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Originally Posted by EarthgirlOK
Will;
Three questions;
1. Is this a waste of time in the fall?
2. Do you know how long the moss can be dry before the spores aren't viable anymore? Meaning, if I collected a variety of moss but don't want to do the cultivation until March, is that possible?
3. Can this same thing or similar be done with lichen?
Thanks, Michelle
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1) No not at all, as long as the moss spores are there they will take when the conditions are right. Sometimes this takes awhile. I received a piece of moss from Vance Wood at our show in May. He has a moss that has silver tips that is absolutely beautiful and he was kind enough to give me a piece. I took this home and prepared a tray, cut it into very fine pieces and sprinkled it on the soil surface of the tray. It is just now starting to "green up." I never over protect or do anything special to my moss over winter that I do not do to my bonsai.
2) I have never completely dried my moss so I do not know. I do take my sphagnum moss and other fresh mosses and place them in a clear plastic bag with a few holes poked in it and fold the top underneath. I place these bags under my deck next to the lattice work where they still receive dappled light. I have found that they keep relatively fresh and living throughout the year like this.
3) lichen is different, the minute you touch it with your fingers you throw off the PH balance. I find it is better to take a pair of tweezers or a scalpel with a small Tupperware container that have all been cleaned very well with me when I collect lichen. I scape or pluck lichen from the area, place it into the Tupperware and then carefully, using the tweezers or scalpel, place it on the bark. I place pieces in the crevices or cracks in the bark, it will spread on it's own.
I hope this helps and please remember that I speak from my personal experience only, product may settle during shipping, do not remove tag under penalty of law, results may vary depending on climate, growing conditions, and the intelligence of the user.
Will Heath