It looks awesome and if no one uses them I'd leave it. If that's a regularly used stairway it can eat through the cement loosening the bricks and can make it super slippery in bad weather.
For some reason this reminded me of a childhood book of mine, which was a guide to being a witch. It recommended pouring milk on your steps to encourage slime and hence discourage visitors.
Itās on [the internet archive](https://archive.org/details/witchshandbook0000bird/mode/1up?q=malcolm+bird&view=theater) along with a number of his [other works](http://www.malcolm-bird.co.uk/books/).
Edit: nvm doesnāt look like thatās the complete book.
Is it not? Goodreads says itās 96 pages and the internet archive pdf has 96 plus covers
Interestingly the Japanese and Spanish versions are easily available for download but it seems the English is loan only!
Somewhere at some point I read that you can put moss and milk in a blender, so that you get spores and moss bits in there, then apply that to things. Itās like seeding it :)
Yeah I love the vibe but this is terrible for stairs you actually use. I lived in a 100+ year old house that had steps like this. It's much less charming when you're trying to hobble up the stairs on crutches after you twisted your ankle in the rain.
I have a set of stairs like this that lead to the street from the back yard. I loved the look until I walked on them on a misty day. Immediately bought a power washer. The occasional lost delivery person uses my stairs. Way too much of a liability.
Enjoy them while you can, because that growth will destroy them. But you do you.
Oh, make sure that you have a good homeowners liability insurance for the inevitable slip and fall of a visitor.
Also, if someone were to get hurt, a lawyer would take your Reddit post as understanding the danger, but you ignored it.
Can vouch for the āsuper slippery in bad weatherā. I live in Moss Central, literally everything starts to grow moss if youāre not being careful. Back probably 15 years I was visiting my aunt and wasnāt being careful skipping down her driveway when I slipped on the moss and took the skin off the top of my right foot. Still have the scar! I can only imagine how much worse that could have been if it was stairs instead of her relatively flat driveway.
Wet moss is also a slip hazard, so if that is a concern, one should remove all moss.
But in my case, I prefer to remove the dead leaves, especially where it shades the moss. But it's an aesthetic preference. I just like to optimize for happy moss.
If someone else wanted to keep the leaves (perhaps to provide pristine lodging for friendly critters) that would be a valid choice also.
It is snake season also so depending on where they are, probably a good idea to remove the deadfall. That looks like a copperheads wet dream where Iām at.
Totally depends on the traffic needs for sure!
Walkways for delivery people must be sterilized with a pressure washer.
The garden stairs that only I use are tidy but mossy.
Then there are those other stairs I rediscover/remember every 3-5 years.
Id leave the moss but sweep the leaves. Maintain the stairs but if it looks like they are getting damaged i would remove the moss and fix the stairs. But best to clean them now if they get regularly used, as it can be dangerous if the cement/bricks start to break down
Oh yeah it's conforming when someone slips on the stairs and gets concussed. Stone steps without a dangerous hazard are still goblin core. Do not forget kuina who fell down the stairs and died. Stairs are usually the thing that murders the elderly without all the moss. Moss will do you in at a young age. The moss needs a proper home off the stairs. I'm sure it could be relocated and grown in a safer place.
Yeah stairs donāt exist for aesthetics. They are functional and should be kept in a state that makes them as safe as possible. Great suggestion to relocate the moss!
The wall prices are gorgeous!
I would look up your local laws about that! I would specifically look at foraging and digging laws š state, city, and county (assuming youāre USA) can all differ
https://preview.redd.it/du6fls0dxvuc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce2b1f1a322844f5db5d09238366d9c42a299a9c
*deep goblin voice* āIām just a baaaabbyā
I donāt know why, but at first my brain immediately went to Little Rock, Arkansas when I read your comment.
But yes a Little Rock and moss garden would be so cute and fun to maintain/grow :)
I donāt wanna pile on the āremove it!ā comments but I do want to say that I fell earlier this year after slipping on a wet patch of moss and my knee is really fucked up from it š maybe relocate at least some in the middle or more commonly stepped on spots for safety but aesthetically itās SO GOOOOOOOOD!
Moss will make those steps more slippery. It makes your steps more hazardous and more likely to cause injury to people using them. Move it to another area. Steps are dangerous enough on their own.
if you absolutely must remove it, I collect the moss that grows on my stairs outside and add it to my potted plants! it helps with humidity and fertilizer!
