Mosses on the green wall
I am often asked whether and how mosses can be cultivated in the plant wall. In this report I will devote myself entirely to mosses. Mosses are not only decorative and very versatile, but they are also very good for the other plants in the wall and for the climate. They are also one of the most effective air filters against greenhouse gases and fine dust.
What are mosses?
Mosses are green terrestrial plants that do not usually form supporting and guiding tissue. They belong to the flowerless spore plants that reproduce by a generation change. Mosses do not have roots, but cell filaments (rhizoids) and therefore only grow a few centimetres high. You quickly notice this when you work with mosses. Unlike the other plants, they do not have a root ball and they are not to be understood as one plant, but as a plant carpet whose individual «fibres» can look after themselves independently and are not necessarily dependent on the whole.
Mosses are basically evergreen plants.
Foliage Moss
Moss species
Worldwide, bryology, the science of mosses, distinguishes about 16,000 different moss species, with just over 1,100 occurring in Europe.
Roughly speaking, mosses can be divided into three classic types according to growth form and structure:
- Hornworts – mostly halm-like appearance, not hardy, at best suitable for indoors
- Liverworts – mostly lichen-like appearance or like small stalk with leaves. Short-lived.
- Deciduous moss – consists of thin, multicellular filaments in a wide variety of shapes. Most widespread moss.
However, there are basically two types of moss that can be easily distinguished visually: pleurocarpic and acrocarpic mosses. The pleurocarpic type usually grows prostrate and spreads rapidly horizontally. The acrocarpous type usually grows in clumps and first grows in height/width before spreading.
Some moss species flower, while others are exclusively green.
How do I put the moss on the wall?
You can’t just buy moss and plant it in the wall. It’s more about growing moss on the wall. I have already tried many things and will make a small list of the methods and your chances of success here:
Attach panel moss to the plant wall
I attached the plate moss to the wall with pins and some resin. The success was obvious. Just 1/20 of the moss has grown on the wall in 2 years. The rest died and had to be removed. The chances of success are best with fresh moss from the forest.
The basic problem, however, is that the moss cannot be fixed over the entire surface, but only in dots. This does not guarantee that the entire surface is in contact with the wall.
Conclusion: It looks good at first, but the chances of success are very slim. The resin has left stains.
Effort: large
Chances of success: < 5%
Wall with panel moss
Beschädigung des Paneelmooses (gelbe Bereiche sind gebrochen)Panel moss damage (yellow areas are broken)
Spread small pieces of moss on the wall
The idea behind this is that the moss spreads from the small moss spot. I attached the moss pieces to the wall with pins.
Some have actually started growing as well. But unfortunately only one in 10 shows growth. It took a long time to spread. During this time, the moss image was not homogeneous, i.e. patchy.
I recommend this type of moss cultivation if you find a beautiful moss and want to incorporate it into your plant wall. Especially when it is subsequently applied to an already existing moss carpet. This almost always works, as the conditions are ideal for moss.
Conclusion: Can work. But it takes a long time for a real «carpet» to form. Particularly suitable when individual clumps of moss are placed sporadically in the wall as eye-catchers.
Effort: Large
Time: at least 2-3 years
Chance of success approx. 10%
Moss milkshake
The moss milkshake is a kind of paste that you can apply to surfaces to make moss grow. The internet is full of recipes for this. The basic recipe is always the same.
Recipe:
- large piece of moss
- two cups of buttermilk or yoghurt
- two cups of water.
- Mix the mixture in an old blender until it has the consistency of a traditional milkshake.
I have tried this a few times. With living and dead moss. Unfortunately, I have to admit that it didn’t even work out. For this, one wall has started to stink. But there is no trace of moss. That is why I also advise against this method.
Conclusion: Never worked for me. But it broke my plant wall. I advise against it.
Effort: Large
Chances of success: 0% (for me)
Moss milkshake
Finished moss milkshake from the trade
Inoculate water
Another method is to inoculate the water with spores. To do this, mix dead moss very finely and simply add it to the water. Best together with the fertiliser. But be careful: the mosses must not clog the pump, so mix finely.
After a few months, a moss wall forms over the entire area. It takes approx. 1 year indoors and approx. 2 years outdoors for it to cover, but from the beginning you have even growth.
