Re: moss

marge, as you know, this is not exactly moss country. but what about moving that rock one wants moss to grow on to a mossy place? if ever the moss is established on the rock, might it not have an increased chance of survival when the rock is moved to wherever it may be that the moss grower wants moss? [can't belive i wrote that ;>) heeheehee]

At 07:19 PM 12/11/02 -0500, you wrote:
Well, I've always been a bit doubtful of the success of this method.
Have not tried it, but I spent many years in totally futile efforts
to transplant moss from parts of my gravel drive (damp, part sun,
clay underlying soil) to the edge of a shady border where moss was
already growing nearby.  It always died, no matter how I babied it
and watered it - the nearby 'native' moss in the "lawn"
flourished.....

My singular lack of success in this endeavor, I later learned from
reading Schenk's Moss book, was probably because various species of
moss have fairly specific requirements about where they will
flourish.  You cannot, for instance, take a piece of moss from a
sunny spot on a rock and expect it to grow in clay in the shade.
(tried that, too)

Moss spore is in the air all around, all the time, in about all
climates (except maybe Antarctica).  If the conditions for its growth
are right, it will grow, whether you want it to or not (had
flourishing colonies on our old cedar shake roof where I did not
really want it).

Now, if you find moss growing somewhere and have the same conditions
in your garden (i.e. soil/rock, moisture, light), your success in
transplanting it will likely be a lot greater.

I have moved clumps of moss growing on nodules of clay from one place
to another with success by lifting the entire nodule of clay:-).

My feeling is that if you have rocks you want moss to grow on, your
best bet is to keep them constantly moist and wait for some spore to
land:-)

However, I would like to hear from someone who has, personally, used
one of the blender methods and had it work and had the moss survive
over a good period of time.

Also, since I acquired the Moss book, I have wondered about the few
places who sell moss for people to start moss gardens.  On the few
occasions that I've bought a moss, I've managed to kill it.  Does
anybody have any experience with buying in potted mosses and having
them survive in the garden?

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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----------
> From: Kitty Morrissy <kmrsy@earthlink.net>
>
> Another, simpler, recipe calls for a handful of moss, a can of beer
and a
> 1/2 tsp of sugar.  Buttermilk may be used in place of the beer.
Spread 1/4
> inch thick and in 5 weeks moss begins to grow.  The author of this
one goes
> on to describe a method of growing it in removable sheets as well.
>
> Kitty

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