How to Grow Moss Indoors
Moss can be grown indoors as a houseplant in cool temperatures with lots of moisture and no direct sunlight.
Moss prefers a moist and shaded environment, so it is best to place it in a terrarium or under a cloche. It can also be grown on a piece of wood or a rock in a dish of water.
Moss can be propagated by taking clippings and placing them on a damp surface, such as a piece of wood or soil.
It is important to keep the moss consistently moist and in low light conditions. Since moss is not a flowering plant, so it does not require any fertilization.
- February 7, 2023
- Dagmara Mach
A moss bath mat is a type of floor mat that is made from moss.
These mats are typically made from live moss, which is grown and then harvested to create the mat.
The moss is then placed on a backing material, such as a piece of fabric, to hold it in place.
Moss bath mats are often used as a natural alternative to traditional bath mats, as they are more eco-friendly and can provide a more natural and soothing aesthetic in a bathroom.
They are known for being soft, absorbent, and anti-bacterial.
To make a DIY moss bath mat you’ll need a silicone mat large enough for a bath mat, coconut fiber liner, and live moss which you can either order online or collect outdoors.
A living moss bath mat is the perfect way to grow moss indoors and enjoy the pillowy soft feel of live moss beneath your feet without too much work in the watering and maintenance departments.
For complete directions on making a moss bath mat at home check out our Moss Bath Mat Article.
MOSS BATH MATS 101
Mosses are some of the oldest and most drought resistant plants on earth. Learn how you can grow a moss bath mat in your bathroom.
A moss terrarium is a type of container garden enclosed in glass that features various types of moss as the main plants.
Moss terrariums can be enclosed in a glass container, such as a jar or a vase, to create a miniature ecosystem that mimics the natural environment of the moss.
Moss terrariums are easy to care for and can be a beautiful addition to any home or office design.
Moss terrariums can be created using only moss or with other small plants and decor elements.
A tabletop moss garden is a type of container garden that features various types of moss as the main plants, similar to a moss terrarium.
The main difference is that a tabletop moss garden is not enclosed in a glass container, but instead is an open-air garden that can be placed on a table or other flat surface.
Alternatively, it can be grown directly on the table itself.
Like a moss terrarium, a tabletop moss garden is relatively easy to care for and can be a unique addition to any interior.
Moss Is A Different Kind of Plant
Mosses source water and nutrients from the outside versus from the ground and reproduce by growing spores instead of producing blooms and seeds.
Instead of vascular structures like leaves, stems and roots mosses have rhizoids, root-like appendages that anchor them in place.
Mosses are some of the oldest and most drought resistant plants on earth.
Known as bryophytes, mosses are classified into the plant division Bryophyta, which is estimated to contain more than 18,000 identified bryophyte species.
Dating back over 450 million years, bryophytes are considered by botanists to be some of the oldest plants in existence. More advanced vascular plants like ferns didn’t appear on earth until about 50 million years later.
Found in wet spots like shady forests and alongside creek beds, live moss plants for indoor growing can either be hunted down and harvested in nature or purchased at a store.
Researchers recommend you get your hands dirty and touch some soil while harvesting your moss.
Mosses usually grow close together in clumps or mats and can be found throughout most parts of the worls including the arctic.
In addition to being free, this method assures that the moss you obtain is suited to your local climate and therefore able to grow, thrive and spread just the way you need it to.
How to Harvest
After finding your moss outdoors, harvest it by wedging a thin flat device such as a spatula underneath its base.
Then gently lift the moss plant so as not to damage it and place it inside a plastic bag for transport.
Moss is generally quite hardy, so if you’re outside and you have neither a spatula or a plastic bag, pick some up with your hands and shove it in your backpack.
Prepare Your Garden
To prevent bacteria growth and kill existing organisms, you can pour boiling water over the container and/or base you plan on using. However, I have yet to sterilize my planting surface prior to moss gardening and have not suffered any of the consequences that gardening guides warn you about.
Your moss garden can be a container with rocks or soil, a silicone mat with sides, a porous rock, a piece of wood or even a wall. As long as your moss plants receive plenty of water and daylight the moss encasement possibilities are endless. If you’re using a container with soil, lining the container’s base with a thin layer of activated charcoal atop a layer of rocks will aid in maintaining soil health and proper moisture levels. The charcoal will work to remove toxins and help prevent mold or mildew while the rocky bottom layer will promote drainage.
Indoor Moss Maintenance
Keep your indoor moss garden in an area with plenty of indirect daylight as mosses require it for photosynthesis.
Provide adequate hydration and humidity by watering or liberally hydrating with a spray bottle. Mosses like areas with high humidity such as bathrooms.
Air Purification
Mosses can help stabilize room moisture levels to maintain a relative humidity of between 40 and 60 percent.
When humidity rises above 17 grams/cu. meter, moss will absorb moisture from the air.
When humidity drops below 12 grams/cu. meter mosses humidify the air by releasing moisture back into the environment.
This moss humidification method is especially useful when humidity drops during flu season. Research shows that influenza is most likely to spread at humidity levels below 10 grams/cu. meter.
FAQs
Does Moss Need Sunlight?
Yes, like all plants that undergo photosynthesis, moss uses sunlight for energy.
Can Mosses Live in Dry Climates?
Although moss plants are typically found in wet, shady areas, mosses are actually one of the most drought resistant plants in existence. Some species have therefore adapted to survive in seasonally dry climates such as alpine rocks or stabilized sand dunes. During lengthy dry periods, mosses are able to completely dry-out and suspend all growth. When moisture returns, moss plants will essentially come back from the dead and resume their photosynthetic metabolism.
What Is Not Moss?
There are several plants commonly referred to as mosses that are not actually moss. Reindeer moss (Cladonia rangiferina), also known as caribou moss, and so dubbed due to its integral role in the diets of grazing animals such as reindeer, caribou, moose and musk oxen, is actually a lichen belonging to the Cladoniaceae family. Related to neither mosses nor lichens, Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is another fraud. A flowering plant that grows hanging from tree branches in either full
sun or partial shade, Spanish moss is an angiosperm in the family Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads). Club mosses and Irish moss are two other fakers with misleading common names.
How Many Types of Mosses Are there?
Scientists estimate that there are approximately 12,000 species of moss classified in the Bryophyta plant division and about 1,000 of those can be found in the United States.
What Is Moss Paint?
The moss milkshake creates a type of moss paint that can then be spread across surfaces such as rocks, fences, brick walls, trees, ceramic pots, or wherever you desire your moss to grow. An alternative to buying or collecting additional moss plants, the moss milkshake, is likely the simplest way for growing moss without having to wait for them to spread on their own.
How to Make a DIY Moss Milkshake?
2 cups of buttermilk and 2 cups of water, topped with moss to fill the blender. The mixture should be blended until it reaches a milkshake consistency and can then be painted or poured onto the substrate of your choice. Be sure to give your milkshake concoction plenty of misting and you should be growing moss within three weeks.
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