Tips on Moss and when it can help?

[Anthony_Jamez12]

I know moss can be a big topic of discussion, but does anyone have any general rule-of-thumb tips for using it effectively? I've been watching some videos about using moss in bonsai care, and I want to see the best ways to use it. From what I've learned, moss can help retain moisture for longer periods, but in some cases, it can also repel water if the moss is too moist or something.

1. Do certain types of moss affect plants differently? Are some better for moisture retention while others might cause issues?
2. Do certain trees prefer moss more than others? I’ve heard that some trees thrive with moss, while others might not benefit as much.
3. Is moss a good choice for summer? Will it help prevent soil from drying out too fast, or could it cause other problems in hot weather?
4. How do you keep moss healthy? Any tips on maintaining it, especially in different seasons?

Any tips would be great. Sorry if this question has been answered here before, I looked briefly but didn't see anything.

 

[just.wing.it]

Once I tried something that I learned from a Ryan Neil video, and it worked decently well. He uses a soil screen to grind up sphagnum moss and live moss and mixes them together. The broken up pieces of live moss grow on the wet sphagnum moss, and it makes a really nice layer eventually.
I didn't document this process at all, but it did work for me when I tried it. The problem is that you need a spot to collect a large amount of a desirable live moss.
I happen to have a patch of moss behind my house, it's not the super-fine, really nice stuff, but its decent.
I might try again this year.

 

[Gabler]

Once I tried something that I learned from a Ryan Neil video, and it worked decently well. He uses a soil screen to grind up sphagnum moss and live moss and mixes them together. The broken up pieces of live moss grow on the wet sphagnum moss, and it makes a really nice layer eventually.
I didn't document this process at all, but it did work for me when I tried it. The problem is that you need a spot to collect a large amount of a desirable live moss.
I happen to have a patch of moss behind my house, it's not the super-fine, really nice stuff, but its decent.
I might try again this year.

I was about to recommend the same.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Some thoughts from experience.

Subbing yamagoke for spaghnum will give markedly better results. Only yamagoke miss even better, giving a velvet like growth. It is living unlike spaghnum.

Soaking spaghnum well and fine chopping it will save an awful lot of time.

Tucking into media will give best results.

One wants the fine mosses that grow on concrete. Not Irish moss which develops deep roots and it’s ver hard to eradicate.

Most trees appreciate hanging a micas barrier. It slows the rapid evaporation, cutting down watering. Can’t think of many that don’t respond well to this treatment. All our many species like it.

Moss is harder to keep alive during the summer in hot areas, If you are in the Houston Club, look up Dr Chuah @Chuah and ask him to give you some pointers from his many years of experience in the area.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Gabler]

I should mention that I use a blender instead of a screen for the sphagnum moss. Less work that way.

 

[Anthony_Jamez12]

​

Thank y'all for the advice! It really helps.

@just.wing.it I'll have to check out Ryan Neil's video, he sound's like the man. LOL

@DeepSeaDiver I got a flyer for the Houston Club, but I havn't joined it yet, but maybe I'll do that this weekend, and I'll be sure to hit hum up.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

The Houston club is well worth your time

btw Dr Ho (Chuah) is very approachable and well known. He’s a good guy to know

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[pandacular]

Up here in the PNW, we almost have to work not to grow moss—I’ve mostly stopped inoculating my top dressing with spores of collected moss, as it doesn’t make a huge difference.

One thing I found interesting at my teachers is that he only top dresses the new surface soil on the root ball. On an old, established rootball, the surface roots are touched very little, and left undressed to aid in determining watering needs. The outside of the pot where the roots were cut gets top dressed.

Here’s a photo of a corylopsis I potted up this last weekend. Note the dark, solid soil near the base without top dressing.

 

[Anthony_Jamez12]

@Deep Sea Driver You'r totally right though, in the sense of joining the Houston Club, just being around people who know what their doing, really sky rockets your skills, not just in, you know moss, but like in anything field, and you just learn way quicker. I needed that little push.

 

[Anthony_Jamez12]

@pandacular That makes a lot of sense. Leaving the surface roots exposed as a watering guide is a great tip, but what specifically would I look for in the surface roots to see if the tree needs water or not? Like the firmness or color of the surface roots?

 

[August44]

I have watched a friend that is new to this. I took him out collecting last year. He's been reading up on things and he used big moss pieces he picked off of rocks in the mountain. The trees were very healthy and of good color. Guess who' going to do that this year. Moss is free.

 

[Anthony_Jamez12]

You! Haha! On a side note, I have a lot of family in Oregon and Washington—such beautiful scenery. When I was little, we used to go to this place and pick out geode rocks. There were so many cool things to explore up there, and if I’m remembering right, even some interesting Native American artifacts.

 

[pandacular]

I have watched a friend that is new to this. I took him out collecting last year. He's been reading up on things and he used big moss pieces he picked off of rocks in the mountain. The trees were very healthy and of good color. Guess who' going to do that this year. Moss is free.

This works quite well, and is an option for nice moss. Around here, we can get it off of any shady driveway.

Just make sure you don’t have much or any dirt on the bottom, as I’ve seen that really muck up a root system over time.

 

[Wulfskaar]

I am still not able to get moss to grow.

I've tried scraping it with the dirt it's on and just laying it down. It eventually died. Also tried to chop and mix with sphagnum, but the moss never grew.

I did notice a different type of moss growing in my yard this year. It's more yellowy colored, but it's thicker than the usual moss here. I will probably try that moss instead.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

My plants soil needs to be undisturbed for a year after repotting for moss to take hold spontaneously.
In all other situations, I need high fungal activity in the soil for it to stick.
If these parameters aren't met, the moss will not grow.
If they are met, even prolonged sunlight and drought don't kill it.

I'm experimenting with yeast extract to see if it can feed both the soil and the moss. Results are still pending.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

In my yard it grows naturally and the spores migrate to my bonsai. So over a growing season a bare soil will just grow a mossy surface. Parts of my driveway also grow moss so when I need to do a quick coverup I just run a wide spackle knife under a big patch and trasfer it to the pot. In those cases I usually lay down a layer of ground sphagnum to provide a good moist base layer as my coarse inorganic soil surface will tend to dry it out. In the long run though the moss layer helps reduce evaporation from the surface layer. Dry moss can be hydrophobic and will shed water until it gets moistened, so I usually give it a good spray to moisten it then come back in a few minutes for a deep watering. All of the moss and ferns in the images below just volunteered.