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Method and formulation for eliminating moss with oregano oil

Method and formulation for eliminating moss with oregano oil description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the field of moss elimination methods and formulations, specifically the use of formulations of oregano oil extract.

2. Description of Related Art

Oregano oil extract, composed of carvacrol and thymol (add chemical formula below), is well known for its ability to suppress mold, fungus, and bacteria. Thymol has also been shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,706 to be effective as a herbicide for controlling weeds and grass. Published U.S. Application No. 2004/0192551 discloses a herbicidal mixture of clove oil, thymol, and carvacrol.

Oregano oil extract has not previously been shown as effective against moss. Moss includes any species of moss of the class Bryopsida such as for example, Bryum argenteum, any species of the division Bryophyta, any species of liverworts of class Marchantiopsida, and any species of hornworts of class Anthocerotopsida, and any other species commonly known as moss. Moss is a prevalent pest that grows on the surface of turf grass, lawns, landscaping materials, stone walls, wood, and roofing materials. Silvery thread moss, Bryum argenteum, for example, is a particularly vexing pest on golf courses. Moss growth is too dense for plants such as grasses to compete. After moss becomes established, cultural practice alone are unlikely to reestablish turf.

Current methods of eliminating moss include the use of heavy metal compounds such as iron sulfate and copper hydroxide. In addition to being expensive, these heavy metal compounds can cause surface staining and harm to living environments. Other compounds used to control moss include Dawn Ultra™ dish soap, baking soda, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate. Herbicides have also been used to control the growth of moss. Quicksilver™, carfentrazone, is a herbicide that is sold for moss control. These other compounds and herbicide have not been effective in entirely eliminating moss and require multiple applications.

It is therefore desirable to use environmentally friendly compounds that are effective in eliminating moss. It is also desirable to formulate compositions of oregano oil to maximize its efficacy on moss. It is further desirable to use a formulation that will terminate moss in a single application but have minimal phytotoxicity to surrounding plants.

The present invention provides a method and formulation for eliminating moss with oregano oil extracts. Oregano oil extract is applied to moss or a locus where moss exists to substantially kill the moss. A composition of about 0.5 weight percent oregano oil or greater is effective to substantially kill moss in only one application. The preferred method is to spray the oregano oil onto the moss or the locus, and the preferred formulation is a sprayable aqueous solution of oregano oil. To improve the efficacy of oregano oil, the preferred formulation includes one or more hydrocolloids.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated from the following description. The description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustration of the preferred embodiment. However, such embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention. The subject matter which the inventor does regard as his invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of this specification.

The present invention is a method and formulation of oregano oil extract for killing moss. Unlike U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,706 and its method of using thymol, the method and formulation of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is not substantially toxic to grasses. It was surprising that only one application of the formulation of the preferred embodiment was found sufficient to kill moss. The single application damages plants mixed in with the moss, but the affected plants exhibit re-growth shortly thereafter whereas the affected moss does not. The method and formulation of the preferred embodiment is therefore well suited for killing moss on turf without significantly damaging the turf.

The method of the present invention involves the application of oregano oil extract onto moss or a locus where moss grows. In the preferred embodiment the oregano oil is in an aqueous solution for application by spraying. Oregano oil in amounts as low as about 0.25% by weight have been found to be effective in killing moss and amounts as low as about 0.5% by weight have been found sufficient to kill moss with one application.

Although oregano oil extract can be applied in concentrations as high as about 100% by weight, lower concentrations are preferable. About 100% oregano oil is not flowable through a spray nozzle and is therefore more difficult to apply than lower concentrations. The 100% oil has also been observed to roll off the surface of moss before it can act on the moss to kill it. The 100% oil is also significantly phytotoxic and may cause unintended harm to surrounding fauna.

After application of oregano oil, a locus may become contaminated with incoming mold spores. To prevent further contamination therefore includes the step of re-applying oregano oil. It is preferred to wait about two weeks before re-applications. Two weeks has been determined to be the optimal amount of time to prevent significant growth of moss from incoming spores while allowing other fauna at the locus to recover from the frequent treatments.

It is believed that the carvacrol and thymol in oregano oil chemically destroy the cell walls of moss. The outer walls of moss are studded with pectin binding sites. The pectin binding sites allow the moss to adhere to plants. These sites can also be adhered by certain hydrocolloids. Hydrocolloids, also referred to as gums, that are believed to adhere to the pectin binding sites of moss include without limitation agar, alginates, acacia, arabinogalactan, caragum, carrageenan, chicory, guar, pectin, inulin, or xanthum. The preferred embodiment of the formula of the present invention includes hydrocolloids to aid in the interaction between oregano oil and the cells walls of the moss. Hydrocolloids of about 0.25 to about 25 percent by weight are therefore believed to enhance the action of oregano oil extract in killing moss.

The preferred embodiment of the formula of the present invention also includes surfactants in amounts of about 0.25 to about 20 weight percent. The surfactants generally increase the interaction of carvacrol and thymol with the moss cells walls. Surfactants that can be added to the formulation of the present invention include but are not limited to X-77 (UAP), Induce (Helena), Activator 90 (UAP), Triton Ag 98 (Rhone-Poulenc), R-11 (Wilfarm), Agri-Dex (Helena), Prime Oil (Terra), Herbimax (UAP), Crop Oil Plus (Wilfarm), Prefer 28 (Cenex), Surf-N (US), Inhance (Brandt), P-28 (Wilfarm), Patrol (Helena); Sun-It II (AmCy), MSO (UAP), Scoil (Agsco), Hasten (Wilfarm), Mes-100 (Drexel), Silwet L77 (UAP), Silikin (Terra), Dyne-Amic (Helena), Kinetic (Helena), Sylgard 309 (Wilbur-Ellis) and Century (Precision). Generally the present invention is enhanced by any surfactant that provides the surface adhesion or penetration to increase the efficacy of the oregano oil.

The content of the present invention will be concretely explained by way of the following examples but the present invention shall not be limited only thereto.

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