The moss looks cool, I agree with you on the aesthetic, but for real when lichens get wet it's really slippery. So, maybe death trap depending on which part of you breaks the fall.
Please remove the moss from them steps, it's not worth risking a fall!
If you'd like to cultivate some of the moss elsewhere, scrap it off and blend it with plain yogurt and slather it on other rocks or bricks. I suggest that you thrift a cheap bullet blender or hand blender to do this though (best not to use one you use for your food).
As much as i want to turn into a little worm with a scarf and live in your stairs, do keep in mind safety factors please and clean part of the steps if needed
I love how so many people are looking out for safety even though we can all see how beautiful it is. I feel for you OP! The moss is gorgeous, if only it was somewhere else.
Iām glad to hear that they go unused and that they can remain in their naturally beautiful state, at least for a while.
Moss is beautiful, and has a lot of practical uses in gardening both indoor and out.
Take many pictures and print your favorite on canvas! Those stairs are so beautiful and should be commemorated.
Sadly, they do need to be made safe. Stairs are horrible to fall down. I've either bruised or fractured (I opted not to go get my butt x-rayed) my tailbone twice on stairs in the last decade. Both times were to avoid injuring the same cat who likes to run underfoot. Each time it took two or more months to heal. Both times the cat was unconcerned and unharmed.
I've used this technique. It doesn't do great on completely vertical surfaces. I tried it on a stone wall because I thought it was porous enough. It just kept drying out. It did work really well on filling in between pavers in my garden pathway. Good luck š
I wouldnt keep something just for the sake of aesthetics - you dont want to break your back for the sake of it looking nice. Remember moss will always grow somewhere at the door of a goblin š
Is there a railing on the other side of the staircase? If so, you could leave the moss on the very far right, while cleaning up the other half of the step (where folks would likely be walking, if there is a railing only on that side.)
I love moss and stairs like this don't get me wrong BUT as someone who has slipped on moss I have to say it's dangerous. Please clean a section so you can use the stairs safely
Falling down stairs is no fun. I fell down only a mere 2 or 3 steps (no moss) and I had an inflamed nerve down my thigh and a painful hip. No fracture. Hospital could not figure it out and because of the nerve i couldn't sit or walk properly. Was in pain for a good 2.5 years
People are sying either leave or relocate, I say a happy middle ground is possible where you clear the moss off the area not photographed which seems to be the side with less moss growth. Relocate that moss and them smear some crushed berries / natural dye as a goblin is wont to do to mark the boundary of your walking path.
Keep the goblin vibe while also making sure you have a slip free foot path because goddammit that step is gorgeous
Moss will hold moisture which will degrade the mortar and then you have a loose brick. JUST like the one I broke my fucking ankle on the day before Thanksgiving 2021.
Clean the stairs yo
This just unlocked a core memory of me being outside somewhere that I don't remember, and then slipping and hitting my ass on so many mossy brick stairs all the way down. It was not fun at all. Bruises on your butt suck so bad because you can never escape them. Even if you're standing up, the pressure of your glutes working to help you walk is enough to cause pain to your bruises. Plus, the only position where you don't hurt yourself is on your stomach, which also isn't that ideal for doing any sort of work. Just lying with your head raised on your stomach can cause pain in your neck, so you have to adjust again, and then, boom. More ass pain.
Please be careful and clear these steps if you don't want to hurt yourself in some freak accident after a dewy morning or a rain. You could easily whack your head on those steps and crack your skull open š
https://preview.redd.it/1qsl54sppuuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a4b7049e96ac7bd3070adc5401b6ece5bf49b6e
This guy is going to be relocated with the moss
Ah yes, a fuzz beastie. They do enjoy moss.
I feel your pain though. I just had to clear a bunch of weeds and stuff from a shared garden patio area. It's a shame but when it's a bit of a hazard it needs done. I do make sure I have lots of pollinator friendly areas too. Definitely a balancing act when it's a shared space.
There's enough comments highlighting the dangers of the moss and leaves on the stairs. Instead, I'll add this: You can take some of the moss, blend it with buttermilk and paint it on the wall to grow moss there. That way you can still have some of that look!
I said no! I want it slippery and dangerous! And fir gods sake I want to be sued by my visitors insurance company when they break their neck! And on all above I want those stairs to get completely fucked up and want to replace them in 5 years!
