Found Moss Growing in my Neighborhood 🤔 💭

[Bonsai Forest]

I’ve heard Ryan Neil and others recommend that if you’re going to use collected moss, it needs to be local so that it is adapted to your climate and will survive. Otherwise, use sphagnum etc.

If I decide to collect this moss featured below (from my street), is there anything I need to do to it to prep it before application? Is it still better to just grow your own (for better aerobic purposes)?



Is this “quality” moss? I have only one potted tree thus far in akadama, pumice, LR, and have considered applying it:

Potted this last week to stay this size at is matures. Is it best to grow moss given my circumstances? Why or why not?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

It's in a relatively tiny pot with coarse soil, so moss would be a good one.
However, it can take a couple years before the moss takes hold.

I try to get mosses from places that are similar to my soil components, so everything growing on rocks is good. Everything else will not live.

Keep in mind that bird nesting season is near, so protecting the moss from birds could be a good idea. I have a bunch of galvanized iron mesh / chicken mesh that I cut to the size of a pot and it works like a charm.

 

[pandacular]

If you plan to directly top dress with collected moss, it is very challenging to do with moss that is growing on an organic surface. I’ve found it much easier to do so with moss from solid aggregate surfaces, like a sidewalk or retaining wall. If you plan to cultivate moss on the surface, as in the top dressing creation video on Mirai, this could be easily used for that.

If you want to use this moss straight up, I’m not sure of a way to prepare it to integrate with the soil system, but I’d check out Ryan’s top dressing video.

 

[Wood]

Here's how we handle it at the national arboretum:

• Peel up sheets/chunks of moss from where it's growing (there's a spot we like to curate a little bit)
• scrape the dirt from the bottom of each sheet/chunk
• Grate sphagnum through a coarse soil screen, sift out dust with the finest soil screen
• Grate collected moss through coarse soil screen, sift out dust through finest soil screen
• combine the two, mix, and apply to soil

It doesn't take much collected moss to spread enough spores throughout the top dressing to allow it to propogate. We've currently been using it to cover our fertilizer cakes to ensure those both break down and are less of an eye-sore to visitors

 

[rockm]

I’ve heard Ryan Neil and others recommend that if you’re going to use collected moss, it needs to be local so that it is adapted to your climate and will survive. Otherwise, use sphagnum etc.

If I decide to collect this moss featured below (from my street), is there anything I need to do to it to prep it before application? Is it still better to just grow your own (for better aerobic purposes)?
View attachment 527449
View attachment 527450

Is this “quality” moss? I have only one potted tree thus far in akadama, pumice, LR, and have considered applying it:
View attachment 527451
Potted this last week to stay this size at is matures. Is it best to grow moss given my circumstances? Why or why not?

FWIW, don't get hung up on moss. At best it's a hassle and at worst it's a useless pain in the ass. Moss is a TEMPORARY thing in a bonsai pot. It's not worth actively cultivating for the most part, IMO, since caring for it takes away from caring for the tree underneath it (the care for both isn't the same and one can be detrimental to the other) Even if you get it established on the soil surface, it will wax and wane with the seasons, available moisture, fertilizer, even water hardness, going from green to brown and crispy. It does nothing for the tree, really, despite what many will say.

At it's worst, it can block or re-route drainage if it dries out and becomes impervious to overhead watering, it can die off all at once (from strong fertilizer application, a repositing of the pot into more direct and strong sun) rot and clog soil. It attracts birds constantly who dig up soil underneath as they flip off moss sheets looking for grubs and worms.

Even what you find locally IS NOT what will grow in your pot, as the location on the ground/sidewalk, parking lot, whatever, is not the surface of the soil in your bonsai pot. Such collected moss has a better chance at survival than the rip-off packets of "kyoto moss" sold at bonsai rip off stores, but it's still not foolproof. The best moss to grow in your pot is moss that establishes itself. It can eventually. Takes some patience and knowledge of how to set up the soil to allow it and not kill your tree.

Also, FWIW, moss is used in Japan mostly for exhibition preparation. It's arranged a few months before a show on bare soil. It takes some skill to make it look natural. After the show, it is stripped off and not replaced. It's seen as an accent plant.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

It's in a relatively tiny pot with coarse soil, so moss would be a good one.
However, it can take a couple years before the moss takes hold.

I try to get mosses from places that are similar to my soil components, so everything growing on rocks is good. Everything else will not live.

Keep in mind that bird nesting season is near, so protecting the moss from birds could be a good idea. I have a bunch of galvanized iron mesh / chicken mesh that I cut to the size of a pot and it works like a charm.

Will you share a photo of this and how it is applied? I am curious

 

[Bonsai Forest]

It's in a relatively tiny pot with coarse soil, so moss would be a good one.
However, it can take a couple years before the moss takes hold.

I try to get mosses from places that are similar to my soil components, so everything growing on rocks is good. Everything else will not live.

Keep in mind that bird nesting season is near, so protecting the moss from birds could be a good idea. I have a bunch of galvanized iron mesh / chicken mesh that I cut to the size of a pot and it works like a charm.

