Pond Mosses

[AlyssaFish]

I want to decorate the edges of my pond and my waterfall with mosses. I like mosses! I live in Utah, which is very dry and sunny and there are not a ton of mosses here (the ones that do exist live in mountain crevices)--but I did visit Ohio a year and a half or so ago and was totally enchanted by the forests there and all the moss and lichen. It was like a fairytale.

Additionally, it seems that mosses are hard to buy. You can buy "moss balls" for aquariums at the pet store, but those are actually balls of algae, not moss, and I can't find out how hardy they are anyway.

"Sphagnum moss" looks like it might be a good option for shady locations--and apparently "reindeer moss" (which is actually lichen) can handle the sun. Have any of you included mosses in your water gardens? Any advice on what kinds to buy, how to "plant" then or care for them?

 

[GBBUDD]

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[GBBUDD]

I was still underconstruction but you can see mosses all over i too LOVE MOSSES

 

[AlyssaFish]

I was still underconstruction but you can see mosses all over i too LOVE MOSSES

That is incredible for so many reasons!

Do you water the moss on the banks and places by hand, or do you rely on some kind of irrigation/drip system?

Also, are those various species of coral bells I see? Very beautiful! I just bought my first two yesterday and looked them up only to discover how many gorgeous kinds there are!

 

[Douglas]

Oh I like moss too. I only have java moss from my aquarium and they seem to handle the pond very well as long as my fish do not pick at them. Last year I tied some around a stick and placed the stick near the liner and the moss grabbed hold onto thee liner and over wintered on it. Im trying to line my entire liner side with it this year but we shall see. I'll snap a photo of it soon and share.

As for watering, mosses seem to be able to draw it's own water as long as part of it is submerged in water. Like a sponge.

 

[poconojoe]

I too love moss! I'm lucky since I procure a lot of moss around my property here in Pennsylvania. Much of it has grown around my pond naturally, but whenever I see some growing on rocks and such, I peel it off and stick it to stones around my pond. As long as some of it is in contact with the pond water, it will thrive.

 

[Douglas]

Trying to grow this across my liner.

 

[AlyssaFish]

I too love moss! I'm lucky since I procure a lot of moss around my property here in Pennsylvania. Much of it has grown around my pond naturally, but whenever I see some growing on rocks and such, I peel it off and stick it to stones around my pond. As long as some of it is in contact with the pond water, it will thrive.

Even if it's in a lot of sunlight?

 

[AlyssaFish]

Trying to grow this across my liner.

It's so cute! Do you have a trick to keep the fish from getting at it?

 

[Douglas]

If I can get it to grow then I would pretty much have a nice moss ledge. But unfortunately I do not have a trick. That is why majority of the growth is slightly above water. The submerged parts have been nipped and ended up in my filter. They attack the algae on the moss but the moss comes off with it. Fish will be fish.

 

[poconojoe]

Here's some moss on the rocks where the water returns to my pond from the bog.

It started out when I stuck small pieces to the rocks a few months ago. Now it's flourishing.

My pond has partial sun and it comes up behind that area, so I would say it doesn't get much direct sun.

 

[Jhn]

Even if it's in a lot of sunlight?

Yep, moss will grow in direct sunlight, as @poconojoe said if you Slap it on a rock or your liner so abit of it is in contact with the water it will be fine. My pond Is in full sun just about all day long, and moss grows everywhere that it can stay damp, rocks, logs, liner.

 

[AlyssaFish]

Yep, moss will grow in direct sunlight, as @poconojoe said if you Slap it on a rock or your liner so abit of it is in contact with the water it will be fine. My pond Is in full sun just about all day long, and moss grows everywhere that it can stay damp, rocks, logs, liner.

Yay! That is exciting news. I have collected moss from around my yard that I want to transplant to the edges of the pond!

 

[Douglas]

From my experience with my java moss, they seem to stick better onto my liner if placed in a less dense amount. Therefore each single strand can grow and grab rather than a dense coat of moss that the top would primarily grow. But that could be different with land mosses as well as different species of mosses.

 

[Lisak1]

I have moss popping up on it's own around my pond, which is so cool!

There is a trick you can use involving buttermilk, moss and a blender - not sure the whole process, but if you google it you should be able to find it!