Moss Transplanting Techniques
PLEASE READ FIRST. Moss is completely different than vascular plants – it has no roots, and
responds very differently. If you are a plant person, please disregard everything you know
about vascular plants and read this information thoroughly.
STORING MOSS UNTIL IT IS TRANSPLANTED
If your moss cannot be planted right away, don’t be overly concerned. Just be sure to store your
boxes in a cool, dry place. The moss can be kept for a few weeks in the same box in which it
was shipped if kept dry. DO NOT store in a sunny or damp area.
Sometimes in spring our moss gets shipped damp. Be aware that any dampness in the box can
cause mold to form on the moss, especially during hot and humid periods. For this reason, any
moss that arrives damp should be planted as soon as possible. If it arrives dry, it is stable.
If timing is an issue, Sheet or Fern Moss that is damp can be unpacked and allowed to dry, but
the less handling the better. Dry Fern Moss, Sheet Moss, Rock Cap Moss and Cushion Moss, if
kept cool and dry, can be stored for a few months. However, like any living plant, the sooner it is
returned to its normal growing environment, the better.
A NOTE ABOUT HAIRCAP MOSS:
One exception to all of this is the Haircap Moss, which dries out very easily and can get to a
point where it can be difficult to revitalize. For this reason, Haircap Moss is shipped damp, so be
sure to transplant and thoroughly water it as soon as you can. Note: soaking will revitalize this
species within a matter of minutes. Since Haircap Moss is shipped with some of the soil
attached, it may be necessary to dig out a small amount of soil at your transplant site to keep
the moss “sod” level with the surrounding soil.
LOCATION:
Make sure you are transplanting your moss into a shady area, preferably with a northern
exposure. Moss also prefers a consistently moist, damp area. Do not plant our shade-loving
mosses in a location that will receive more than one hour of direct sun per day. Filtered sun is
tolerable. Haircap moss, once established, will tolerate the most sun. Cushion and Rock Cap
moss the least.
CLEARING THE AREA:
The soil bed should be free of debris — raking and then sweeping or blowing leaves from the
area is strongly advised, otherwise the moss will not make proper contact with the soil. Remove
any existing grass and weeds by hand or kill them off with sulfur products mentioned below. DO
NOT use weed killers in areas where moss will be transplanted. Covering weeds with black
plastic is also an option.
CHECKING AND AMENDING THE pH LEVEL:
Our mosses are collected in a region of northeastern Pennsylvania where a soil pH of 5.0 - 5.5
is most common. Testing to ensure that you are in this range is highly recommended. A pH
lower than 5.0 (more acidic) is fine, but higher numbers need to be adjusted with a sulfur
product such as our wettable sulfur. A pH test kit is also available from Moss Acres at
mossacres.com. If your soil pH is too high, simply spray the area or drop-spread the Wettable
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Sulfur or a sulfur powder prior to transplanting. Make sure the sulfur is watered into the soil for
at least a week before planting because sulfur can burn the moss.
PREPARING THE SOIL:
Rake the area to make a thin layer of fine, loose soil, but do not turn the soil. Amending the soil
with peat moss is NOT recommended. Wetting the soil in advance to a depth of two inches is
advised (this helps to set up a moist environment, but does not feed the moss via roots because
moss has no roots).
TRANSPLANTING THE MOSS:
You may also soak each section of moss by hand in a bucket of water before applying it to the
ground (we prefer this method). If soaking, hold the moss from the bottom and dunk it in the
bucket for 10 seconds or so. Place each moss section on the ground and firmly press or tamp
the section(s) into the soil with your hand or foot to ensure there are no air pockets underneath.
You may want to tamp down the sections each day for a week to ensure good contact with the
soil.
WATERING THE MOSS:
Thoroughly soak the moss and continue to water only to keep moist for at least three to
four (3 - 4) weeks, or as needed depending on climate, site and weather conditions. Watering
in the morning or in the evening is best for moss, but never during extremely hot or sunny times
of the day. Using rainwater, distilled or reverse osmosis is much preferable to any type of
chlorinated or salty water, or even well water. Watering moss gardens in hot weather is an
invitation to fungal development and is not recommended – it is actually better to let the moss
dry out than to over water. YES, YOU CAN EASILY OVER-WATER MOSS. Here at Moss
Acres, we find that if we put the moss in the right place and just water it in well a couple of times
and then simply let mother nature take over, it responds much better. It may dry out and not
look great at times, but when the rain comes, the lush green returns. Don’t baby your moss –
sometimes neglect is just what it needs! Just make sure your site is in a shady location – no
more than 1 hour of sun a day.
CARING FOR YOUR MOSS:
Be on the look out for birds, squirrels and rodents searching for grubs and insects under
the moss. You may need to cover the moss with our 1/4” Protective Mesh Netting or Transplant
Netting. Keep leaves and other debris off the moss because they will smother the moss, which
takes in all of its nutrients and moisture from above the ground through its tiny leaves (no roots).
Do not rake the moss to remove leaves: use a broom or leaf blower (carefully). It is highly
advised to use netting for catching and then easily removing the leaves once they are all down
— simply roll up the netting and discard (compost!) the leaves. Alternatively a leaf blower can
be used on damp days, but only gently from a distance for larger areas, and only after the moss
is well established.
Please keep us informed of your success — we are always looking for feedback and iphotos of
projects for our website. Send photos and information to info@mossacres.com. If you are a
landscape professional we will link to you. Thanks again for your order – we appreciate it!
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