How to grow moss without moss. And why you’d rather not
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You can grow moss without moss by using spores.
How do mosses reproduce in nature?
Mosses reproduce in various ways. Unlike plants with flowers, they need liquid moisture for mating. Spores, which are like seeds but simpler, are spread mainly by wind.
When these spores are ready, they form a powdery mass and leave the capsule. With enough moisture, they will grow and appear as thin green mats from afar.
Up close, they are a tangled mass of branching filaments. They can be found in many gardens after a long winter in the Pacific Northwest.
Buds then appear on the filaments, producing tiny leafy shoots. Male mosses have clusters of tiny sausage-shaped organs that produce sperm.
On the other hand, female mosses have eggs in bottle-shaped parts between their overlapping leaves. Water is needed to fertilize the eggs, allowing the sperm to swim to them.
Fertilized eggs form the stalked brown capsule, which produces the spores, thus completing the cycle.
Mosses can also reproduce and spread without sex.
Parts of the shoot or leaves can break off and be carried away by wind or water, starting a new plant if there is enough moisture.
(source : University of Oregon )
Best Way to Grow moss without moss
The best way to reproduce moss without moss (and also the only one) is by using spores. It is certainly not the easiest way to grow moss, but if you want to try, you can create a moss culture for your needs.
Spores are difficult to find on the market because they are difficult to preserve and, above all, because it is much easier to grow moss starting from live moss.
If you really can’t do without it, these are the steps to grow moss starting from spores.
1. Take a container and fill it with potting soil.
A clear bowl or plastic box works great. For the soil, there is not much to add; that for bonsai is just fine. If you want, you can also add a layer of stones on the bottom to drain the water, but it is not necessary at this stage.
2. Insert the spores into the container. Suppose you managed to find live spores congratulations. You can spread them in the container.
3. Place the container in a well-lit and constant temperature environment. It would help if you had a constant temperature and a well-lit place. I would avoid direct sun exposure, though.
4. Keep the potting soil moist but not wet. Moss needs moisture; you have to spray the soil every day, making sure the earth does not dry out.
5. after three days, you should see the first shoots.
It would help if you had your moss crop properly within a few weeks. Keep misting and providing the right light; everything will come true like magic.
If you want to grow and propagate moss quickly, I recommend starting with a small, live moss seedling. All you need to do is place the moss in the right light, humidity, and support conditions, and it will grow within a few weeks.
If you want to accelerate growth, I recommend reading this article on Easy Tips To Make Moss Grow Faster!
You can grow moss on multiple surfaces; the choice is yours. Remember that it will need a stable support that moves as little as possible.
