Horticulturist's of the past came up with a brilliant recipe to encourage the growth of moss to age and add interest to their garden designs, this recipe can be used as an an environmentally friendly alternative to spray paint.
The success of the recipe itself can be very hit and miss and is very much dependent upon choosing exactly the right location and weather conditions; moss thrives in the damp and can most often be found growing near to a leaky drainpipe or rain-soaked wall. If you have difficulty finding the right climate in which to grow your moss, grow it indoors (where it can be frequently spray-misted with water) and transplant it outdoors as soon as it has begun to grow. This is what I have done in the example shown in this instructable.
RECIPE
*Several clumps of moss
*1 pot of natural yoghurt or 12oz buttermilk (experiment to see which works best)
*1/2 teaspoon of sugar
*blender
*Plastic pot (with a lid)
*Paint brush
*Spray-mister
nb If growing your moss inside you will also need a seed tray containing compost
The success of the recipe itself can be very hit and miss and is very much dependent upon choosing exactly the right location and weather conditions; moss thrives in the damp and can most often be found growing near to a leaky drainpipe or rain-soaked wall. If you have difficulty finding the right climate in which to grow your moss, grow it indoors (where it can be frequently spray-misted with water) and transplant it outdoors as soon as it has begun to grow. This is what I have done in the example shown in this instructable.
RECIPE
*Several clumps of moss
*1 pot of natural yoghurt or 12oz buttermilk (experiment to see which works best)
*1/2 teaspoon of sugar
*blender
*Plastic pot (with a lid)
*Paint brush
*Spray-mister
nb If growing your moss inside you will also need a seed tray containing compost
Step 1: Find some moss
Moss can often be found growing in damp areas, between the cracks in paving stones, on drainpipe covers or, in this example, near to a riverbank.
Step 2: Gather several clumps of moss
Gather several clumps of moss in a bag and take them to a place where you can easily wash them
Step 4: Add the ingredients
Place some of the moss, the buttermilk (or yoghurt) and sugar into a blender and start to mix. This must be done in small phases as the moss can easily get caught in the blades of blender. Keep blending until you have a green milkshake with the texture of a thick smoothie. Pour the mixture into a plastic container.
Step 5: Paint your design
Paint your chosen design onto your chosen location or (if growing indoors) on top of a flattened layer of compost in a seed tray.
Step 6: Spray mist your design
Ensure that your moss design is kept moist by spray-misting it with water regularly. After a few weeks the moss should start to re-contitute and grow.
Step 7: Transfer your design outdoors
If growing moss indoors transfer it to a suitable location (where it is likely to be kept damp) outdoors. Return regularly to the location and see its progress, spray-misting it if it starts to dry out.
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Likely not, there are 6.5Bn people on the planet. You could consider this destruction, but on the scale of possible destruction, hipster organic all natural etc. apple orchards are far worse, the moss supply will grow back in under a year or even within weeks depending on where you get it. If you live in anything except under the stars, buck naked, you have more impact than this. Heck, squirrels have more of an impact than this project.
Next thing...what is it with thinking that you have to paint things with yogurt just because Martha says to? Moss has been around a whole lot longer than Martha, and even longer than yogurt, and even longer than humans. Put a rock in the shade and keep it damp, you'll get moss without wasting your time painting it with yogurt. If you put a rock in the sun, and paint it with yogurt, you're still not going to get moss.
I think there's plenty of nasty ways that people are destroying the environment, which are far more worth getting angry about, without getting upset over a handful of folks having a bit of harmless fun with moss - which most gardeners would chuck into their compost bin anyway.
This is a fun growing experiment and gives you a nice moss garden/designs in a nice eco-friendly way. Thanks for the project ideas!
This is a great, non-descructive all natural way to incorporate art into nature. Keep in mind it doesn't have to be graffiti, it could be adding moss to your rock garden or along a water feature or to hide the drain in your driveway. Even if you don't like it, it'll eventually grow itself away.
"The buttermilk (or yogurt) acts as both food and glue for the moss spores."
This is pretty neat. And while something that most people wouldn't notice, those who do will definitely be shocked out of their rat-race fuzz.