This method works well and is especially suitable for indoor areas. Since indoors, where there are usually no or only a few moss spores. I.e. where no moss would grow naturally.
Conclusion:This method works and is especially recommended if the moss does not find its way there naturally or if you want to have certain types of moss on the wall.
Effort: Medium
Time: approx. 1-2 years
Chances of success: approx. 90
Natural growth
The best method is natural growth. This is nothing more than having the patience to let a broken piece of the plant wall grow over. Under the right conditions, a wall can be mossy all over in 2 years.
Depending on the conditions, moss can grow over the whole area or spread from formed moss areas. These areas are usually in the lower third of the plant wall.
The conditions for mosses are:
- Moist subsoil – reliable irrigation
- much light
- Well fertilised water
- The plants around the moss are already planted.
- High humidity in the interior
Conclusion: The metode works flawlessly for me and gives the most beautiful moss tea table, as different moss species settle. Natural growth has worked for me both indoors and outdoors. A high level of humidity must prevail in the interior (> 60% humidity).
Time required: Minimal
Time: approx. 2 years
Chances of success: 95%
Instructions for growing moss from the plant wall
The instructions refer tonatural growth and rely on the moss spores that are found everywhere in our environment. These are either brought into the vertical garden by the other plants and their soil, or they come in through the air and settle on the surface of the wall.
Step 1: Determine where the moss should go
When growing moss, it is first necessary to determine an area where ideal conditions for moss should prevail. It is best to place this area in the middle and at the bottom (see picture on the left), as this is where most of the water collects. At the top it is usually too dry and there is too little shade to grow moss. Especially if the wall is not completely shaded.
It is best to plant the top row with plants that provide a lot of shade and have dense foliage. The foliage provides humidity that flows down along the plant wall. There should also be good shade at the edge to protect the moss from the sun’s rays coming in from the side.
At the very bottom is the best place to expect moss. Not only is the ground very damp, but the humidity is also highest there. In addition, it is usually the shadiest place on the wall.
As soon as moss grows somewhere, it automatically spreads over the wall, provided the conditions are right.
Step 2: Create ideal conditions
- above: Moss behind fig tree
- below:Moss under hanging sedum
How do you create the ideal conditions outdoors?
Mosses love shade. Therefore, a shady wall is more suitable than one facing the sun. For sunny walls, however, there is a very good and simple trick:
Shrubs that lose their leaves in winter or plants that retreat in winter are planted around the moss area. This creates ideal conditions for moss. In spring, when the sun is still weak, it pushes the growth of moss and the weather is not yet warm enough for the surface of the wall to dry. In summer, however, the moss is protected by the foliage of the other plants and can continue to spread.
Plants with strong foliage should be placed at the top of the wall, as they generate good humidity and thus feed the mosses growing below. Hanging plants are also suitable as they maintain a healthy, moist environment underneath.
- above: Walls with fallow area for moss with daylight lamps
- below: Fallow with moss
(The pictures are taken 6 months after planting)
Ideal conditions for indoor mosses
Indoors, moss always has the same conditions, as neither autumn nor winter exists. For this reason, exotic hornworts can also be used.
The most important condition is humidity. This should be above 60% in the room where the plant wall is located, and 70% directly in front of the wall. In addition, no strong draughts from ventilation systems should affect the wall, otherwise the wall surface will dry out.
The area where the moss is to grow must be fallow, i.e. completely unplanted. In addition, the area should be irradiated with cold daylight. This promotes growth in general.
In addition, the wall must be fertilised regularly.
If these criteria are met, moss grows by itself, without any «sowing» or effort.
Step 3: Patience
Moss wall after 3 months (without intervention with ideal conditions)
Moss wall after 6 months (without intervention with ideal conditions)
When the plant wall is running and ideal conditions have been created, it is now time to wait. Depending on the location and other circumstances, it can take up to a year before the first signs are visible. Normally the first moss should sprout after 3-6 months.
What to do if no moss emerges
If no moss appears after a year, the first thing to do is to check that the surface of the plant wall is well moist. If it is too dry, schedule more watering intervals. If the wall is damp and the above conditions are also correct, I recommend water inoculation. I also recommend them if you want to have certain types of moss on the wall.
Diversity of mosses
This is a wall of plants that, probably thanks to the wind, has various species of moss on it. It is an exterior wall.
