Anyone Dry Moss

[Tidal Bonsai]

I have a shallow tray that I have been leaving my collected moss in over the spring/summer. Should I keep it in the tray, or dry it over the winter? Does anyone dry their moss and save it for the following year? If so, I would appreciate any info (e.g. How long to leave it outside, should it be blended, shredded, or left whole, etc.)

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I let mine dry completely out, then put it in a blender and pour "moss water" where I want it in the spring.

There are some folks who are quite knowledgeable about moss gardening who can provide a lot more (probably better) advice:

Moss and Stone Gardens

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

How long does it take to dry, a few days or a week? Also, do you try and remove all of the soil from the base? Do you have a ratio for your "moss water"? Thanks!

 

[sorce]

You can leave it out it won't die!

Grows over 40F.

I had some collected in a white grocery bag, left it for a few days inside, and it was real stringy inside from the Humid.

That real long stringy is what you want to scissor off to mix in your sphagnum for a topper.
No need to dry it unless you want to wait that much longer for it to live again.

I can't get Moss to grow like that with sphagnum at all though.

There is one broader fernish leafy type Moss I can't grow in full sun. The rest do great with daily water.

I noticed the real tight Moss gets blue around concrete dust....Reckon it's a PH thing...I like the blue.

Love these 2.

Sorce

 

[ConorDash]

You can leave it out it won't die!

Grows over 40F.

I had some collected in a white grocery bag, left it for a few days inside, and it was real stringy inside from the Humid.

That real long stringy is what you want to scissor off to mix in your sphagnum for a topper.
No need to dry it unless you want to wait that much longer for it to live again.

I can't get Moss to grow like that with sphagnum at all though.

There is one broader fernish leafy type Moss I can't grow in full sun. The rest do great with daily water.

I noticed the real tight Moss gets blue around concrete dust....Reckon it's a PH thing...I like the blue.

Love these 2.View attachment 154671

Sorce

That looks really cool...
what's in that pot, exactly? Do you know the names?
What substrate are they in?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

How long does it take to dry, a few days or a week? Also, do you try and remove all of the soil from the base? Do you have a ratio for your "moss water"? Thanks!

My "moss water" recipe is as follows. Take moss... put it in blender... add water... blend!

Seriously I don't do anything special, except I try to ensure the moss is 100% moss with no dirt whatsoever. It also has to be bone dry. I'd say my moss water is 75% water and 25% moss by volume. It is very watery.

One thing I will add to this whole discussion - there is definitely "shade moss" and "sun moss". If you have bonsai out in the sun and want moss, make sure you collect moss from sunny areas. Sounds simple, but it is easy to collect moss from the shady side of your house, and then put it on a bonsai in the sun and wonder why it dies. If you look hard, you will be amazed at where moss will grow. One of my favorite local collecting spots here in Southern Cal is outside of a car wash. The moss grows in full sun in the sidewalk cracks and comes out in nice strips. I always leave about 25% when I collect, and when I return in a couple of months it has all filled in!

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

That's what I do at my house! I have moss that grows in full sun in between my pavers. As you said, a month or two later it magically reappears! I just want to try drying for ease of storage.

 

[Anthony]

To dry moss and use, it must dry green.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

The moss I left out in the sun yesterday seems to be pretty dry today. Is this enough time? It is Stillgreen also.

 

[Anthony]

To test if dry.
If placed in a plastic bag overnight, no moisture should form in the bag.

Down here [ Tropics ] our moss is a sun tolerant type, grows easily if you just rest it on
a porous red brick [ for us that is a hollow clay block ] and it will grow very happily.

We don't have to do the Bnut stuff, the moss spreads itself everywhere, by spores.
So once one pot has it, the others nearby will also soon have it.
Especially with the rain.

BUT remember moss holds water, so do watch how much water your pots are holding
with moss cover. SEE BELOW --------------- Most Important

Also to keep moss healthy, you have to remove American quarter size pieces once in a while.
Moss also grows up, and leaves behind dead moss, so be prepared to lift pieces and
cut off old moss with a knife.
Good Day
Anthony


***** Most Important ****

Moss on your pot's soil surface [ miniature lawns ] is ----only---- used for ---Exhibition--- not really supposed
to be on your pots all of the time.

 

[sorce]

@ConorDash no!

Sorce