moss

TreeBay

Many growers have a love/hate relationship with moss. *A nice, green carpet of moss is certainly attractive, but when it grows up onto the trunks of your tree and starts to nourish itself on that aged bark, or it obstructs the diffusion of air into the soil, it can create problems.

Moss can be difficult to maintain, and the health of the moss can go somewhat against that of the tree:

It was Tony, I believe, who pointed out earlier this week that it is very difficult to maintain moss on indoor bonsai. *The moss is usually transferred to trees a few weeks before they are displayed. *You will need a high humidity environment.

You can collect mosses and lichens and transfer them to your tree. *Use a small spackling trowel to undercut the moss. *It can be stored for a couple weeks between layers of damp newspaper. *I find my best mosses in some corporate business parks that are irrigated by sprinklers. *The stuff grows in the sidewalks or at the curbside. * Good moss for bonsai are the fine textured "silvertip" type moss that you find in sunny areas, not the green ropy moss that grows in heavy shade.

TreeBay Bonsai Tools & Supplies sells moss spores which can be started outdoors or grown directly on the bonsai soil. *Moss can be cultivated in nursery flats or outdoors on well-aged bricks or concrete pavers. *Sowing the moss spores or grinding up a bit of a dry sample of desirable moss and painting it on the brick with a slurry of buttermilk, spoiled milk or yogurt can get you started. *Place it in partial shade and remember, *the moss mix will need to be watered regularly until it takes hold.

Regards,

Matt

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