moss

[miamicuse]

I have a few spots in my yard that has moss growing.

I would like to remove them and transplant them onto some faked concrete boulders around my fish pond.  Will moss grow on concrete surfaces or does it have to be soil?

[Silas_Sancona]

36 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

I have a few spots in my yard that has moss growing.

I would like to remove them and transplant them onto some faked concrete boulders around my fish pond.  Will moss grow on concrete surfaces or does it have to be soil?

Depends on the species.. and exposure.  Bryophyta Mosses generally prefer well shaded areas of soil / decaying layer of organic material settled on the soil, though they can grow on concrete / crevices in / on rocks if the micro climate is shaded / moist enough.  Some Seleginella can tolerate more sun while most want at least filtered shade.

As for transplanting? that can be tricky.. Mosses ( both Bryophytes and Seleginella ) form relationships with Mycorrhiza in the soil / layer of soil that has settled onto harder surfaces and don't always transplant well. Regardless, establishment is typically slow and will take a few years to really do much / spread.

There are supposedly recipes online where you can collect pieces of moss ( which will contain spores ) mix w/ buttermilk / Yogurt, etc... grind in a blender, and paint the slurry on desired surfaces.. Has to be kept wet ( misted until wet at least 2x daily ) and out of any sunlight until it starts growing.

https://mosslovers.com/growing-moss-with-buttermilk-all-you-need-to-know/

[miamicuse]

Wow a few years to establish or spread that's a true test of patience!  I asked my wife if I could use the blender to grind some moss and she gave me a not so nice stare 😅.  Guess I will not be making the moss buttermilk soup anytime soon.

[miamicuse]

right now, I have some moss already on some of the concrete boulders around the fish pond, but they are a small patch here, a small patch there (see photos below) and very slow growing.  I was thinking may be I could make them spread sooner and farther with a layer of moss from the ground.  Would love to see a larger patch covering the sides.

By the way, on the second photo above, to the right there are some small ferns growing out of the concrete.  I wonder what kind of ferns these are?

[Silas_Sancona]

22 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

right now, I have some moss already on some of the concrete boulders around the fish pond, but they are a small patch here, a small patch there (see photos below) and very slow growing.  I was thinking may be I could make them spread sooner and farther with a layer of moss from the ground.  Would love to see a larger patch covering the sides.

By the way, on the second photo above, to the right there are some small ferns growing out of the concrete.  I wonder what kind of ferns these are?

Fern may be one of the two Pleopeltis sp. that occur in that part of FL.

As for the moss? as mentioned, it likely won't survive being transplanted.  Aside from the painting idea, only way you might speed up the spreading of what is already growing is by keeping in moist.  Other than that, it will grow ...as it grows.  Looking at where it is starting to get itself going on the Boulder face, those areas are where it will likely hang out, rather than other areas where it may be too sunny / dry for the moss to establish.

[miamicuse]

Interesting that at my property, the moss on these concrete rocks are all on vertical surfaces, but the patches I have on the dirt  ground are horizontal.

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, miamicuse said:

Interesting that at my property, the moss on these concrete rocks are all on vertical surfaces, but the patches I have on the dirt  ground are horizontal.

Ground is a given since it stays moist, and accumulates the most organic material.. Assuming that is a fairly shady part of your property as well. 

 The rough texture / craggly surfaces of the concrete provide a similar environment to the ground ( shadier, even if just slightly compared to smoother surfaces,  allow enough of a layer of dust to accumulate for spores to settle / begin germination on, rather than the dust getting washed away each time it rains ). Even if they look nearly the same compared to the ones growing on the ground,  you could have a couple different species of moss growing as well.. Just like any other plants, each species of Moss, Fern and Selaginella -type " Mosses "  have different niches they'll colonize. One might prefer conditions on the ground, while the one(s) colonizing the concrete rock faces are different. Spores are efficient travelers too, so you never know what might blow in with the wind.


Over time, as the colony of Ferns / mosses expand and trap more dust / bits and pieces of organic stuff, you may notice other plants start to germinate in those areas, including Orchids.  At the same time, the edges of where the moss is colonizing will continue to expand outward from a center starting point across areas on the rocks where conditions are favorable. 

Given S. FL conditions,  few years from now, you could have quite a collection of Lithophytic ( Plants that grow on rocks ) plants covering those same rock faces.