Moss can be a beautiful, natural addition to your garden. Moss is a type of plant that doesn’t need soil to grow. It can thrive in the crevices of rocks or on tree bark. Moss will attach itself to any surface and start producing. Because moss doesn’t require sunlight to grow, it can be an excellent choice for shady gardens or areas where grass won’t grow. This article will give you a guide on how to take care of moss in your garden!
Different Types Of Moss
There are many different types of moss. In general, moss is easy to care for and will thrive in areas that have moist soil or receive a lot of rain. If you live where the summers are hot and dry, consider planting your moss on rocks or tree trunks rather than on soil. Some shared garden varieties of moss include :
Broom Moss – This variety is easy to care for, grows well in full sun or partial shade, and can thrive in almost any soil. It is also resistant to most pests.
Spanish Moss – Spanish moss looks fantastic hanging on tree branches, but it does require a protected spot like the underside of large leaves where animals cannot graze on it. This type of moss will do well in moist soil and entire sun areas.
Cushion Moss – This type of moss is best for container gardening, especially in locations where the summers become very hot or dry. It thrives in low-light and moist soil.
Irish Moss – This type of moss does best in moist soil but can also grow on rocks or even concrete where it receives a lot of rain. Once established, it will take over large areas quickly, so be careful when planting this variety!
Water
Moss is a very low-maintenance plant. Moss doesn’t even need soil to grow. However, there are a few ways you can take care of your moss and keep it healthy in the garden. The first way is by watering it regularly. If you have a hose available near your garden, make sure to water it every day when the weather is dry. If you don’t have a hose or sprinkler, simply put out a minor water pitcher every day in the mossy area. It doesn’t take much time to keep the moss alive, but regular watering is essential in caring for this plant.
Sunlight
Moss is distinguished for thriving in shaded places, which makes sense because these are often the moistest regions of the woods. However, a few mosses species desire somewhat more sun than usual. That is why knowing the conditions under which your moss naturally thrives in nature is critical to determining where to put your plant to ensure it gets adequate light.
Of course, this is simpler if you’ve foraged the moss yourself and can refer to the location where you originally discovered it growing for ideal circumstances. However, just doing a bit of research on your particular type of moss should give you an idea of how much sunlight it needs, or you can give the trial and error method a shot. Just move your moss to different areas of your garden and see which areas seem to be growing best.
Soil
As stated earlier, moss doesn’t need soil to grow but depending on the type it can definitely help. You can create your own mossy soil by mixing 2 parts peat, 2 parts sand, and 1 part perlite together. Make sure you have at least 15 cm of the mixture in order to support decent growth.
Moss has microscopic roots that are much too small for humans to see without a microscope. These are referred to as rhizoids that are for nutrient uptake while larger roots are called mycorrhizae which are used for stability. These larger roots should be buried in the soil mixture to give the moss stability.
Pruning
Moss plants are very simple to care for, but it is important not to remove any green parts of the plant. This will kill it. If your moss is looking like it needs some trimming, take scissors and cut above where you want new growth to come out, but leave behind green parts. A good way to tell if your moss is healthy is to run a hand over the stems and if they spring back up, it’s ok.
If not, trim a couple of inches. If you notice any areas of your moss looks dead, don’t be afraid to cut it down and leave the dead pieces in place. This will allow fungus from decomposing leaves to travel through the moss and assist with nutrient uptake.
Propagating
Moss is a great choice for anyone looking to create a garden with very low maintenance. Mosses can grow and thrive even in the dimmest corners of your yard or garden, and they will spread quickly to fill any empty areas. Before you know it, moss will be growing on every surface around! This makes propagation easy: simply move the moss to the area where you want more. You do have to pay attention during this process so that you don’t accidentally break off any of the roots, which will be very fine strands on your plant.
Conclusion
If your moss is looking a little spotty, don’t worry too much. Mosses are very low maintenance and thrive on neglect. That being said, now you have some tips to help keep it healthy! With the proper amount of water, sunlight, soil mixture, and pruning, your moss should spread quickly throughout your garden as the stem successions work their way through your mossy areas.
