Moss on top of the soil

[giventofly]

Should we put grinded sphagnum moss on top of soil only after re-potting or never?

I've seen people saying that moss on top helps keep the soil moist, and protects the top layer from a quicker erosion, quick walter filter and their roots don't disturb the tree.

At the same time got negative feedback that it should only be used after re-potting because it increases the moist retention and then removed.

 

[erich_raudebaugh]

No need to remove. It's more important for deciduous trees, and helps fine roots grow near the surface. You can inoculate the sphagnum with fresh moss by sieving it all together, I learned to dye it a bit with ink so it's grey rather than whitish. This way you'll have a nice thin consistent layer of moss growing on the sphagnum and holding everything together.

For pines you want the soil to dry a bit faster and might want less moss, I just let it colonize the soil on its own.

 

[giventofly]

Thank you.

Following question, if the soil is still a bit moist but the sphagnum moss on top is dried out, should I just moist a bit the top moss, or just wait until the bottom soil needs watering?

 

[Gabler]

I literally just watched an older Ryan Neil video where he explains the importance of top dressing every pot with sphagnum moss. The mixed-in particles of living moss use the dead sphagnum moss as a substrate to develop in harmony with the tree roots. Or something like that.

 

[giventofly]

Yeah, the positive things about moss I heard from him, so I felt inclined to trust them

 

[erich_raudebaugh]

Just wait and water normally.

 

[giventofly]

Just wait and water normally.

That was my idea, because the important thing is the tree and not the moss, so wait until it is the correct time. thank you

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I've been fiddling around with moss for a couple years now.
A sphagnum moss mix can be successful if the moss itself loves the environment (roof moss, sunny rock moss), otherwise the sphagnum just degrades over time and becomes mush. That isn't always bad though, it's carbon fiber nutrients for bacteria and fungi.

To get spontaneous moss growing on my bonsai soil, it needs to be undisturbed for at least a year.
With akadama in the mix, this happens faster.

I use moss as a top dressing because I have very free draining soil and we've been dealing with months of dry weather every year. I do believe that the moss layer helps in combatting those conditions. And it's a good indicator of fungal growth; when the mycorrhizae take hold, so does the moss.
Moss also helps me see where the last fertilizer application was placed, because it turns brown for a while.

 

[Shibui]

I guess it depends on local conditions and your care regime.
I've never found the need to spread sphagnum on the surface and the bonsai here have done well for 30 years. Sphagnum after repotting may be useful in some areas but certainly not essential part of bonsai culture.

Much quicker and easier to get green moss cover using slabs of moss.
Waiting for it to grow naturally can take a long time depending on the moss available in the locality to send spores to your pots, ambient conditions, your watering regime and the type of soil mix used.

 

[RKatzin]

Most of the time I'm a fan of moss. It does make a nice cover for the pumice. Today and for most of the week I been hating on it because I'm busy removing it from the trunk and roots of my trees. It's rampant here. I never intentionally put moss on anything and everything spring I go through the process of removing the moss. If I don't everything turns into big green blobs and I didn't grow those beautiful roots to have them hidden under a blanket of moss. Then there's all the stringy surface roots to be scraped off. If I want to keep any of them I remove the moss and bury the root with potting mix.

 

[Shibui]

Most of the time I'm a fan of moss. It does make a nice cover for the pumice. Today and for most of the week I been hating on it because I'm busy removing it from the trunk and roots of my trees. It's rampant here. I never intentionally put moss on anything and everything spring I go through the process of removing the moss. If I don't everything turns into big green blobs and I didn't grow those beautiful roots to have them hidden under a blanket of moss. Then there's all the stringy surface roots to be scraped off. If I want to keep any of them I remove the moss and bury the root with potting mix.

This could be different species of moss.
I introduced a really low growing moss that came from trunks of street trees. It does grow on the soil but would much rather grow on trunks and branches and is really robust. Now. like you, I spend a lot of time getting rid of moss growing on exposed nebari and the trunks. I spray a couple of times each year with diluted vinegar which kills moss real quick but this one is strong and eventually grows back and needs to be treated again.
Other species of moss are much more user friendly and do not climb the trunks like that.

 

[RKatzin]

It's just good old S.Oregon club moss. Grows everywhere on anything.
There's a product to remove moss from lawns, I think it's moss-out or moss-away or something of that sort, and another to remove moss from roofs. Both are primarily zinc oxide. Ever notice that no moss grows on a roof below a galvanized pipe vent jack? I see zinc is in most fertilizer, maybe that's why ferts kill moss? I'm going to try a solution, or has anyone ever used zinc oxide as a moss deterrent? I know most folks are trying to cultivate moss, but I'm literally up to my ears in it.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Anyone know of a good moss that works in zone 5? Something that can take some heat?

when you add slabs of local moss to your bonsai do you put sphagnum under it?

 

[Shibui]

Anyone know of a good moss that works in zone 5? Something that can take some heat?

when you add slabs of local moss to your bonsai do you put sphagnum under it?

There are huge number of moss species and few even know the names. Just look for local moss growing on sidewalk or parking lots for species adapted to your climate. Low growing types are better for bonsai. Moss growing in exposed areas are obviously tougher. Silvery mosses seem to be the toughest and are adapted to more sun and exposure.

No need for sphagnum under moss slabs. I've seen some use sphagnum when starting powdered moss but slabs are already started so no need there.
Most mosses seem to grow better on finer substrate so some growers use a final layer of small particle soil. Finer soil may filter down into larger particle soil below which seems counterproductive after sieving the original soil?
Edges of moss slabs will tend to curl up for a few weeks if the slabs get dry. If soil below is already damp just mist the moss and press edges down whenever you notice until they stay put.
Some growers use a pointed stick like knitting needle stabbed repeatedly down through the moss slab to help knit some moss fibres into the substrate. Seems to help get it established better so worth a try.

If conditions on your pots are not suitable for the moss to survive then nothing you do will make the moss grow well. Many growers admit defeat with moss and use alternative decorative layer like sand or attractive gravel.