I would like to plant Irish Moss in-between pieces of flagstone. Any secrets to growing moss in hot/dry New Mexico? Thanks!

[Firstflush]

I'll look into this. Thank you.

Is was “stars” not starts I sure you saw. Typo.
We had a display with it at the nursery used as a ground cover around taller ornamentals. We would mash with our hands and stand on it. It sold itself.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Use cholla instead. It will keep unwanted visitors out of your garden. Cylindropuntia sp.

 

[rollwithak]

You need to collect moss from a site similar to your patio's exposure. Moss grows where it can out-complete other greenery that can grow under the same sun/climate/water supply conditions. That means a very thin soil layer, like where soil has washed onto the pavement at the edges of parking lots. Taller plants can't grow in such thin substrates, and the seeds that can root in good moss sites die pretty quickIy when it dries out. Moss needs a little more moisture than is typically available in such a situation, too, so look for a location that is at the bottom of a slight slope, like the edges of a parking lot. Moss needs some shade, too, so a site adjacent to a fence, building, line of trees, or anything else that runs north to south which provides half day shade is necessary. East to west doesn't work because the south side is too sunny and the north side is sunless.

So, on either side of a north/south fence where soil has washed onto the pavement that is pitched to the edge of a parking lot of a closed factory where the lot has not been maintained, especially not snow-plowed for a number of years is the creme de la creme site.

So, expecting to maintain any type of moss growth in my extremely hot summers here in central California is probably a moot point? There aren’t any local mosses to my knowledge that thrive through 115 weather here. I wanted to find a miss that would help keep moisture in but not finding anything that looks possible.

 

[rockm]

So, expecting to maintain any type of moss growth in my extremely hot summers here in central California is probably a moot point? There aren’t any local mosses to my knowledge that thrive through 115 weather here. I wanted to find a miss that would help keep moisture in but not finding anything that looks possible.

It's unrealistic. Moss is always temporary. Moss here in the east, where it's wetter and relatively cooler (although 110s occasionally happen here). The bryum species of moss which is best for bonsai and can be collected from places such as gaps in the sidewalk, dries up in August here and turns crispy. It comes back in the fall as weather cools and rain comes.

If you're looking for native mosses that can tolerate the heat, best thing to do is to go out looking for it when it's hot. Most mosses will have closed up shop and gone dormant, but there might be some that are active. Won't know unless you look.

 

[rollwithak]

It's unrealistic. Moss is always temporary. Moss here in the east, where it's wetter and relatively cooler (although 110s occasionally happen here). The bryum species of moss which is best for bonsai and can be collected from places such as gaps in the sidewalk, dries up in August here and turns crispy. It comes back in the fall as weather cools and rain comes.

If you're looking for native mosses that can tolerate the heat, best thing to do is to go out looking for it when it's hot. Most mosses will have closed up shop and gone dormant, but there might be some that are active. Won't know unless you look.

That was my suspicion. Might want to just add some more organics to my soils for summer. Thanks brutha

 

[Japonicus]

that would help keep moisture in but not finding anything that looks possible.

Somebody once suggested a soaked towel to put over the soil.
Maybe a dark green kitchen towel doubled over and soaked.
It would certainly delay drying out and block UV penetration, but this is for a minimalist, not 100 pots.
Then when you want to display the bonsai, remove the towel, as well as night time to breathe.