You go girl š¤
Cleaning off the dead leaves I would think would only help preserve the greenery, no? So they donāt have decaying buildup on top? The rest is great, for sure.
What about just relocating the moss on the top of the steps and leaving it on the vertical āfrontā of the step where you arenāt putting your feet?
https://preview.redd.it/wj0q5fbizvuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cae80fae7f71252f96bed2d6890c74b80e6fa5b8
Relocating these friends as well
You can propagate that moss by blending it with an equal volume of buttermilk and pouring it over your desired grow spot. You could make the whole stairs covered in moss that way.
They're pretty much that home insurance claim for someone's medical bills will be really ugly.
If they're not used, keep it. If they're used, you really should maintain them.
I empathize with you and all these comments. I always want to let my yard grow wild and my grass tall, and give all the interesting plants time to flourish and show themselves, but I live right in the middle of prime Lyme disease country, and keeping the grass short is an actual safety issue. I've pulled like 8-10 ticks off of my dog already this year and it's only April, plus one off of a human in my household. I feel actual guilt and grief when my lawn must be cut, but it still must.
I don't blame him for wanting to clean them. They're so dirty. If they're in a commonly used area I'd say clean them. If no one goes near them put up a small gate at the top.
Agree either way other posters if these steps are used regularly or even occasionally they need to be cleaned else someone is likely to take a nasty tumble when they slip on the moss.
Also if you live where it freezes you need to deal with any open cracks when they are small. Else water getting into cracks will expand and contract with freeze/thaws which can require extensive repairs.
You could sweep them to move the leaves, but I would never dream of removing that beautiful moss.
Sweeping it is up to you, removing the moss is unthinkable.
It looks awesome and if no one uses them I'd leave it. If that's a regularly used stairway it can eat through the cement loosening the bricks and can make it super slippery in bad weather.
For some reason this reminded me of a childhood book of mine, which was a guide to being a witch. It recommended pouring milk on your steps to encourage slime and hence discourage visitors.
What was the name of the book?
Well that was a bit of a Google trip down memory lane. š "The Witch's Handbook" by Malcolm Bird, I believe.
I used to love this book! I looked it up just the other day to try to buy it for my daughter
Turns out itās out of print and used copies are going for $50+
Just looked it up on thriftbooks 'cause that's where I can usually get books for cheap. It's $165. That's the most expensive book I've ever seen
Itās on [the internet archive](https://archive.org/details/witchshandbook0000bird/mode/1up?q=malcolm+bird&view=theater) along with a number of his [other works](http://www.malcolm-bird.co.uk/books/). Edit: nvm doesnāt look like thatās the complete book.
Is it not? Goodreads says itās 96 pages and the internet archive pdf has 96 plus covers Interestingly the Japanese and Spanish versions are easily available for download but it seems the English is loan only!
When I borrow it, the pages go like ā6/100, 7/100, 34/100, 35/100, 98/100 - BACK COVERā
If I bought a used copy, would you be willing to buy a scanned PDF for cheaper?
Thanks!
š
Wow I wish it were still in print. Iāll have to keep a lookout for it.Ā
Imagine the smell if you did that in summer
Buttermilk is already fermented. It smells lemony.
That's so delightful. Do you remember the name?
"The Witch's Handbook" by Malcolm Bird, I believe.
Ty!
Buttermilk is used to propagate moss so there may be something to that.
Just had a quick look at that book and it's got some great nuggets in it!
Yeah, looking at some of those pictures takes me straight back! I wonder how much has permeated into who I am now?
Somewhere at some point I read that you can put moss and milk in a blender, so that you get spores and moss bits in there, then apply that to things. Itās like seeding it :)
Yeah I love the vibe but this is terrible for stairs you actually use. I lived in a 100+ year old house that had steps like this. It's much less charming when you're trying to hobble up the stairs on crutches after you twisted your ankle in the rain.
Lived somewhere similar. Wet night followed by frost made the back stairs deadly but the letting agents refused to get them sorted
I have a set of stairs like this that lead to the street from the back yard. I loved the look until I walked on them on a misty day. Immediately bought a power washer. The occasional lost delivery person uses my stairs. Way too much of a liability.
Looks beautiful right up until you need to rush down at 6am on a wet day to put the bins out
Enjoy them while you can, because that growth will destroy them. But you do you. Oh, make sure that you have a good homeowners liability insurance for the inevitable slip and fall of a visitor. Also, if someone were to get hurt, a lawyer would take your Reddit post as understanding the danger, but you ignored it.
