Moss to Mondo Grass – Clay

Q: I am trying to convert a mossy backyard area to mondo grass. Is there anything in particular I should be doing to the clay soil when I transplant?

A: Some gardeners would argue that moss makes a perfectly nice “lawn”. Consider leaving your best moss patches alone and planting mondo grass in the bare swaths around them. Where the mondo is to be planted, I don’t think anything is necessary besides breaking up the clay and adding a bit of topsoil. Mondo grass is shallow-rooted so there’s no need to make a deep bed. I’m still sporadically transplanting mondo grass into my increasingly shaded St. Augustine grass lawn and it is gradually spreading and taking over.