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Who's the moss?

New Zealand Listener

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October 4-10, 2025

"Are you crazy?” This is what Bob is wondering. He has written to me to explain a few things, some of it about moss, though mostly about his opinion of me. It seems that, at least in Bob’s view, I am a pitiable idiot who is unworthy to exist in the same beautiful world as moss.

- By Greg Dixon

Who's the moss?

A month ago on this page, I complained – complaining is, I admit, a hobby of mine – that in a misfired attempt to improve Lush Places’ lawn, I had let it be for much of the winter.

This had, as I hoped, allowed the grass to grow much more lushly, but it had also let big areas of moss establish, a situation that I, as someone apparently unworthy to exist in the same beautiful world as moss, was not happy about.

I wrote that I had spot-sprayed a bit of sulphate of iron solution on the worst of it, but thought there must be a better way. In the hope that Listener readers might have some easy, no fuss, non-chemical solutions to the situation, I had solicited, foolishly I now see, some advice. The single reply was from Bob, which opened, as I say, with “Are you crazy?” It goes downhill from there.

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