Just not in the lawn

When making Christmas ornaments moss is in demand and it can be difficult to find the moss you want in nature. Someone has always beat you to it. Japanese have grown moss in their gardens for centuries and we could so too. Many have moss in their lawn, but it’s not the place you want it to be.

 

The right kind of soil

Good soil for moss is sour soil that is moist and preferably in half-shade. Sphagnum moss blocks are good for growing moss. A stone with some sprinkled sphagnum can also be used. Keep it moist so the sphagnum won’t slide off or wrap the stone in chicken wire to hold on to the moss. Clayey soil can be too alkaline, but also neutral. Mix it with some sand, then it can be used too.

 

Sprinkle the moss

Transplanting is quite simple. Moss does not have roots but is propagated vegetative or with spores. You can collect the moss yourself or buy it at a nursery. Transplant the moss in your prepared soil or tear it into smaller pieces and sprinkle it out. Make sure to keep it moist in dry periods. It takes approximately 3 years before it is fully established.

 

The quick one

Spread junket on a pot or a concrete tile and leave it in the shadow. In a short while, moss spores will fly through the air and land on the junket, buttermilk or yoghurt.