moss?

peanuts1gang

i planted some fujiyama moss couple days ago and was wondering if this is it or are these weeds? i had the tree in the pot in my garden for a while, then weeds could have blown in there but i dont know

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RedPine

Hi,

Your shadow is blocking to much light so it is hard to see whats going on in there but it looks like little pigweeds.

Joanie

Moss never gets leaves, it will look like very soft green fuzz. You might want to mist the surface often, it likes moisture, but don't keep your tree too wet.

Joanie

peanuts1gang

soo how much should i mist the surface each day?

Joanie

Keep it damp...Did you read the article on moss? It's really helpful! Search the "article" forum for moss. Also, Will has posted on his special moss recipe. Moss spores and beer.....

I like to keep it damp and shaded, maybe shade the pot with shards of pots or something.

Good luck!

Joanie

Will_Heath

Yes Joanie, however for moss that is already growing, take one 40 ounce beer of your choice, mix 1/3 to 2/3 water in your mister, add 1/2 tablespoon of fish emulsion per gallon and use that to spray the moss. Do not waste, drink the remaining beer.

Remember moss gets all it nutrients from the air, the "roots" are simple there to hold it in place. Moss seems to love the yeast, hops, barley, etc in beer. I have had much better success with beer than buttermilk, besides, who can drink butter milk?


Will

rockm

Moss takes alot longer than a couple of days to grow. If you're using the packaged (and practically worthless) Fujiyama spores, don't expect too much. You wil have more success concentrating on soil and moisture requirements that moss likes and waiting for it to appear voluntarily.

The local moss varieties will be much hardier and easier to grow than anything you can buy. Gerenally the fine, smooth "pincushion" mosses, leucobyrum (I think) are what you're after. These can be found on cracks on sidewalks and a variety of brightly lit, well drained areas. Scraping patches of these up can be alot less expensive and alot more successful than purchased spores.

Also cultivating moss should be done in containers separate from the tree. The moss should be grown and transplanted, as the constantly wet to damp germination requirements of the moss spores can damage bonsai roots.

The yogurt/beer preparations make a big smelly mess in the summer and aren't really necessary.

A friend of mine cultivates moss like this--Find local moss, get local topsoil. press moss into the top soil in a shallow rectangular pot.-which drains. Water. Cover with plastic wrap, with corner turner up. Leave in open shade for a couple of weeks. Make sure the container isn't in direct sun.

Will_Heath

Moss without beer? Blasphemy!

Besides, what would you drink?



Will