Fun With Moss (Embryophyte)

Moss, one of the few Bryophyte (embryophytes - land plants) on earth, are so unique as compared to any usual plants we commonly know!

Unlike plants, depend on tissue cells within them to transport water for growth, whereas Moss do not have true vascular tissue to transport water instead it depend on the moisture in their surrounding environment to nourish & reproduce themselves. Moss propagate via spore instead of seeds like common plant do. They like damp and slightly acidic base soil.

So with better understanding the living condition of moss, we now can have better growing them in pots or container within our living environment. Having said, if the living environment is not suitable for their growth, they would not do well..

I've got some moss grown naturally on few of my potted plant as well as few bonsai soil surface. That I think there must have some spore somewhere somehow flew and landed there. So I decided to experiment collecting them to grow them on separate pot, as well as did few moss terrarium from them as seen in the below video.

Generally, these are the steps I've taken to do up few of my moss terrariums.

Material

- Some healthy/green sheet of live land-moss (purchase or collect from any damp-shaded area in garden, etc)

- Suitable container such as plate, bowl, glass container, etc.

- Coast sand, pebbles and garden top soil;

- Some dried moss or shredded straw;

- A tweezer, a small shovel/spoon; and

- A water sprayer.

Steps

1) Add a layer of coast sand in the bottom of the selected container with the spoon;

2) Mix growing substrate base for moss, by adding dried moss or shredded straw to the garden top soil (50% each) and spray with some water, stir/mix well to achieve plastering form;

3) Fill the growing substrate on top of the sand, and form the desire shape/surface before adding live land-moss on it;

4) Use tweezer to pick & lay the live land-moss to cover the substrate surface.

5) Spray the moss surface;

6) Tap lightly the moss surface to ensure they are intact on the substrate to draw moisture from it.

Hope you'll enjoy my video.

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Thanks much & Cheers!