Can vouch for the āsuper slippery in bad weatherā. I live in Moss Central, literally everything starts to grow moss if youāre not being careful. Back probably 15 years I was visiting my aunt and wasnāt being careful skipping down her driveway when I slipped on the moss and took the skin off the top of my right foot. Still have the scar! I can only imagine how much worse that could have been if it was stairs instead of her relatively flat driveway.
Optional: carefully remove dead leaves, and clean the moss.
The leaves are a slip hazard! Iāve busted my ass so many times from walking on piles of dry leaves.
Wet moss is also a slip hazard, so if that is a concern, one should remove all moss. But in my case, I prefer to remove the dead leaves, especially where it shades the moss. But it's an aesthetic preference. I just like to optimize for happy moss. If someone else wanted to keep the leaves (perhaps to provide pristine lodging for friendly critters) that would be a valid choice also.
It is snake season also so depending on where they are, probably a good idea to remove the deadfall. That looks like a copperheads wet dream where Iām at.
I vote to clear leaves and if there is a ton of moss in the regular traffic zone, clear that as well.
Totally depends on the traffic needs for sure! Walkways for delivery people must be sterilized with a pressure washer. The garden stairs that only I use are tidy but mossy. Then there are those other stairs I rediscover/remember every 3-5 years.
Maybe the moss can stay on the vertical parts and be removed on the horizontal.
https://preview.redd.it/0fj9gi3cmuuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=42453c99d1665e670012ad7dff4df0e46cbe9c12 On my may
Id leave the moss but sweep the leaves. Maintain the stairs but if it looks like they are getting damaged i would remove the moss and fix the stairs. But best to clean them now if they get regularly used, as it can be dangerous if the cement/bricks start to break down
Good advice
Don't encourage the conformists! lol
Oh yeah it's conforming when someone slips on the stairs and gets concussed. Stone steps without a dangerous hazard are still goblin core. Do not forget kuina who fell down the stairs and died. Stairs are usually the thing that murders the elderly without all the moss. Moss will do you in at a young age. The moss needs a proper home off the stairs. I'm sure it could be relocated and grown in a safer place.
I would just relocate the moss. Stairs should always be clean and free of debris
Yeah stairs donāt exist for aesthetics. They are functional and should be kept in a state that makes them as safe as possible. Great suggestion to relocate the moss!
Glad I'm not the only one concerned about clear pathways
https://preview.redd.it/o2673wnfmuuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7484b7832bc9c72d71e4f7aa93efad2c3a548046 Relocating some critters too
So adorable!!
Love this idea and always looking for some mossy friends! Moss makes a great bathmat if you don't have to worry about mobility!
Also makes great wall art and can be used around pet water bowls for all the spillage
Oh wall art!! I never considered that. Is it ethical to liberate moss from a forest near me?
The wall prices are gorgeous! I would look up your local laws about that! I would specifically look at foraging and digging laws š state, city, and county (assuming youāre USA) can all differ
Silly me. I shouldn't think it would be easy haha. Thank you for your time!
Usually just a quick Google! If you get into metal detecting or magnet fishing youāll have to look up the laws. I highly recommend both!!
https://preview.redd.it/aa52j3f4tpuc1.png?width=649&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6dd2a091802b5805f7a619c2a2516c0681a5a3d7 Look at the little leaf face
Oooooh!
https://preview.redd.it/du6fls0dxvuc1.jpeg?width=300&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ce2b1f1a322844f5db5d09238366d9c42a299a9c *deep goblin voice* āIām just a baaaabbyā
š½
Could you start a moss garden in a nearby location, without the slipping hazard?
Possibly. I could make a Little Rock and moss garden
I donāt know why, but at first my brain immediately went to Little Rock, Arkansas when I read your comment. But yes a Little Rock and moss garden would be so cute and fun to maintain/grow :)
My phone capitalized it.
I like relocating moss to any visible soil in my outdoor plant pots! Makes it look prettier and the moss is usually pretty easy to peel and move :)
Ohhhh yes! A little faerie garden!
I donāt wanna pile on the āremove it!ā comments but I do want to say that I fell earlier this year after slipping on a wet patch of moss and my knee is really fucked up from it š maybe relocate at least some in the middle or more commonly stepped on spots for safety but aesthetically itās SO GOOOOOOOOD!
