AusBonsai

Hi all,

After several failed attempts to transplant moss onto my bonsai, I'm turning to you to help me out

What kind of moss is fairly easy to grow and maintain on a PJ Fig, grown predominately indoors (by window-side) in Brisbane climate?

Our local bonsai grower also doesn't sell moss, so I've turned to Ebay and am wondering what everyone thinks of buying seeds or ready-made patches from there? (Scleranthus biflorus, Terrarium Vivarium, parsely moss are the ones on there atm)

Cheers!

Hi Emoska
Best way to grow moss is to sprinkle powered milk on to it,

Powdered milk, hey? Hmmmm, I might give it a shot. I tried beer last time on a tip-off but it killed the moss.

I'll still need to find some moss to begin with though... any ideas if Ebay moss is worthwhile?

mix ur old dead moss witnh yoghurt and spread it on a damp shaded wall. heard this does the trick. then just scrape the moss off once its ready

Look for Moss that is growing in your area in the shaded side of buildings and paving stones. Collect it and the pass it though a fine seive.
Then spread that out on a damp surface, then mist it. What grows up a wall, will not grow flat and what grows flat will not grow up a wall. Mix the powdered milk in water and spray.

Cheers Pup

I only use moss on trees that will be in a show or that i want my family to see or that like alot of water e.g. swampy or elms don't mind a bit extra water i don't usally put it on my figs because they are nearly in full sun but you could put wet spagnum moss down before you put the moss on then press it down so you sort of squish it just spray it with a bit water every day. But considering you are in Brisbane just leave your plants out in the rain after you have placed the moss on thats what i did a few weeks ago when we got the rain and i live on the Gold Coast and they took straight away.

Hope this makes sense

Beaumatsu

i would watch puttin your bonsai close toa window as it intensifies the sun and can burn but yeah for more help with moss place your tree ina tray of water as moss really needs moisture to survive

Do not put your tree in a tray of water unless you wish to drown it. Moss will survive on the moist soil on the surface.

Cheers Pup

What Pup said, dont put it in the water.


Drowning it will not get moss to grow any quicker or easier

make sure you clean all the dirt/sand from under the collected moss, moisten the moss and the surface of the bonsai, make sure it is not too gravelly as the moss will not take well to gravel (cover with a light layer of smagnum moss, finely chopped) make sure moss has good contact with surface, I use a staple made from wire to hold it in place. and keep moist. WARNING: make sure you do not over water your bonsai, because you want good looking moss.

chris

not sure if i beleive that moss growing up a wall wont grow flat. i have taken a lot of moss off walls and used it and i have never lost any moss yet

Thanks everyone for all the great information

I'll have to try collecting some more moss and mixing it with powdered milk, which I have yet to try! The problem I've constantly run into is that I can usually find enough moss but it doesn't cling to the soil and just dies. Is this where mixing with powedered milk comes in?

Also, just to let people know, I'm fairly confident that my bonsai is safe windowside as the window is open during the say and only closes at night time

astroboy76 wrote:not sure if i beleive that moss growing up a wall wont grow flat. i have taken a lot of moss off walls and used it and i have never lost any moss yet

After two years that is a positive eh.

Pup wrote:

astroboy76 wrote:not sure if i beleive that moss growing up a wall wont grow flat. i have taken a lot of moss off walls and used it and i have never lost any moss yet

After two years that is a positive eh.

Not sure if I'm just confused, but I have seen moss grow on a flat, then grow up an incline to vertical. I know there are types of moss that will only grow on flat and there are types of moss that will only grow on vertical, but then there are types which will grow on both. Just from what I have observed.