Kollie from St Marys, Ga writes
I pruned the Weeping Willow 2 weeks ago and it looks sad. I have only owned this house for a year and appear to have lichens on alot of my plants in my landscape beds. Some plants have it it pretty thick. I sprayed last week with Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide Concentrate and not seeing much improvement. Should I just keep spraying every 7 days with Bonide Copper or should I switch to the Bayer Advanced 2 In 1 Moss & Algae Killer RTS?
In most cases, lichen won't harm the trees or plants as it is not getting nutrition from the host. Improving airflow and making sure sunlight can get down in between the leaves/branches is helpful to control overgrowth. The Bonide Liquid Copper Fungicide is labeled for “algae” on turfgras only and not for treating “algae” on ornamentals. As we mentioned above, the best treatment for lichen is to leave it alone and chemical treatments should only be used as a last resort. Bayer Advanced 2 In 1 Moss & Algae Killer RTS is labeled for lichens per the product label however before using an additonal product, we would suggest contacting your local master gardener for more tips as advice on this can vary by the needs in your region.
Answer last updated on: 04/08/2022