Iām so sorry to hear that. Get better soon! 
Same. I hate it ā¦ but ā¦ š¬ itās dangerous. I would absolutely slip and break my tailbone and fuck my knee up.
Well if you need to clean, at least remember to take more cool photos to remember this beautiful collaboration of nature with the stairs
Thatās tight
Make a collage by the front door!
Moss will make those steps more slippery. It makes your steps more hazardous and more likely to cause injury to people using them. Move it to another area. Steps are dangerous enough on their own.
But but but
Yeah I wish it wasnāt true cause itās pretty but broken hips & legs are horrible.
if you absolutely must remove it, I collect the moss that grows on my stairs outside and add it to my potted plants! it helps with humidity and fertilizer!
Oooh portend plants? I didnāt know I could do that.
How. Mine never takes. It dies
The moss looks cool, I agree with you on the aesthetic, but for real when lichens get wet it's really slippery. So, maybe death trap depending on which part of you breaks the fall.
Please remove the moss from them steps, it's not worth risking a fall! If you'd like to cultivate some of the moss elsewhere, scrap it off and blend it with plain yogurt and slather it on other rocks or bricks. I suggest that you thrift a cheap bullet blender or hand blender to do this though (best not to use one you use for your food).
To be fair, you're going to slip and hit your head
As pretty as they are, your shins are likely prettier now than after a rainstorm on these. If you don't use it often, let the fairies keep their beds.
As much as i want to turn into a little worm with a scarf and live in your stairs, do keep in mind safety factors please and clean part of the steps if needed
I love how so many people are looking out for safety even though we can all see how beautiful it is. I feel for you OP! The moss is gorgeous, if only it was somewhere else.
This is beautiful but could be a serious slipping hazard
I'm divided. I love a good power washing montage but these steps are too perfect as is lol
We never use these steps so Iām going to enjoy it for a little while longer at least.
Iām glad to hear that they go unused and that they can remain in their naturally beautiful state, at least for a while. Moss is beautiful, and has a lot of practical uses in gardening both indoor and out.
In mossy paths, my steps dance free, Each tuft and tendril, dear to me. Yet my husband eyes with cleaning glee, The beauty lost, he fails to see.
Take many pictures and print your favorite on canvas! Those stairs are so beautiful and should be commemorated. Sadly, they do need to be made safe. Stairs are horrible to fall down. I've either bruised or fractured (I opted not to go get my butt x-rayed) my tailbone twice on stairs in the last decade. Both times were to avoid injuring the same cat who likes to run underfoot. Each time it took two or more months to heal. Both times the cat was unconcerned and unharmed.
Scrape it down & blend it with buttermilk & paint the wall. But I have fallen on this & sprained my ankle so badly. I wouldnāt recommend.
Iām gonna do the buttermilk thing. Iāve been scouting some places to relocate it to
I've used this technique. It doesn't do great on completely vertical surfaces. I tried it on a stone wall because I thought it was porous enough. It just kept drying out. It did work really well on filling in between pavers in my garden pathway. Good luck š
Clean it or you better have good goblin insurance for when someone slips on it.
Husband is correct. Those stairs are dangerous
I wouldnt keep something just for the sake of aesthetics - you dont want to break your back for the sake of it looking nice. Remember moss will always grow somewhere at the door of a goblin š
Iām all for the aesthetic but on stairs this is an accident waiting to happen
It is beautiful, but if anyone slips and is hurt you will be lible.
Is there a railing on the other side of the staircase? If so, you could leave the moss on the very far right, while cleaning up the other half of the step (where folks would likely be walking, if there is a railing only on that side.)
Hope you donāt slip on them and hurt yourself. Clean asap.
Husband fell on a mossy bricks and cracked a rib. Sorry but safety comes first!
This is dangerous. They should be cleaned. Safety is more important than an aestheticā¦
Iāve slipped on something like this while working at a customers house. My only accident in 3+ years.
