Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Encouraging Moss and Lichen to grow on a design
- 7 December 2011
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Moss and Lichen feed on dust and ambient moisture. It is actually a good sign to see them appear- it means you do not live in an area with high air pollution. The lower the air quality the less likely the growth of moss and lichen.
Remove a clump of moss and clean as much soil as possible without breaking up the clump or damaging the spores
Dip a clump of moss in yogurt. Make sure you saturate the clump. The ratio of moss to yogurt is not really important
You can also add honey to the yogurt, or mix beer and sugar or use buttermilk- but I find the yogurt moss mixture works just fine all on it’s own
Paint the twig wreath with yogurt using the moss as a brush. This will transfer the spores onto the twigs.
Dab and wiggle the moss as you go along
This method will also work on concrete pots
and terrecotta pots
Or fill cracks in concrete slabs. Just dip the moss in the yogurt
And fill the cracks
In fact any porous, rough surface that retains water will grow moss. It takes a while though, if all goes well I will see the moss appearing on my wreath within ten days but it can take up to a month to have real growth.
Choose the right location for your moss garden. It needs natural light but a shady, damp position is best. Just emulate nature.
This time of year is best for starting a moss garden. It needs to be cool and wet. Lichen and moss becomes dormant when it is too hot and dry.
Protect the moss-yogurt mixture from rain so that it doesn’t wash away. Mist the area regularly and cover with a plastic bag if necessary.
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