Moss

[meathelmet]

Does anyone have a good recipie for getting moss to grow on things? I have these concrete containers that i made last year, and I would like to grow moss over them so they don't stand out when hidden. I looked up a technique online but it didn't work. The technique was to blend moss with buttermilk and paint it on to the surface. I left my mossy buttermilk painted containers right next to where i got the moss from for over a year and nothing happened.

[+popokiiti]

Did you leave them on the north side of an object, outside and in the shade? We have moss growing on stuff we didn't want it to for that reason.

[meathelmet]

yeah, I dug up some moss next to a tree by our house (it was north side). Then I painted the stuff on and put it right back where it was. and got nothing.

[+Ambrosia]

You kept it pretty consistantly wet, without washing the moss off (misting)?

[+briansnat]

Put it on my roof. It seems to have no problem growing moss.

[+Team Cotati]

This might help but you seem to need a bit of 'starter moss':

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_11697_grow-moss-garden.html

[+GunnerMac]

This might help but you seem to need a bit of 'starter moss':

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_11697_grow-moss-garden.html

 

cool, im going to try that

[+Eshel]

This might help but you seem to need a bit of 'starter moss':

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_11697_grow-moss-garden.html

 

cool, im going to try that

 

Wow. Let me know if it works. If so I can have some fun with this

[+Vater_Araignee]

I used ale & sugar in a blender and pain it on.

One thing tho, I made my own hypertufa containers so I had the advantage of it being more porous than standard concrete.

The sphagnum peat moss in the hypertufa also probably helped.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

New Product! - Moss Milkshake™ - Just mix with water (or beer!) – it will stick to most anything, including bare soil, stone, and weathered concrete

 

Hypnum moss is ground dry and then blended with a proprietary mixture of growth stimulants including powdered buttermilk, along with water retention gel and then packaged in an air-tight half gallon milk carton. Coverage rate is typically 10 square feet or more. Alternatively the mix can be sprinkled about dry and then watered in. Indefinite shelf life.

 

http://www.mossacres.com/product_moss_starter.asp

 

Growing Decorative Mosses in Your Garden

 

[+Vater_Araignee]

New Product! - Moss Milkshake™ - Just mix with water (or beer!) – it will stick to most anything, including bare soil, stone, and weathered concrete

 

Hypnum moss is ground dry and then blended with a proprietary mixture of growth stimulants including powdered buttermilk, along with water retention gel and then packaged in an air-tight half gallon milk carton. Coverage rate is typically 10 square feet or more. Alternatively the mix can be sprinkled about dry and then watered in. Indefinite shelf life.

 

http://www.mossacres.com/product_moss_starter.asp

 

Growing Decorative Mosses in Your Garden

 

Water crystals, why didn't I think of that?

Once they are hydrated they will blend nicely.

 

I just remembered some more.

Give the object your trying to grow it on a good vinegar bath. This will help reduce the ph on the surface giving moss a better chance at survival. Not the cheap wally world stuff either, use a higher quality brand.

If the vinegar foams when it is applied you know you never had a chance to grow moss on it due to alkalinity.

 

Keep the planter in a water tray will help to grow, capillary action will go part way up and the moss will develop faster, as the moss develops it will help bring water up higher.

 

As mentioned before, misting it to keep to much water from washing the mix off, you may even want to consider guarding it from rain.

[meathelmet]

Thanks for all the help. The recipie i had never said anything about sugar ... or beer. Maybe that is the key. I'm going to try all these ideas on different containers and see what i get. Why is it so hard to make new things look old anyway?

[+Chrysalides]

Why is it so hard to make new things look old anyway?

Do you have kids?

 

Would be interesting to know the results of your experiment.

[meathelmet]

Why is it so hard to make new things look old anyway?

Do you have kids?

 

Would be interesting to know the results of your experiment.

 

lol yes i do have 1 kid.

 

I'll keep you posted on the results i'll get some pics here soon. btw does anyone know how long it takes moss to grow?

[+Vater_Araignee]

btw does anyone know how long it takes moss to grow?

a long wile.

can't give you a better answer because I have no clue about the type of moss your attempting.

[+Wooden Cyclist]

I can't wait to look for them. The containers on your current caches are unique, but moss covered concrete would be a whole new experience.

[+popokiiti]

Please post your pics - I am sure you will be successful !

[+The Marathon Man]

Why does "Gia-Pet" come to my mind?