Anybody Transplant Moss?

[Jason]

I have a lot of moss behind my work all near the roof drains, I was wanting to scrape some of it off and transplant it on my rocks by the waterfall that stay wet.
Im not sure it's that simple and wanted to know if anybody has tried it and knows the do's and don'ts of the process.

 

[Big Lou]

Suggest you goggle it.

 

[sissy]

I did it with buttermilk behind the guest house as it is so shaded back there that grass would not grow but I had moss growing back there and wanted to make it spread faster .

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I have a lot of moss behind my work all near the roof drains, I was wanting to scrape some of it off and transplant it on my rocks by the waterfall that stay wet.
Im not sure it's that simple and wanted to know if anybody has tried it and knows the do's and don'ts of the process.

Moss likes shade.

 

[Jason]

It might be a no go then as it would be in direct sunlight :/

 

[sissy]

Yeh moss loves damp shady areas .I have lots of it growing behind my shed and it spreads when I dig it up but find that if you dig a patch up and pour some buttermilk on the ground and then put the moss in it that it spreads faster .Buttermilk has great cultures in it that help it grow .You can put moss in a blender with buttermilk and spread it out and it will grow great .I did not need the blender just the buttermilk as it gives it fertilizer .

 

[Jason]

I will try that sissy! I guess I could always put some on the patio pond as it is always covered lol

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The past two years I've taken moss from the woods (grows like crazy back there). I don't use anything like buttermilk to attach it, I just place it on a rock or log that is permanently moist. It usually starts to turn yellow and then greens right up. Even if you have a tiny spot with shade it will grow there as long as its a moist surface. Last year I put some on a log that was shaded by a small plant and the moss lasted all season.

If the spot isn't good enough, the moss will attempt to survive for awhile before it dies. It'll turn yellow but it won't die until its brown. Sometimes it can take months for moss to fully die off depending on the circumstances.

 

[j.w]

I've heard of that buttermilk treatment from our radio garden guy here. He does say it works.

Here's how they say to do it:

How To Get Moss To Grow On Rocks, Bricks Or Pots

It’s a little harder to start moss on a rock by simply lifting it and moving it. To grow moss on rocks, bricks or pots, many people have luck cultivating moss by mixing it with buttermilk and painting it on the new surface.

Moss Making Recipe:



•2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt

•1 - 1 1/2 cups of chopped-up moss (Fresh or Dried)

Mix until creamy and spreadable. If the mixture is too thick, add a small amount of water. If it’s too thin, add more moss.




Paint the mixture onto the new surface. You can allow the mixture to sit for a day or two, to start the process. You may get mold first, but by about week 6 you should see signs of moss.





Maintaining Moss

To keep your moss growing well, you need to maintain ideal moss conditions: shade, moisture and a low soil pH. You’ll also need to keep the weeds out. Moss can’t compete for moisture with the roots of weeds.

Be sure to remove fallen leaves in the fall.






A Final Moss Growing Tip
I wanted moss to grow around the edges of my raised water garden. To do this, I lined the top edge of my garden with landscape fabric and laid a small piece of moss on it. Since the fabric soaked up water and stayed moist, the moss took hold and spread quickly.
So now when I want to start a new patch of moss, I put it on a scrap of landscape fabric and set it in on the side of my water garden, although a suspect a shallow tray of water would work as well.


Once the moss filaments are attached to the landscape fabric, I can move the whole piece to the soil I’ve raked and prepared for transplanting. You’ll still need to keep it moist for several weeks, but it seems to make a stronger start.

 

[Jason]

Thanks guys, I will give it a shot!

 

[CometKeith]

Hi jason, i just put clumps of it where I wanted it to grow. It only worked on rocks that were damp close to my waterfall. It took a second season for it to grow in right.

 

[addy1]

I have that grows in my bog here and there, all by itself. Constant wet.

 

[Big Lou]

Moss grows naturally on our rough stones. You can also buy dark green and light green (Irish) moss from top nuseries (Calloway's in the Dallas / Ft Worth area.)