Grow Moss On Hardscaping Rocks To Give Them A Natural Look
Hardscaping your landscaping project can create a natural and inviting look for your property. One way to make the large rocks that you use in your hardscaping project to appear as if they have been there forever is getting moss to grow on them. How can you do that? Here, you will learn a few tips to help expedite the moss growing process on your hardscaping rocks.
Create the Right Conditions
Moss won't grow just anywhere, but if you know the conditions that it needs to thrive, you can make some changes to create the perfect conditions. Moss likes moisture, and lots of it. Moss doesn't like a lot of sun. The sun can actually kill the moss that you are trying to grow. So, if you don't have an area that is partially or fully shaded, you will have to plant some larger plants, shrubs or trees to shade the rocks that you want the moss to grow on.
Transplant Existing Moss
The easiest and fastest way to grow the moss is to transplant it from somewhere else. If you have access to a creek or stream, take a flat shovel and a bucket and gather some moss. When you do this, be sure that you scrape the moss from the rock where it is growing all the way to the bottom side of the soil. You don't want to damage the little filaments that keep the moss alive.
After you have the moss at home, pour some quality soil on the rock where you want the moss to grow. Cover the soil with the patches of moss and water it twice each day for a couple of weeks. In no time, the moss will spread and look as if it has been there forever.
Grow Your Own Moss
If you don't have access to naturally growing moss, you need to grow your own. To do this, you will need 4 cups of buttermilk and 3 cups of chopped up fresh or dried moss.
- Mix the two ingredients together to form a nice paste.
- Use a paintbrush to paint the mixture onto the rocks where you want the moss to grow.
- Keep the area moist using a misting nozzle on your garden hose. You want the area to be wet, but you don't want to wash the mixture away.
In roughly 6 weeks you will see moss beginning to grow. Continue to gently water it and keep it good and moist until it appears to be full grown and full of life.
