Lichen

fendie, May 2, 3:10am
will 'Wet and Forget' kill lichen ? I have a glass roof over a patio and it has a very pretty pattern of lichen on it. I would like to get rid of it . Any suggestions?
oh_hunnihunni, May 2, 3:21am
Amazing stuff, you should google it and be gobsmacked.

The lichen I mean.
fendie, May 3, 5:12am
yes Google says it is wonderful . I am just wondering if real people say that it is wonderful too ! Is there anything else ?
oh_hunnihunni, May 3, 5:18am
Real people? Like me for instance?

Lichen grows where the air is clean and fresh, so maybe dirty it up and blow smoke on it? ;-)

You could get up there with a stiff brush and a white vinegar and detergent solution and scrub it off, if you want to be environmentally purer. I believe it works, but I have never tried it. That solution is excellent on windows though.
dibble35, May 3, 5:18am
Ive used it, it works - eventually, but its incredibly slow.
oh_hunnihunni, May 3, 6:12am
Like giving up sugar.
fendie, May 4, 1:15am
Hi oh-hunnihunni I DO apologise ! I thought afterwards (when I woke up in the night ) that I hadn't worded that at all well. I meant people who weren't being quoted in an advertisement, they tend to be much freer in their comments. And the lichen is growing on several glass panels which cover some of the patio, it is extremely happy there, bother it. it is almost inaccessible but I thought maybe I could spray it with something. I shall go on glaring at it and brooding about. maybe I shall get some Wet and Forget, but dibble35 wasn't raving about it was he/she.
dibble35, May 4, 5:00am
If theres no other way of accessing the area may be the best option for you. i think i waited close to a year to see it disappearing
oh_hunnihunni, May 4, 5:07am
You don't need to apologise at all fendie, I was teasing. Being a Greenie gardener I rather like lichen, but completely understand how it can grow in places that are irritating to us house proud humans. Like the pohutukawa seedlings I just ripped out of my vegie garden - be gone you opportunists! Best of luck dealing to it, maybe it will learn to grow in a better place!
sparkyz, May 4, 8:15am
Soak it to soften and then try to remove as much as possible with a long handled squeegee.
Wash roof down and spray on Wet & forget. Will take quite some time to kill the remaining lichen and spores.
Probably need to repeat the squeegee a couple of times to quicken the process.
kateley, May 4, 4:13pm
Lime Sulphur gets the lichen off trees and shrubs - I have no idea if it would be ok to use on your roof but it might be worth asking at Mitre10
dibble35, May 5, 5:00pm
Just be aware It does stain though
fendie, May 5, 6:40pm
I'll trot in to Mitre 10 and check it all out. The main snag is that the roof is almost inaccessible, I think if I stand on a ladder with a long spray thing I might be able to reach it ! Also it drips onto a bit of the lawn, so I'll either kill the lawn or put something down to catch the drips. I like lichen but it is beginning to shade the patio. wish me luck !
wasgonna, May 5, 7:33pm
After spraying just hose any runoff on plants, lawn, etc. Dilutes it so it doesn't work.
maclad, May 6, 2:55am
Amazing ?plants? along with mosses and fungi
oh_hunnihunni, May 6, 3:39am
I like weird things in nature. And lichen is delightfully weird. Some are really rare too.
sanders4, May 6, 6:09am
You can buy 1 liter spray bottles from hardware shops that connect to your garden hose, water pressure sends a foamy mixture over the unsightly muck and after about 12 weeks you will have a clean roof. Quite a few brands available and most work ok.
sanders4, May 6, 6:12am
sorry ,slow internet here is the cause of 2 posts! But also need to mention that the aforementioned spray units are capable of spraying fluid up to 5 meters easily so no need to climb.
fendie, Jul 27, 10:10pm
thanks very much sanders4, I'll ask about them at Mitre 10. we have a very good one here in Christchurch.