Best Way to Grow Moss in the Garden 🧙🔮🎭 3 Methods Compared

[@loisbarber7023]

Not for nothing but...you go through the whole trouble of making this video, waiting months for the results, but you can't go out and buy a container of buttermilk to perform a true experiment? Buttermilk contains bacteria cultures in it - Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus bulgaricus - and is quite different from milk mixed with lemon juice. The later is an 11th-hour substitute for baking, but probably not for moss growing.

[@marielindsay4720]

The moss smoothie failed because of your ingredients. Live cultures of buttermilk and/or yogurt would have worked. The lemon juice you added killed the moss.

[@jesuschristislordoflordsan427]

interesting theory and seems plausible. i think a larger test would produce some satisfying results. for starters, remove the juice in one category of tests and also to have different test subject with same test-criteria. lets say 5 or so different test places per different test-method

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

The lemon juice was neutralized by the milk so it would not kill the moss. Show me some evidence that a "live" culture works?

[@linglinglok9491]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 the point of buttermilk or yogurt is to have live cultures, isn't it? The reason why milk and lemon is a common substitute is for cooking (the flavor and texture of the curdled and cultured milk). It does not substitute the CAUSE of curdling and souring, which is bacteria.

[@nackedgrils9302]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 I know that you really like ''busting'' garden myths, but your methods on this one were too flawed to draw any conclusions from it. I also have my doubts about the yogurt method but I'll try it nonetheless since I've nothing better to do. In your situation, I wouldn't have rubbed off the tree's bark. This way, I think it would help with adhesion and water wicking since decaying bark will soak up water faster than wood, I believe. Might also throw a little bit of clay in the ''smoothie'' for even better adhesion. I'd also choose a trunk that fully touches the ground to get higher humidity and also one that's sheltered from direct rainfall, for obvious reasons. You've already mentioned using moss that's already growing on wood in the video, so I won't talk further about that, but I think that it's a crucial detail. In any case, please post about your findings if you do find a convenient way to propagate moss outside in zone 5. I'm also a fan of japanese style gardens and would really like to achieve this type of look outside in our climate.

[@loisbarber7023]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 You used a last-minute baking substitute for buttermilk, not buttermilk which contains Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus bulgaricus. You should repeat the experiment using the real deal.

[@rockingroli2057]

It is probably best to use moss that has been growing on wood before and not soil grown moss.

[@kdb560]

Love moss and if I could, my entire grass lawn would be replaced in a heartbeat. I have not attempted to attach any moss that I’ve placed around my pond , it is all still growing, albeit quite s-l-o-w-l-y.

[@stephaniewaltman775]

Bob, my Fantasy Husband. Say, someone else probably already asked you this, but did you try covering the moss slurry? Ive had at least a tiny smidge more success than the complete bust you experienced with that method. I pressed plastic wrap/cling fillm over a thick coat of wet goo. Checked in with it when I remembered, meaning rarely and randomly. Does that moisture thing make sense for moss? Does Sarah Wrap even work in this function? Alternatively I suppose you could mist it, but that’s a lot of carrying on. And caveat: I was doing this on old concrete and brick, not wood. But even on wood my very non-empirical evidence would suggest you give it another go; as both wood and old concrete are porous (in their very different ways) would you imagine they’d behave similarly with respect to retaining & releasing moisture well? Thanks for this excellent topic & demo, I always learn so much from you (Plant nerds, unite!). -Stephanie, Zone US 6B/7A, Louisville

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

I have not tried covering it - too much work :)

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

the moss weathered through the summer, waiting for a cool/wet season, and since you said the summer was hot and dry, it would be good to redo the experiment during moss growing season~

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

We don't really have a moss growing season. Some in spring, but it gets hot fast. Some in fall, but it gets cold fast.

[@NashvilleMonkey1000]

Yeah, we're a little too dry to grow moss except in the most specific microclimates, so we're setting up in every spot that has some moss naturally in it~

[@jesuschristislordoflordsan427]

thanks for sharing i did a similar "moss slurry" test some years ago and in fact its growing moss there now, but what i dont remember if it perhaps even was moss there before because the whole thing i remember to have tested at isnt filled with moss and i didnt take any not or photo so i can compare..it looks sweet though no juice in my test. probably no soil either but i just took some moss growing somewhere that had dried and cruched it in my hand and mixed with yoghurt.

[@kktan7206]

No need buttermilk. Just blend the moss with water and spread it over in a cool shaded area. It will grow over time.

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Not in dry areas.

[@bm4114]

@@Gardenfundamentals1 how long you think butter milk stays wet? Lol

[@niccat7051]

The best method I have seen for the slurry mix was from the Chinese guy, who has a Bonsai channel called Heirloom Bonsai. He recommends - Moss that has seed pods mixed with live Yogurt and water in a blender. Spread it out with a paintbrush or just flick it onto the substrate.

[@stephaniejohnson7987]

I believe your supposed to use the buttermilk method, everyday religiously and it takes awhile to see results

[@skyejp4975]

And wash dirt off and just scissor no blender

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

"supposed to use the buttermilk method" - you use a method that works. Nobody promoting this method applies buttermilk everyday.

[@stephaniejohnson7987]

@@Gardenfundamentals1mmmmk

[@ddgamble2199]

At 8:40, what are those beautiful plants that look like green ostrich plumes?

[@Gardenfundamentals1]

Ostrich ferns

[@Pete.Ty1]

😊👍

[@michelleedelman5565]

I think the smoothly one you over blended it

[@michelleedelman5565]

Also it needs to be in the shade

[@michelleedelman5565]

It needs to be very moist

[@bgknowable]

which glue did you use? alert!

[@bgknowable]

well bond

[@kelvingoode1393]

you shouldnt take it from the wild

[@BrettSucks]

I normally don’t encourage moss.

[@BrettSucks]

In fact I go to great lengths to get rid of it.

[@stephaniejohnson7987]

@@BrettSucks that’s insanity. It’s beautiful. It’s one of the only things that stays green in the winter.

[@BrettSucks]

@@stephaniejohnson7987 I Yes but he’s not too bothered about having green grass in summer, he’s happy not bothering watering it & letting it go brown, It’s insanity to want green in the winter when the garden is hardly used, I would rather have things nice & green in summer when I can actually enjoy it , different strokes for different folks I suppose.

[@fowlerhomesinc5603]

@@BrettSucks but you can have green in winter and summer.

[@nackedgrils9302]

This is why his experiment failed, the moss needed your encouraging words and support.