How can ball moss be removed from trees?
Good pruning that removes deadwood and opens the outer canopy removes most ball moss and will deter the establishment of new plants. Unfortunately, most of the pruning done in this area to remove ball moss is harmful to your tree. When every branch with ball moss is removed leaving only a few green leaves at the end of a branch, your tree has been harmed. This improper pruning is responsible for the decline of many trees. If you are patient, ball moss can be suppressed with an annual application of a copper fungicide, potassium bicarbonate, or with baking soda. Dead ball moss may hang on the tree several years after it has been killed, but it is usually cheaper to spray than to pick.
