[James Kilkelly]

Lichen, add some to your garden with a lichen slurry mix.
by GPI

In a previous article I wrote about algae and the problems that this growth could cause within the garden. But what happens when this algae teams up with a fungus, and the two start to live in a mutually advantageous association? Well, in that situation you get an interesting plant form known as lichen.

The next time you take a drive down a quiet country boreen, pull the car in and take a close look at the dry-stone walls bordering the laneway. Many of the age-old stones will display white growths possibly containing bright yellow or orange splashes. These growths are the lichens, growing where other plants would falter.



Lichens are tough devils; if there were an SAS for the plant world, they would be the first to enlist. Surviving on the bare minimum, they don't even have roots, instead preferring to absorb their food and water from the air around them. Because of this fact, lichens are famous bio-indicators, thriving in regions of low air pollution but becoming scarcer and scarcer in industrialised city areas.

Lichens can grow in locations that other forms of plant life would find uninhabitable, for example windswept roofs, old tree bark, sterile soil and sand. Another situation where lichens grow in abundance is on old carved stone headstones in graveyards. When I have occasion to attend a funeral in a graveyard, I am always struck by the contrast between the mourner's dark garb and the pings and flecks of white, yellow and orange lichen growth upon carved limestone.

I feel lichens have a place within the garden, because if they happen to be an accurate indicator of continuing low pollution within your site, there's no harm in being reminded of that. Lichen growth also adds a considerable amount of character to feature rocks, boundary walls, terracotta containers and stone garden sculptures.

If you would like to encourage this ancient form of plant life, then try this recipe for "lichen slurry".
Add one tablespoon of ground up lichen to one pint of natural yoghurt or buttermilk and mix well in a blender. Using a brush or sponge, paint this slurry onto the object you wish to act as a lichen host.

Fine-looking lichen growth is quite slow to form, but it is faster using the "lichen slurry" method, so sit back and be prepared to wait. While you wait, keep a close eye out for neighbourhood cats, and shoo them off if they even attempt to lick away your yoghurt/buttermilk and lichen coating. These hungry felines should not be allowed to rob your garden of its share of lichen.

Any queries or comments on Lichen, grow some in your garden with a lichen slurry mix., please post below.

[pannaannap]

that's brilliant, i love them on stone features, especially the yellow and orangy ones.
how long do you have to wait for first lichens ater the application of the slurry?

[James Kilkelly]

Lichens grow really quite slowly.
Expect anything from 1mm a year up to 1cm per year, and you won't be disappointed.

[medieval knievel]

how long does it take to collect that much lichen?

[James Kilkelly]

[medieval knievel]

i'm in phibsboro, so i should be able to wander down to glasnevin cemetery to have a scout around; though i'd be wary about scraping it off gravestones.

[cooler]

[JennyS]

I've only just found this post (when Googling for something else) but if anyone is interested in the lichens we've got in Ireland there are nearly 300 species illustrated here: Irish Lichens http://www.irishlichens.ie/

[Liparis]

Don't know how I missed this thread before, I've loads of lichens growing on my land and always wondered how to encourage them to grow in places I particularly wanted them to. Thanks for that, and thanks for bringing it up again, Jenny.
Bill.

[JennyS]

Hi Bill,
If you're interested in identifying some of them post pics and I'll do my best!

[medieval knievel]

i painted some out of date yoghurt onto some of the stonework in the garden last spring, in the hope of attracting some moss. no luck yet...

[James Kilkelly]

Lovely, lovely lichen

Thanks to Allotment_Man on twitter for this.

[Liparis]

[JennyS]

The good thing about lichen is that they're around all year, but some can look very different when they're wet compared to their dry state....... and be warned, they can get very addictive when you see them up large on the computer screen!

[Liparis]

I bet!