When walking barefoot in the forest, you may have felt the soft and slippery moss on the soles of your feet. Moss is very suitable to be placed in yards and gardens because it can retain moisture and does not need to be trimmed like grass. You can also spread moss on fences, foundations, or rocks to give it a forest feel. To grow moss, you just need to work hard at first, then let it grow on its own and live for years.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Planting Moss in the Yard
Step 1. Collect the moss pads in the yard or buy them at the nursery
If there is already moss in the yard, use a kape (a putty knife) to gently scrape off the layer of moss and pry it off the soil. If you can't find moss around the house, buy moss at the nursery.
- You can use acrocarpous (standing upright) moss, or moss that hangs long and looks like hair.
- Alternatively, you can plant a pleurocarpous (creeping) moss, which is a moss that grows short and spreads horizontally.
- Moss doesn't have a root system so it won't disturb anything in the soil.
Step 2. Choose a damp area of the yard with minimal drainage
Moss does not require complicated requirements, but will thrive in wet conditions. Choose an area of the yard that gets waterlogged when it rains heavily, for example at the bottom of a mound.
- Moss can help improve drainage in the yard.
- Moss does not have a root system so it grows easily on rocky soil (where grass cannot grow).
Step 3. Choose a shaded area
Most species of moss do not grow well in direct sunlight because these plants need moisture. Check the yard and look for a place that is not exposed to direct sunlight, such as under a tree or on the side of a house.
There are several types of moss that do well in direct sunlight, but they are rare
Step 4. Test the soil to make sure the pH is between 5 and 6
Use a soil test strip to determine the pH level. Moss likes acidic soil with a pH of 5 to 6. Based on your test results, you may need to lower or increase the pH of your soil.
- If the moss is going to be planted on the ground or a flat surface, make sure you have leveled and smoothed the surface. Unlike grass, cracks or small holes in the soil or planting area will still be visible if you plant moss.
- To increase the pH level, add agricultural lime to the soil.
- To lower the pH level, add sulfur, ferrous sulfate, aluminum sulfate, or mulch.
Step 5. Press the moss pad into the soil
Remove any leaves or debris from the planting area, then gently level the soil until it is smooth and even. With your hands, press the moss on the desired area firmly. This pressure will stick the moss to the soil surface.
You can place moss on the rocks, but most of the moss pad should still be stuck to the ground
Step 6. Water the moss daily for the first 3 weeks to encourage growth
Use a spray with a very fine nozzle (similar to mist) to wet the moss (water pressure can directly damage the moss). Alternatively, you can use a gentle watering system to keep the moss wet constantly.
- If the moss looks dark green or grows unevenly, you may have overwatered it.
- You can reduce watering after a month or so has passed, but the moss should always be damp if possible.
- A sign that the moss is alive and well is if the moss doesn't move when you pull it.
Step 7. Remove weeds around the moss to make it thrive
Weeds (especially grasses) can rob the moisture around the moss and make it dry and brittle. If there are weeds around the moss, remove them along with the roots. Supervise the moss planting area at all times so that the moss has sufficient space to grow and thrive.
- Moss cannot kill weeds and grass. Moss will only cover the soil where it grows.
- Moss can spread quickly in a yard or garden, especially when there is nothing above the ground. If the moss grows out of control, remove the unwanted moss to stop the growth.
Method 2 of 2: Planting Moss on a Vertical Surface
Step 1. Get moss from outdoors or nursery
Use a cloth to pick up moss on the ground or on anything vertical, such as walls and fences. Try looking for pleurocarpus mosses, or mosses that grow short and can live in a horizontal pattern.
Other types of moss usually hang long and do not grow well on vertical surfaces
Step 2. Put 500 ml of water and 500 ml of buttermilk (fermented milk) in a blender
Buttermilk is acidic and sticky so it is perfect for moss. Place equal amounts of water and buttermilk in a blender to make a moss smoothie.
You can also use plain yogurt if you don't have buttermilk
Step 3. Put the crushed moss in a blender
Take a few handfuls of healthy, crushed moss and put it in a blender. You can use dry or wet moss. The amount of moss used does not have to be exactly the same. However, if you are in doubt, the more moss the better.
Step 4. Run a blender to blend all the ingredients until they become a thick solution
Run the blender for 4-5 rounds until all the ingredients are well blended. Make sure the mixture has a consistency similar to a milkshake or smoothie.
Don't blend it too finely. If the pieces are too small, the moss may not grow
Step 5. Pour the mixture onto a surface, such as a rock, brick, pot, or fence
Because buttermilk is sticky, the moss will stick to the selected vertical surfaces. Choose a surface that is shady and easy to water. Spread the moss using a brush or rag over fences, pot sides, rocks or bricks, or the sides of houses.
For a unique result, try creating a pattern or string of words using moss
Step 6. Water the moss daily for the first 2-3 weeks to encourage growth
Once the moss has grown and sticks to the surface, keep it moist. Use the moss to gently water the moss in the first few weeks until the moss grows healthy and green. Keep the moss out of the sun so it stays cool throughout the day.
You can also water the moss with a spray bottle if this is easier for you
Tips
- Moss gets its nutrients from the air (not from the soil). For this reason, moss is easy to care for and does not require fertilizer or food.
- When gluing the moss, try placing a sheet of plank or other hard object on top of the moss and then pressing down on the board.
