Getting Your Materials in Place
Purchase large, transparent containers or a terrarium. These can be glass or plastic containers. Just make sure that they’re wide and shallow, so you can easily reach into them to maintain your moss. If you go for a terrarium, be sure it comes with a lid to best store your moss. You can pick up these items at your local crafts or home improvement store. You can also buy these containers online. The size of the container you pick depends on your budget, the amount of space in your home and how much time you want to spend maintaining the garden. A glass cloche is a great option for your moss.
Line the bottom of the moss garden with pebbles to create a base. The base only needs to be one pebble deep. When you’ve covered the entire bottom of your container or containers, your base it set. Saturated sand also makes for a good base when it comes to a variety of moss species. Colorful and differently-shaped rocks can enhance the aesthetics of your moss garden, so be as creative as you want. You can scavenge for pebbles near your home or you can pick some up at a local landscaping or home improvement store. You can buy saturated sand at your local hardware store or order some online. If you are going to put forest mosses in your garden, avoid potting soil as a base. You can also use peat moss as a base for your moss.
Apply pine needles or rotten bark to the base. Like with the pebbles or sand, you only need one evenly spread out layer across the base. Cover the pebbles or sand with pine needles and rotten bark you find outside. Most moss species prefer these items as opposed to potting soil because it helps them develop faster. You can use either pine needles or rotten bark or mix both together to put over top of the base.
Collect the moss from areas around your home. You can find moss on stumps, logs, soil, or rocks in upland areas. When you find some, peel it gently from its base and put it in a clean container to transport it back home. Twigs covered in moss also work well for this project. Make sure to wear gloves while you do this. Always ask permission from the correct authorities if you plan on collecting moss from public land or property. You want enough moss to cover your base entirely, so bring your containers of choice with you to get an accurate measurement of how much moss you need.Warning: You can buy moss online or at a floral shop if none grows near where you live. However, these mosses are often preserved, sometimes in chemicals. Preserved moss is usually dry, which means it can be difficult to work with. If you do want to buy moss, make sure you go for a fresh, living moss.
Putting Together Your Moss Garden
Place the large sheets of moss over the base. The moss should go directly on top of the stones and bark you’ve already set in place. Layer the moss so that every bit of the base is covered. When you view your moss garden from above, you should only be seeing the moss itself, not the rocks or bark below it.Tip: Put other crumpled bits of moss around the base to utilize every bit of moss you collected.
Stick toothpicks into the moss to keep the large sheets in place. Put toothpicks every 5 inches (13 cm) along the outer part of your moss garden. Securing your moss can prevent disturbances from disrupting its development. The toothpicks will not harm the moss in any way, so you can keep them in your garden as your moss continues to grow.
Mist the moss garden with distilled or purified water. Use a spray bottle to do this, as over-watering the moss will stunt its growth. However, if you allow the moss to dry out, it could die. You can get distilled water at local home improvement stores or you can buy some online.
Maintaining Your Moss Garden
Cover your containers with a lid to keep the garden moist. Moisture from the moss will evaporate in the slightly higher temperature created by the closed containers. The water vapor condenses on the containers’ walls and falls back to the moss below. This generates a cycle and a constant supply of water for the moss, which will stay damp and healthy as a result. Since the moisture is consistently recycled back to the moss, your garden only needs minimal care.Tip: At least once a month, take the lids off the containers for 10-20 minutes to let your moss air out.
Store your moss garden away from sunlight. Too much sunlight will dry up and harm your moss. However, this is where things can get somewhat tricky. The moss still needs to be in an area that with decent air circulation and a light source nearby. Keep the moss garden near a slightly-cracked window and in a well-lit room. If you’re going to put a lamp next to your moss garden to give it light, make sure the lamp isn’t right over top of the container. Too much exposure to light will hurt the moss.Warning: A common mistake is to place the moss in a dark area under the assumption that this will keep the humidity high. In fact, moss needs light to photosynthesize its nutrients, so don’t make this mistake!
Spray the garden 2-3 times a day with distilled water. Using a spray bottle, lightly mist your moss multiple times a day to keep it damp and healthy. Make sure to close your containers immediately after spraying so the moss can keep reusing the water. You should constantly check on your moss to see how it’s doing. If your moss starts to fade or feels dry to the touch, apply the water.
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