I’ve noticed moss on rocks and even drainage ditches in the area.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

If you plan to directly top dress with collected moss, it is very challenging to do with moss that is growing on an organic surface. I’ve found it much easier to do so with moss from solid aggregate surfaces, like a sidewalk or retaining wall. If you plan to cultivate moss on the surface, as in the top dressing creation video on Mirai, this could be easily used for that.

If you want to use this moss straight up, I’m not sure of a way to prepare it to integrate with the soil system, but I’d check out Ryan’s top dressing video.

I’m not a member of Mirai and have not found video content yet. Do you have a link to share (if it’s free and available content)

 

[ZombieNick]

Here's how we handle it at the national arboretum:

• Peel up sheets/chunks of moss from where it's growing (there's a spot we like to curate a little bit)
• scrape the dirt from the bottom of each sheet/chunk
• Grate sphagnum through a coarse soil screen, sift out dust with the finest soil screen
• Grate collected moss through coarse soil screen, sift out dust through finest soil screen
• combine the two, mix, and apply to soil

It doesn't take much collected moss to spread enough spores throughout the top dressing to allow it to propogate. We've currently been using it to cover our fertilizer cakes to ensure those both break down and are less of an eye-sore to visitors

This is probably the best way to get it to actually propagate in the pot, if you are trying to maintain it year round. I've personally only mossed a tree right before a show. In that case, I have had success just cleaning the moss of debris and plopping it right on the soil.

 

[Colorado]

I’m not a member of Mirai and have not found video content yet. Do you have a link to share (if it’s free and available content)

It’s really easy. Just grind up the collected moss with your fingers, sifting screen, scissors, whatever. It doesn’t matter.

You can use that by itself as a top dressing, or you can mix it with ground up spaghnum if you want to make the collected moss go further. Again, it doesn’t really matter. I prefer to not add any spaghnum or very little since my climate is very dry and kind of tough to get moss established.

I find that it’s very beneficial for the tree. It helps keep the top of the soil from drying out too fast. Some will say that it’s detrimental to the tree but I’ve never had that experience. The key is to use the right types of moss. You may have to experiment with different types of locally available moss because some are not compatible with bonsai. But some types work great! Plus, it looks awesome!

 

[Wulfskaar]

I find that it’s very beneficial for the tree. It helps keep the top of the soil from drying out too fast.

I think, for those of us in very dry areas, this is could be good for some trees.

Personally, I like the way moss looks and feels. It can definitely add to the illusion of a miniaturized tree because it can look like grass.

I have had little success with moss so far, but I've just been scraping it out of my yard and plopping it on top of my tree soil. I might try the grinding-n-mixing process to see what happens.

 

[Colorado]

I think the grinding method is better long term than the “direct transplant” method where you just plop a piece directly from the ground onto the bonsai soil. I’ve had mixed success with the direct method.

However, if you do use that direct transplant method, it helps a ton to soak the moss in a bowl of water for a couple minutes before you apply. This helps to knock off the dirt/muck on the bottom of the moss and also makes it soooo much easier to stick on there and stay in place!

 

[Colorado]

Moss pics got me dreaming of spring

 

[Hartinez]

This one is a little more involved. I don’t personally dye mine with ink.

 

[pandacular]

I’m not a member of Mirai and have not found video content yet. Do you have a link to share (if it’s free and available content)

I'll send you a DM with my notes, which includes some pictures of my attempts ate dying. Dying is optional, but I think it looks nicer. The videos that @Hartinez shared are also good and the second one is quite similar to the Mirai video.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

I'll send you a DM with my notes, which includes some pictures of my attempts ate dying. Dying is optional, but I think it looks nicer. The videos that @Hartinez shared are also good and the second one is quite similar to the Mirai video.

Much appreciated. That was very detailed. I think I remember Ryan addressing loss of percolation on a larch and discussed dying sphagnum with grey ink as he applied it at the end of the demo on the tree.

I saved it and will be using what you sent me Your note on wet vs dry being similar is interesting. Do you basically “eyeball” it until it’s roughly the correct color?

I sprayed some of my moss and then brushed some dirt off the other portion and shredded it with my fingers (until I get a grinder or screen?) and move forward with the next phase.






I’m just happy to find moss at all

 

[Bonsai Nut]

There are lots and lots of mosses out there. Try to get moss that grows in the sun, versus moss that you collect from the shade.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

There are lots and lots of mosses out there. Try to get moss that grows in the sun, versus moss that you collect from the shade.

Will do

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Will do

My best moss came from a crack in a sidewalk outside of a carwash in Gardena... outside of Chikugo-En Bonsai Nursery. Full Southern California sun - all day every day - no shade. I guess they were using very good water at the car wash, because it would run down the drive into the gutter - and there was beautiful green moss everywhere.

And for the record... if you want to grow moss the keys are soft, slightly acidic water (rainwater is best) and organic soil. Create a small grow tray of organic soil, take your moss and some soft water and put it in a blender and blend it, spread over your soil, and then put a humidity dome over it until the moss is starting to grow (making sure not to bake your moss). When you have a full sheet of moss, you can use as you wish.

 

[SgtPilko]

How about moss being useful for suppression of weeds, is that a thing? My pots get full of persistent oxalis, grasses, clovers etc, feels like it could help.

I have moss on some trees, not all. Sometimes it grows spontaneously on my pots with akadama or kanuma, but rarely the entire surface.