My moss is drying up

[WNC Bonsai]

With the old organic soils moss seems to thrive, however with inorganic based mixes the moss has a habit of drying up. The upper layer of pumice and Permatil dries out really fast and I don’t have time to mist the moss several times each day to keep it from turning into crispy critters. So what’s your secret for keeping it moist and alive?

 

[A. Gorilla]

#1. Make sure you have that tight, sun-loving moss from between pavement cracks. Not the shaggy shade-loving moss. #2. Do put a thin layer of "fines" of something so your moss has the substrate it wants. Grinding up sphagnum moss...perlite fines...sand or some combination of stuff like that. It'll work. You are correct though....your tree's substrate is like boulders for the delicate moss. You need an appropriate interface.

 

[sorce]

I recently had a bit dry up, just once, it never goes back to normal.

Starting a bunch on your substrate elsewhere in a few pots, is the best way to get it to live normally on your soil.

Second best is that grown on the concrete expansion material...havent gotten it to grow on it myself yet, but collected, with moss already meshed into the fibers of it...

Highly highly stable. And its like it cant get dry.

Test some...

I got a lot of moss with black dirt bottom that stays real wet, and though it seems the dirt may "ruin" the soil, its no worse than a typical season outside with no covering, leaves, needles, bird doo, insects...etc...
So its pretty stable too and if it ain't...
No worries till repot anyway...

Key key key...

Tall and tight.

The taller it is the more water it holds...
If you can find really tall moss, you can chop almost all the sustrate of and it becomes its own substrate . ....this seems a good way to transfer it to your substrate.

Sorce

 

[PiñonJ]

In my climate, moss wouldn't thrive without automatic watering. I water three times a day, or more in summer. I collect moss from my land after a rainfall. I seem to have two species and one does better than the other.

 

[jeanluc83]

More importantly how is your tree doing.

Moss is generally added for exhibition. Except for a couple of pots where it has grown on its own none of my trees have moss. Even on those it is patchy and not all that great looking.

The look of moss is nice but I wouldn't go out of my way to grow it.

 

[GrimLore]

So what’s your secret for keeping it moist and alive?

In pans under a bench if needed for presentation. There is no other use for it other then looks and if gets established in a pot have fun getting it off your plant while it is eating the bark...

In Japanese Culture(older and not all) it was used to cover the substrate when bringing a plant indoors for viewing... Going with the tradition of not having dirt in the house, taking off footwear, etc...

There are some here that have a really nice touch and a good eye for temporary application like @JudyB . That is a skill that must be developed to look proper. I have been seeing less and less of it even in shows so seeing her plants when dressed for show is nice

More importantly how is your tree doing. Moss is generally added for exhibition.

I just expounded on it a bit but Josef said it well

Grimmy

 

[Joe Dupre']

The moss I use goes brown for no apparent reason too. I chalked it up to being a life cycle thing. I have some growing in shallow trays on fines from sifting soil. It gets watered every time the trees get watered and stays moist. Lately it's been getting brown. Just thought that it might just naturally die out and then regenerate.

 

[Cadillactaste]

#1. Make sure you have that tight, sun-loving moss from between pavement cracks. Not the shaggy shade-loving moss. #2. Do put a thin layer of "fines" of something so your moss has the substrate it wants. Grinding up sphagnum moss...perlite fines...sand or some combination of stuff like that. It'll work. You are correct though....your tree's substrate is like boulders for the delicate moss. You need an appropriate interface.

Moss grows readily here where I live...but a friend in Florida stated she does this you mentioned. ?
Love all the moss and lichen. Grows everywhere in rocks too here. So I am glad there is a solution to ones who can't. But...overall health of tree always trumps having moss on ones pot.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Moss grows readily here where I live...but a friend in Florida stated she does this you mentioned. ?
Love all the moss and lichen. Grows everywhere in rocks too here. So I am glad there is a solution to ones who can't. But...overall health of tree always trumps having moss on ones pot.
View attachment 183865View attachment 183866

Yes, it grows well in my yard and on the rocks around and in my stream but put it on bonsai inorganic mix and it’s like the Mojave Dessert. I don’t have it on most of mine, just a couple that I did in workshops this spring and the moss came with the plants so I left it on the finished composition. I have a couple patches down in the woods that I am cultivatnig for shows, etc. glad to see I am not alone in killing it. The trees look fine. I think the problem is that the loose medium on the surface dries out super fast while the stuff 1/8” below that is nice and moist. The surface layer sort of acts like a mulch layer.

 

[0soyoung]

I think the problem is that the loose medium on the surface dries out super fast while the stuff 1/8” below that is nice and moist. The surface layer sort of acts like a mulch layer.

Indeed.

Spread a little damp sphagnum over the area where you want moss. Put the moss atop the spahgnum. Out of direct sun, the green moss will grow with only normal daily watering. Just about any moss will grow in intense direct sunlight. The challenge is keeping it damp enough to grow.

Alternatively, if you have an old blender/food-processor toss in sphagnum and moss. Puree. Pour on you substrate (the water will, of course, drain off through your substrate). A little poking/prodding with your fingers will likely be needed to get it exactly where you want (which is generally toward the pot edges and away from your tree's nebari).

 

[River's Edge]

More importantly how is your tree doing.

Moss is generally added for exhibition. Except for a couple of pots where it has grown on its own none of my trees have moss. Even on those it is patchy and not all that great looking.

The look of moss is nice but I wouldn't go out of my way to grow it.

This is the same approach that i prefer. The moss is grown in anderson flats with finer substrate. Sand mostly. I try to keep a couple of varieties going for variation in color. This aids in prepping a tree for show. Otherwise, I try to keep moss out of my pots and away from trunks at all times.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Yes, it grows well in my yard and on the rocks around and in my stream but put it on bonsai inorganic mix and it’s like the Mojave Dessert. I don’t have it on most of mine, just a couple that I did in workshops this spring and the moss came with the plants so I left it on the finished composition. I have a couple patches down in the woods that I am cultivatnig for shows, etc. glad to see I am not alone in killing it. The trees look fine. I think the problem is that the loose medium on the surface dries out super fast while the stuff 1/8” below that is nice and moist. The surface layer sort of acts like a mulch layer.

It grows mad here...on my benches...on my composite deck. Everywhere...I am lake front...so a lot of moisture I reckon. Microclimate and all. I can't keep it from growing on my pots. Where it's not artistically applied in depth of pieced moss on my pots...but a solid carpet of it. Even on my inorganic pots.

 

[Dav4]

If you want moss to be happy on the potted soil surface, you need to first apply a layer of milled sphagnum moss. The sphagnum is a great substrate for the surface moss to adhere to and grow on.

As a rule, I only apply moss to trees being shown and my azaleas..