Grow Moss - Growing Moss Plant - Kyoto Moss

Kyoto Moss Spores $4.75

Moss is a useful tool in bonsai. A lush bed of moss on top of your bonsai pot will add lush greenery around the base of the trunk, keep soil from eroding out of the planter when watering from above and will help to keep moisture in the soil.

We are often asked, "How do I take care of moss?" Moss care is quite easy, requiring moisture and no chemical fertilizer to be used , moss grows in acidic, infertile soil and must be given the proper environment such as a shady, fairly moist location.

When growing moss in bonsai, you must add a thin layer of topsoil and plant your moss on top of the soil. Most professional bonsai soil is too course and the particles are very large and do not hold enough moisture and humidity to support moss life without adding some fresh top-soil. Your moss' survival and growth will depend upon factors such as moisture levels and soil composition.

HINT: When first attempting to grow moss, some care should be taken. After applying kyoto moss spores or collected moss to the soil of a bonsai, we mist the soil taking care not to spray off the spores then wrap the pot and soil in plastic wrap to keep in moisture, humidity and the moss spores while still allowing some sun-light to shine through.

Make a hole in the plastic wrap on the bottom side of the pot to allow water to soak in (water by setting pot in a basin with water just under soil height) and also to allow water to drain out from the drain holes. This watering method will keep spores from being washed off the top of the soil.

When you are using a soil with organic matter in it, it will hold moisture and the plastic wrap will hold in moisture so do not water until necessary. Keeping the soil constantly wet will cause root rot and fungus to develop. Keep your bonsai watered as you normally would. Generally, most plants should be allowed to dry slightly before watering again. Your main concern is to keep the area immediately around the moss spores warm, moist and out of direct sunlight. If necessary you can peel the plastic away from the bark of the bonsai and lightly mist the area instead of basin watering and then replace the plastic wrap to keep the moisture and humidity inside.

Kyoto moss spores sprout relatively quickly when kept moist and out of direct sunlight. Kyoto is the type we use and recommend from first-hand experience. You should begin to see the green color appearing as soon as two to three weeks.

Many mosses are not fast growers and will take one or two seasons to begin to flourish and thicken. When using collected moss, remove as much of the original soil as possible, collected moss comes with collected bugs and collected weeds! It is not suggested to place freshly collected 'found' moss on your bonsai soil. It is a better idea to use the 'found' moss and start your own moss from the collected moss spores in a more sterile soil environment for the safety of your bonsai.

When moss grows and begins its reproduction cycle, a small sprout will appear with a small round head, don't mistake this for grass or weeds. As the spore matures the head burst allowing the moss spores to fall to the soil where they begin to grow (under the right conditions) and the cycle repeats. This is why some of the suggestions for 'mossing an object' call for rubbing the green moss side against the item you desire to become 'mossed', to transfer the microscopic moss spores to the new host.

You can grow the moss spores separately - use a page of newspaper and apply a thin layer of peat on top, then add the moss spores on top. Keep the moss moist and out of direct sunlight. Transfer the moss to your pot when it is established. HINT: We use plastic seed starter trays which come with clear plastic tops to keep moisture and humidity inside while still allowing in some sun-light.

Moss actually prefer acidic soil with a pH of approximately 5.5. You can occasionally feed your moss to keep it thriving when used in a bonsai. Moss appreciate a light sprinkling of worm castings or an occasional misting of nice, stinky fish emulsion. You could make a manure tea if you desire! These organic products are safe for your bonsai. Mist your moss to create additional humidity.

There are a couple of products you might find in your refridgerator you can use on your moss: buttermilk, yogurt and beer. Both buttermilk and beer (even the warm leftovers) can be gently applied to the moss for a quick pick me up, this method is not recommended for pouring into bonsai soil.

How to Moss a ceramic (unpainted and unglazed) pot, rock, statue or garden object.

If you want to enhance the appearance of a garden, adding moss can be just the ticket. Many gardeners incorporate moss to give the appearance of age and serenity to thier gardens.

If you are using collected moss, rinse the dirt side and remove as much of the dirt as you can. Collected moss tends to come with collected insects and collected weeds in the soil along with the moss.

To moss an object - Clean your item you wish to moss, If you cannot soak the item, at least give it a good rinsing. Soak your object in water (if possible) till it is thoroughly moist then using a small paint brush apply plain yogurt, buttermilk, manure tea, worm casting tea, or deluted fish emulsion to the object. If using collected moss you can take a section of moss and rub the mossy side against the object, transferring the moss spores. If your using packaged moss spores, sprinkle lightly and sparingly, moss will spread filling in the blank areas over time. Be careful to mist and not use a hard water spray, keep freshly mossed objects away from sprinklers. keep your object in a cool, moist, shady spot for moss to begin to develop. Within two months to a year moss should be growing on the object.

Moss Growing-Moss Recipes

If you don't mind blending products such as moss to manure in your blender.... here are some recipes to increase the spread. If you don't want to ruin your blender, you can still use the recipes, just apply some elbow grease ! I purchased a cheap, used blender at my neighbors yard sale to use just for my moss milkshakes!

As previously stated, you will need to keep mossed items in a shady, moist area until it is established no matter which recipe you decide to use. Collected moss or moss spores will work in the following recipes. These recipes are not suggested for pouring over bonsai soil, these recipes are for mossing objects in your yard or garden.

1. Mix moss , mud, leaf mold and manure in a blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Add a small amount of beer or yogurt or buttermilk to make your mixture slightly soupy in thickness. Pour over or paint on to the object you wish to moss.

2. Mix moss, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1 can of beer or 12 oz. of buttermilk in a blender, blend long enough to mix the ingredients and break the moss apart. Spread this mixture on objects to be mossed.

3. Mix moss (approx. 2 cups fresh collected or 2 - 3 pkgs of spores), 1 quart of buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon of corn syrup and 1 cup of beer in a blender, blend until smooth. Add more beer to thin the mixture, more moss to thicken. Pour or paint the mixture over the object to be mossed.

Send us your moss recipe and we'll add it to our list. If you have a nice picture you would like to share, send it to us and we may post it here.

Where To Buy Moss

Kyoto Moss Spores $4.75

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