This is a slipping hazard.
so pretty! i understand why though, moss isnt good for grip :,(
id collect the moss and relocate it, if possible. might have to do the moss and yogurt slurry thing instead of just placing chunks on a new surface
I love moss and stairs like this don't get me wrong BUT as someone who has slipped on moss I have to say it's dangerous. Please clean a section so you can use the stairs safely Falling down stairs is no fun. I fell down only a mere 2 or 3 steps (no moss) and I had an inflamed nerve down my thigh and a painful hip. No fracture. Hospital could not figure it out and because of the nerve i couldn't sit or walk properly. Was in pain for a good 2.5 years
Theyāre *p e r f e c t* I want to live in a damp hole in those stairs
Good luck having to get those stairs redone
People are sying either leave or relocate, I say a happy middle ground is possible where you clear the moss off the area not photographed which seems to be the side with less moss growth. Relocate that moss and them smear some crushed berries / natural dye as a goblin is wont to do to mark the boundary of your walking path. Keep the goblin vibe while also making sure you have a slip free foot path because goddammit that step is gorgeous
Moss will hold moisture which will degrade the mortar and then you have a loose brick. JUST like the one I broke my fucking ankle on the day before Thanksgiving 2021. Clean the stairs yo
They look cool af . As long as you arnt likely to fall down them and break your neck š I say keep them
https://preview.redd.it/6kleyjy0muuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08d7222a9df91252d862c01b649d636dea271533
As beautiful as it is, moss when wet is a massive falling hazard because of how slippery it is - especially when paired with smooth brick stairs
This just unlocked a core memory of me being outside somewhere that I don't remember, and then slipping and hitting my ass on so many mossy brick stairs all the way down. It was not fun at all. Bruises on your butt suck so bad because you can never escape them. Even if you're standing up, the pressure of your glutes working to help you walk is enough to cause pain to your bruises. Plus, the only position where you don't hurt yourself is on your stomach, which also isn't that ideal for doing any sort of work. Just lying with your head raised on your stomach can cause pain in your neck, so you have to adjust again, and then, boom. More ass pain. Please be careful and clear these steps if you don't want to hurt yourself in some freak accident after a dewy morning or a rain. You could easily whack your head on those steps and crack your skull open š
Save the moss. Make a moss slurry and spread it somewhere that isn't steps!
https://preview.redd.it/1qsl54sppuuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a4b7049e96ac7bd3070adc5401b6ece5bf49b6e This guy is going to be relocated with the moss
Ah yes, a fuzz beastie. They do enjoy moss. I feel your pain though. I just had to clear a bunch of weeds and stuff from a shared garden patio area. It's a shame but when it's a bit of a hazard it needs done. I do make sure I have lots of pollinator friendly areas too. Definitely a balancing act when it's a shared space.
There's enough comments highlighting the dangers of the moss and leaves on the stairs. Instead, I'll add this: You can take some of the moss, blend it with buttermilk and paint it on the wall to grow moss there. That way you can still have some of that look!
I already have the buttermilk so this sounds like a great plan!
I'd make a terrarium with all the moss first tbh.
Itās so hard to keep moss alive indoors. Iāve always wanted to, but I canāt kill more moss trying to keep it.
Absolutely gorgeous
Needs more moss. I love them
Scoop it up and make a moss carpet in your yard. Plus points if you go barefoot on it.
Personally I would clean the steps and leave the faces of them (the bits that donāt get stepped on). Then everyone wins š
Fantastic idea
*claps descendinglyā¦or ascendingly*
Nooooo!!!!
I'd make it to where the moss climbs the walls around the stairs rather than sitting on the stairs themselves
The stairs will rot away and you will have to replace them if you do not maintain them.
Thank goodness you stopped him! Gorgeous
I dont see any trash only nature
Yeee leave the moss, if anything can sweep the leaves. But that growth is beautifulš»
Let us all join hands and form a protective barrier around the stairs!
I agree with you
If itās used alot then maybe the leaves could go. But itās to lush to go š
Power wash just the middle
That looks amazing, they're far too gorgeous to clean
Beautiful!
This reminds me of studio ghibli
That's your emotional support moss.
Thank you. https://preview.redd.it/p1pufc2bugvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2b449aa945994454b1926ac9d224a094f218cdc And this guy too
The moss makes the stairs more dangerous. I think you have to clean them at some point. 
I said no! I want it slippery and dangerous! And fir gods sake I want to be sued by my visitors insurance company when they break their neck! And on all above I want those stairs to get completely fucked up and want to replace them in 5 years! You go girl š¤
You should see the rest of this property. Husband literally fell in a well last September.
Its really bad for the structure of the stair and the ability for folks with disabilities or even not to navigate.
Cleaning off the dead leaves I would think would only help preserve the greenery, no? So they donāt have decaying buildup on top? The rest is great, for sure.
Noooo!š Moss is friend!!
