I can't detect any other smell than pine resin on my mosses, Capitaine John Ingram, Henri Martin, Nuits de Young, Alfred de Dalmas, Salet and Eugenie Guinoisseau. Either my nose can't separate the different scents or I've been unlucky in my varieties.

Thanks for resurrecting this thread. It is very informative. The presence of moss growing on the surface of a potted plant may or may not be something to be concerned about. I think it depends on the kind of plant you are growing and the kind of culture you are providing the plant. Generally the moss must be well irrigated as well as having the necessary humidity and temperatures needed for it to survive. Most plants that do not require copious amount of aeration to the roots, such as orchids, may be at risk of root loss since the moss would tend to serve as an indicator of soil decomposition. A careful look at your plant roots should be the rule when growing with a dense moss growth. Even with orchids there are some that do quite well with the dense moss, Dendrobium cuthbertsonii for example. The best rule is to know the cultural needs of the plants you are growing and be able to make a determination that the presence of a dense moss growth is a plus or a minus in your cultivation.

Thanks @tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a) for the clarification, very helpful as usual :) , thanks @floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK, here in Germany the products are labelled differently indeed, as far as I know, there is the "Gartentorf" which mixed peat with some soil to be acidic , and then there is the "Schwarzetorf" which translates to black/dark peat which comes from the deepest layer of the bog, then there is the "Weißtorf" which translates to white peat, although the color is light brown, this is the top layer of the bog, where you can still recognize some plants remains, labeled most of the time as soil aeration products, and finally there is the "Moostorf" which the the sphagnum peat Moss, it is the hardest to find here, mostly imported and expensive, I am still trying to get some peat Moss for a reasonable price, else I am considering the white/brown peat, which also has high water retaining properties but on the down side a very fine structure I was mainly wondering about the high acidity and whether the peat moss in north America is treated to be pH-neutral (those products are available online), but now this is clarified, the lime is added to the mix to increase pH in the 5:1:1 ! Thanks, Fahmy

Moss is pretty much a fact of life in the PNW :-) But you can keep it under control provided you address the reasons it appears in the first place. The reasons for moss development (in no particular order): Poor drainage/excessively moist soil conditions Excessive shade Soil compaction Low fertility Excessive acidity (not typically the case here in the PNW) All of the above are also reasons why the turf grass does not thrive so fixing any or all of the above should get you headed in the right direction. We are now at the end of the window of opportunity for spring overseeding and even if you did, the lawn would not be usable in just a month without damaging the seedling grass. It would be better to just live with the moss for now - it IS green - and focus on a proper renovation in fall. Don't use any peat moss. It will lower the pH unnecessarily and we already have moderately acidic soils in this area. It can also become hydrophobic (repel water) if allowed to dry out. When you do the fall renovation, you need to remove as much of the moss as possible. It rakes up very easily so no need to apply a moss killer. And then you will need to address the reasons it grows so well, so improving drainage, aerating and applying organic matter/compost to boost fertility will be in order. Also test for pH and lime if the pH is below 6.0. When you overseed, the seed needs to come into contact with the soil for proper germination. Overseeding over the moss will not work. Then with your mower on the lowest setting cut you lawn close. Then overseed, cover with a light layer of compost or soil and keep moist but not wet until full germination - about 2 weeks.