Moses are a nice addition to many flower gardens and/or landscaped yards.  They are an attractive component of perennial beds, bases of trees and shrubs, rock gardens or even to grass lawns.

Two methods for moss establishment are widely discussed in the literature, transplanting of moss sod or fragments and blending moss fragments in a blender. These methods are mostly anectdotal, with very few controlled experiments or systematic comparisons. Please share your experiences with us.

For lawns and garden beds both the transplanting and blending methods work well.  For rock or wood substrates the blending method is preferred.  Transplanting may offer a "finished" look more rapidly, but it may also require a bit more work.  For the best results we recommend using the transplant method then filling in with blended moss fragments.  For either method the steps to follow are quite similar:

Site selection:

• Sites where moss is already growing is also a good indicator of a potentially successful site. Mosses in Oregon may thrive in both moist AND sunny habitats.
• A shady, moist area, preferably under broadleaf or conifer trees is ideal for lawns. 

Preparing your site:

• Remove grass and other pre-existing plants.  Digging a slight trench may be necessary to level the soil if using the transplantation method.
• Raking, hoeing or hand removal of plants in your site is the best method.  Herbicides have also been used, but then you must wait for the herbicide to dissipate.  Water the soil until it is muddy.

Acquiring moss for transplanting or blending:

• In the Pacific Northwest, the best time of year to collect and plant mosses is in the fall when the ground is moist and the fall rains have begun.  This will decrease the watering requirements of your moss garden, as the rain will naturally keep the moss moist.
• Gather small moss/sod fragments from areas of your yard where moss is already established.  Mosses will rapidly fill in these patches.
• If no moss is growing in your yard or on your property, roadcuts and roadsides nearby may offer suitable moss.
• Contact your local native plant store.  They may sell moss or be able to direct you in your search.

Planting your moss fragments (transplanting method)

• Moisten the bottom of collected moss fragments and gently press the moss "sod" into the selected site, firmly enough to remove any air pockets. 
• Nails or small sticks may be used to keep the moss sod in place on a slope or to prevent animal disturbance.

Fill in your fragments with "blended moss":

• Place pieces of moss in a blender with a small amount of water and blend for two minutes.  The result should be a thick moss slurry. Addition of moss fragments may be necessary for a thicker mixture.
• Paint or spread this slurry in the areas between your moss patches.
• Many blended moss methods and mixtures have been suggested including:

1. Water and moss alone is typically sufficient for application to soil.

2. Potter's clay mix: 3 parts potter's clay, 1 part fish emulsion fertilizer. This method is suggested for use on clay pots or rock surfaces.

3. Buttermilk and/or egg to the moss fragments. This method also offers "sticking" power for rock or clay surfaces.

Water until moss is well established:

• As moss lack true roots of vascular plants it is vital to keep them moist.
• In approximately 5 weeks your moss "garden" should be well on its way.
• It may take several weeks to see new moss growth. Sown moss fragments, instead of directly growing new shoots revert to the protonemal form, which looks like a thin film of green algae growing on the surface of the soil.  Don't worry, this is normal and the protonemal stage will soon develop buds which grow into new moss shoots.  See Basic Biology of Mosses section.

For more on moss gardening see the Recommended Links section.

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