Grow moss vs. transplant moss

[randomatic]

I'm a bit confused about putting moss on a bonsai tree. I've seen two methods on youtube videos.
1. Mixing sphagnum moss with dried and shredded collected moss. My understanding is this takes a month or two (and seems hard to do in late fall since less water is needed). E.g., Ryan's video:

2. Transplanting collected moss directly on top. There seems to be less information on how to do this. Bonsai releaf shows this, Jeff's video at

and every mossarium video (particularly like nanamoss)

I've not been able to make my moss thrive using method (2) at all. The moss doesn't seem to really adhere to the soil, and will loosen off even if pressed on tight initially. My soil is boon's mix, but I've even tried pure akadama with no real success yet.

Am I missing something? It almost looks like Jeff's video above he's adding vermiculite as a top-dressing before applying moss.

I live in pittsburgh (6a) in case that matters.

Is there a trick I'm missing for making transplanted moss thrive?

 

[SandSquid]

Most people use small diameter aluminum wire and create hooks that they press into the moss to hold each piece down (think large staple). I do that and then just sort of rub the moss over the site and you can't even see the hook.

I have collected moss from trees in my yard to use, but I got lazy and ordered moss from Eastern Leaf. It came in great condition, green, and ready to use, packaged nicely, and what I haven't used I keep in a plastic clear container in my small greenhouse and spritz once a week. Cost was about 6 bucks for a lot of moss.

 

[PowerTap]

I just live in Seattle where all I have to do is wait and the most sorts itself out.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I'm in a wet country but it took 4 years for moss to get a foothold. Four years of collecting moss and putting it in my pots.
The key was soil fungi, and using a wide variety of rock collected mosses. Once the fungi get going, moss follows.

Now it's a matter of keeping birds at bay because two years of moss growth can be undone in seconds if a bird wants to. I use iron mesh covers.

 

[19Mateo83]

I'm in a wet country but it took 4 years for moss to get a foothold. Four years of collecting moss and putting it in my pots.
The key was soil fungi, and using a wide variety of rock collected mosses. Once the fungi get going, moss follows.

Now it's a matter of keeping birds at bay because two years of moss growth can be undone in seconds if a bird wants to. I use iron mesh covers.

If it ain’t the squirrels yanking up seedlings and ripping up my moss it’s the birds. can’t win for nothing…

 

[Shibui]

It took me years of trial and error to work out how to make moss grow but now I have to spray it to keep under control.
I have never had any success with dried moss or spores, probably because it requires specific conditions.

Transplanted moss does tend to curl up and fall off if you let it dry out but more regular wetting until it establishes new 'roots' helps.
I now knit the new moss into the soil. Use a knitting needle, sharpened chopstick, steel rod, or similar to poke down through the new moss and into the soil below. This pushes enough moss stems into the soil to anchor it better and allow more ,moisture from below the surface. Works for me here.

Birds are definitely a menace with moss. The air rifle helps keep them on their toes.

 

[Colorado]

For transplanting whole pieces of moss, one trick that I learned which has been an absolute game changer is to soak the pieces of moss in a bucket of water for 10 minutes before you apply it. This really helps a lot.

 

[hemmy]

Is there a trick I'm missing for making transplanted moss thrive?

At the Huntington garden collection, we would smear on worm castings (purchased) then apply the transplanted moss for the trees going out to public display area.

 

[Japonicus]

I hate moss

 

[Wulfskaar]

Moss is kind of seasonal here. I grabbed 3 pots of only moss and tried to keep it going through summer but most of it has died or at least gone into hibernation. I'm hoping it comes back as the weather cools this fall.

 

[AJL]

It grows too well here in our wet English climate and before you know it the stuff has covered your soil surface and is growing up the tree trunks. Im forever scraping it off when it gets too rampant . If you like I can post you buckets full!!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

On coarse inorganic soil I find it best to apply a thin layer of chopped long fiber sphagnum moss before applying the transplanted moss. That provides a base for the live moss and helps prevent it from drying out which is one big issue with transplants especially on sunny locations. Imhave trees on which moss has grown all by itself and others in the sun where it will dry out fast if I don’t apply the base coat.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Funny this is a time of year we get moss to really flourish. Spring too.

Not a fan of using local mosses to start with unless one has advice, some types grow well, but some just are lumps on the surface and never ”catch”. But if you know them well this method works fine.

Best thing I’ve used is Sphagnum with Yamagoke to start. Local moss spores will mix in over time and each pot will be its own garden.

Imho if one is trying to grow it separately, the moss needs a substrate and fertilization helps. We‘ve used seedling mix, Kanuma, or rarely Boon mix. All seem to work well with smaller particles size.

Again, move to Seattle

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[randomatic]

Thank you everyone. I have several new methods to try now.