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I use two different techniques for cultivating moss which I will call the "paste" and the "tray" techniques. The paste technique is my preferred method and the one I use the most often. When there is not enough moss to use this technique with, as in the case of a small piece of Vance Wood's silver moss I acquired, I will use the tray technique.

For the purposes of this article I will do both techniques side by side so you can get an idea of the differences.

When I collect moss, I place it in a sunny spot and let it dry out some, not completely but enough to be come easy to crumble and cut.

Traying it

I take a shallow container with small drainage holes and put an inch of fines or sand into the bottom and mist it until it is damp. I then take my moss and mince it very fine with a razor blade and then sprinkle it evenly on the surface of the sand or fines. I then mist again and put in a dappled shade spot being sure that the top never completely dries out. It will usually require misting once a day. In two weeks time the entire surface will be green and shortly there after you will have a perfect sheet of moss. I have grown the moss in it's original container for over a year and it is a handy way to keep moss ready. The main draw back is that the sheet is always some what uneven, which if you are using pieces when applying, is not a big problem.

Pasting it

This is a method that I have described here before. I collect moss and let dry slightly as mentioned above. I then use a blender dedicated to this use only and add beer (some people use butter milk or water) and blend until I have a paste with the consistently of mortar. I then place a brick into a tray without drainage holes and fill the container with water, the brick acts like a wick constantly drawing water up. I spread the paste on top of the brick and mist daily. This technique will allow you to take perfect sheets off of the brick easily, whenever you need them.

The past can also be used on your rocks in your shade garden, the moss will grow as long as it is keep moist. I have seen garden benches, walls, and statues covered and decorated with moss using this technique.

1) Empty trays and brick ready for use. The tray on the left has had drainage holes punched in the bottom.

2) The trays ready for moss. The one on the left ready for the traying technique and the one on the right ready for paste.

3) Moss chopped and ready for "traying."

4) Moss in blender ready to be blended.

5) Moss in blender ready to be applied.

Will