Moss Box: July 2022 creation – Bonsai facere est

I’ve only managed to grow decent moss on one tree, which honestly feels like a fluke. I think it’s the Aussie summers, which just dry out anything not in deepest shade. Instead, I either use ground covers (which I assume compete for nutrients in the pot), leave the bare stone showing, or sometimes added a light cover like sand or pumice (which tends to wash off). But moss eludes me. But maybe I found an alternative.

I was getting some fresh air at a random picnic spot when I noticed many clumps of moss growing along the parking lot.

These turned out to be quite easy to pluck out of the ground:

I came around later with an actual spatula… the key ring tool is just what I had on the first visit.

Small little mounds that kind of hang together.

I left behind small patches that I’m sure will regrow fairly rapidly.

These end up being about 1cm worth of moss in a shallow layer of dirt. I took them home, removed any moss bits, dusted of the dirt layer, and then laid them on some of my pots.

Some examples:

But I’d like to have a more convenient (and cleaner) source for the moss. I know moss farms are a thing, so I grabbed a semi-clear box, and made one.

Step 1: Create a substrate layer of rocks for maximum drainage. In my case, scoria and stones I have handy

Step 2: add screening to protect the drainage layer

Step 3: add a fine surface layer for the moss to grow in. This is 2mm diatomite; sand is an alternative. The rocks are just to hold the screen down.

Moss Box: July 2022 creation — Step 5: add Water. I sprayed until the surface was damp. I’m not sure if this is enough, so I’ll keep adding more until there’s a good condensation cycle going.

That’s it. I’ll put it outside in a semi-shaded space, and see how it goes. This experiment will be successful if the moss spreads noticeably into the un-mossed areas.