on a site the heavy soil prevails, it is worth diluting it with sand. It is recommended to use for planting fertile soil with good drainage. Sandy and composted soil is an ideal place to create a green covering.
Important! When choosing seeds in the store, be sure to specify which flowers will grow on the carpet - yellow or white!It is compulsory to remove all plants, old grass from the proposed area of planting bryozoans. It is important to tillage: it is necessary to loosen it from a depth of up to 10 cm, after which it should be leveled gently
Planting and cultivation of bryozoa
There are several ways of the appearance of bryozoans on your plot: growing from seeds or propagating with the help of seedlings. The second option is faster and more efficient, but we will tell about the features of both methods.
From seed
Seeds can be purchased at a specialty store. Most often they are packed in a cardboard bag that holds 0.01 g. You should not be surprised at the small weight, the seeds are very small, and there are a lot of them in a pack. 
At the first stage it is necessary to sow the seeds in small boxes. Pre-worth a well-hydrated soil. This work is recommended in the spring, in early April. After they are sown, it is necessary to cover the boxes with plastic wrap. It is strictly forbidden to shoot it until the first shoots appear.
Did you know? The ancients used leaves of bryozoa to feed livestock. It was believed that the plant has a large amount of nutrients that will positively influence in the future on livestock products.It is not worth much to fill the seeds with earth - this will significantly slow down their growth. A good idea is to use snow to cover planting material: it will melt and provide the necessary soil moisture for rapid seed germination.
One week after disembarking, the first shoots can be observed in the form of needles. It will take several days, and they will be converted into tufts of bristles, will acquire a bright green color. At this stage, the pickling of seedlings is carried out. 
A mshank of the styloid from the seed is planted in the ground in early May. The distance between the seedlings should be from 5 to 10 cm. The free areas will very quickly be covered with moss and create a solid green grass cover. The seedling is resistant to low temperature, its shoots appear fairly quickly.
Further reproduction of the lawn will occur without human assistance. Due to gusts of wind, the seeds will scatter themselves out of the boxes across the territory. You do not have to participate in updating the coverage - a smart plant will do everything on their own.
Like the bushworm, the catnip, quarantus, geykher, kolery, lobelia, aconite are referred to the perennial plants.
Seedlings
With the help of planting seedlings you can create a very beautiful lawn. It will not take long. The bottom line is to use small sods, which are pre-cut from the existing coating. This type of breeding can be used in spring or early autumn. If you postpone the landing on November, the plant may not settle down and all the work will be in vain.
Important! Do not water the plant too often - it may die.Planting bryo is done on the prepared soil. It is necessary to loosen it, remove all weeds and moisten the ground. It is recommended to trample down the soil a little.
If you do not have a large amount of planting material, it can be scattered across short distances from each other. The principle of a chessboard is often used. Do not worry that there will be "bald spots" in the carpet - in a couple of months they will be covered with a beautiful carpet.How to care for Irish moss
Mshanka requires care, only so Irish moss will look beautiful and fresh. Observing simple recommendations, you can keep the lawn in a posh condition.
Watering
This is perhaps the most basic lawn care. It is very important to properly water the plant. For two weeks after the landing of a bryozoa in the ground, it is necessary to water it daily.
Water is needed to obtain the nutrients that are required for normal growth of the coating during this period. 
When the bryo grows up and the seedlings reach 5 cm in height, it is necessary to reduce the frequency of watering. High temperatures are not a reason for frequent watering the lawn. Carpet will be enough to get moisture no more than 2-3 times a week. Using the technology of lower irrigation, you can protect the roots and leaves from rotting.
Top dressing
To seedlings better rooted, you must use special tools. You can buy them in the store.
When feeding plants you will certainly come in handy potassium humate, urea, potassium salt, yeast, boric acid, potassium sulfate, succinic acid.The powder is diluted with water in proportions according to the instructions, after which the plant is sprayed. To accelerate the growth of the lawn, you can also resort to various feedings. Throughout the season, grass is fed several times with the help of complex mineral fertilizers.
Do not abuse fertilizers, it does not need the Irish moss. It grows well and on poor ground.Frost resistance
With the advent of cold weather, it is necessary to significantly reduce watering of grass. Excessive moisture can lead to freezing of the roots. The plant belongs to frost-resistant varieties, however, if snow does not fall out in winter, there is a probability of its freezing. Mshanka, which is planned to be planted in areas with very low temperatures, must take shelter for the winter.
Did you know? For the first time, the styloid bristle was used to create lawns in the 19th century. At that time, the plant became popular. - the presence of Irish moss in the yard was considered a sign of taste and well-being.
Possible difficulties in growing
The plant is very picky in the care, and when it is growing problems should not arise even from a novice gardener.
The only trouble that can occur is the defeat of the plant with green aphids. It is important to detect the disease at an early stage and treat it as soon as possible with special insecticides. You can buy them in the store, after telling the seller exactly what sort of lawn grass you want to save from green aphids. 
Other uses for Irish moss
Mshanka is actively used not only for gardening of summer cottages and private houses, since the conditions for growing a plant are quite simple. The plant is very popular among designers. Thanks to the Irish moss, beautiful rockeries, alpine slides, various natural sculptures and rocky gardens are created.
Important! In the event of a roughness of the coating, it is recommended to perform its thinning.Garden paths using bryozoans look very original. The chess boarding gives them a novelty, creates an unusual composition. Also mshanka is often used for decoration of recreation areas, parks, squares.
Using Irish moss on the summer cottage or other territory, you will give it freshness, make the landscape more original and brighter.