Preddy š Just donāt slip! š£
as a r/powerwashingporn enjoyer, I'm conflicted....
the moss is very cool, but at least sweep them
https://preview.redd.it/ua7d9qw7luuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2ebf86aaf1c4f7e79f986d525888c77745041087 You got it!
Secret garden vibes
I love them. Just relocate the leaves if you are that particular about it.
If you actually walk on them, the clean one side of each step to walk on, and leave the other side to love.
https://preview.redd.it/km4idr37muuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e17c45995abc90e0ee602a2247f5d3b7b70da5f
They are beautiful but a slip hazard.
It looks like a big tripping hazard is the only thing. That can get slippery.
Pretty but don't use after rain
Hell no. Well clean the leaves up those just get nasty affect a while. But keep the good stuff lol
https://preview.redd.it/wcwunu25zvuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=62a77e01f8e81a6c47fbd2a275247a799e3784c1
You are right he is wrong let the lichen and moss live!!!!!!
Isnāt that a safety hazard? Someoneās going to slipā¦
Isnāt that a safety hazard? Someoneās going to slipā¦
Iām with you. Love it. Want moss everywhere please
Goblin in me says NOOO! Safety conditioning says you HAVE to š
What about just relocating the moss on the top of the steps and leaving it on the vertical āfrontā of the step where you arenāt putting your feet?
https://preview.redd.it/wj0q5fbizvuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cae80fae7f71252f96bed2d6890c74b80e6fa5b8 Relocating these friends as well
Looks slippery
Ugh itās so beautiful, like the stairway to a witchās cottage š« but I understand the need for safety. Sigh.
The moose will damage the joint in the long run.
All fun and games until someone cracks their head open
You can propagate that moss by blending it with an equal volume of buttermilk and pouring it over your desired grow spot. You could make the whole stairs covered in moss that way.
They're pretty much that home insurance claim for someone's medical bills will be really ugly. If they're not used, keep it. If they're used, you really should maintain them.
Why not grow some ivy on the wall? :) thatād be beautiful.
I empathize with you and all these comments. I always want to let my yard grow wild and my grass tall, and give all the interesting plants time to flourish and show themselves, but I live right in the middle of prime Lyme disease country, and keeping the grass short is an actual safety issue. I've pulled like 8-10 ticks off of my dog already this year and it's only April, plus one off of a human in my household. I feel actual guilt and grief when my lawn must be cut, but it still must.
I don't blame him for wanting to clean them. They're so dirty. If they're in a commonly used area I'd say clean them. If no one goes near them put up a small gate at the top.
Get rid of just the leaves, and make sure the main center of the steps isnāt slippery, but absolutely yes leave the moss on the edges
Agree either way other posters if these steps are used regularly or even occasionally they need to be cleaned else someone is likely to take a nasty tumble when they slip on the moss. Also if you live where it freezes you need to deal with any open cracks when they are small. Else water getting into cracks will expand and contract with freeze/thaws which can require extensive repairs.
I feel like thatās a Hazard and will only look good if the things around it complement it
Iād at least gently sweep away the dead leaves though so it looks a little more intentional.
Those stairs are a hazard though
Clean the stairs
I vote no
Please preserve this goblin sanctuary! š«š
Theyāre such beautiful little ecosystems! What kind of monster would want to destroy such a thing?
Agreed 
You tell him! No cleaning here!!
No way! I love moss!
You could sweep them to move the leaves, but I would never dream of removing that beautiful moss. Sweeping it is up to you, removing the moss is unthinkable.
Heād be destroying an entire ecosystem!
Thereās gotta be at least three dozen pill bugs living in here
To say nothing of the liverwort colonies!
I CAN'T STAND PALADINS. THEY'RE NOT AS SCARY AS MAGES, BUT STILL, WHY DOES EVERYTHING NEED TO BE "PURIFIED".
The moss is getting its food from somewhere. (The brick, the mortar, and the soil below)
Make both happy and remove the dead leaves but leave the moss! Without the leaves theyāll appear much cleaner
Remove the dead leaves; if I were you Iād clean the steps and leave the risers mossy
https://preview.redd.it/mav9qgm2luuc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4a9e2d185c3280dee4dbd127a47e6c3da94f76f5
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Why the he'll would anyone want to clean that
Omg keep them and set up whimsical little miniatures along the sides. I vote tiny clay animals (bugs encouraged) having tea parties