encouraging moss!

[lettucegrow!]

You'll probably think I'm mad but I have a small area of lawn that doesn't get the sun and has a fair amount of moss,so I have decided not to fight nature anymore but go with it and want to grow a moss lawn.I quite like the stuff but does anyone know where I can get hold of moss to plant there so that it doesn't look like a neglected lawn but a lush moss carpet!!Any ideas?

[vicky]

You can buy sphagnun for hanging baskets, but it does look like 'neglected moss'!
The lovely moss you're talking about grows in the forests near here (obviously you can't pick it out the wild), I suppose you could find a landowner who does want it?
Have you googles 'moss for sale' or something like that?

[Paul Wagland]

I have a slightly odd idea....

Dig up a handful of healthy moss, rub into small pieces and mix into a large pot of live yoghurt.... Spread the yoghurt wherever you want to moss to grow.

The idea is the moss feeds on the yoghurt I think. It was an idea somebody had for 'ageing' stone statues and pots, but I can't see why it wouldn't work on grass.

You will get odd looks though.

[Snadger]

I have a slightly odd idea....

Dig up a handful of healthy moss, rub into small pieces and mix into a large pot of live yoghurt.... Spread the yoghurt wherever you want to moss to grow.

The idea is the moss feeds on the yoghurt I think. It was an idea somebody had for 'ageing' stone statues and pots, but I can't see why it wouldn't work on grass.

You will get odd looks though.

I thought that was for algae? You DON'T want an algae coated lawn unless you are prepared to wear ice skates on it!

Chopping the existing moss into one inch pieces and re-planting the lawn with it sounds a workable idea though!

[lettucegrow!]

thanks for the suggestions and not one of you said I was mad!!I thought as we spend a lot of time at war with moss in the lawn I thought I'd be shot down in flames for suggesting that I might encourage it. I think the yogurt idea was for encouraging algae as well,a quick way to make pots look they've been in a garden ages and I have googled but just seem to get ads about killing the stuff.Might go for the copping and spreading idea,don't know any wealthy landowners!!

[Paul Wagland]

Would work for algae too, I'm sure, but it was definitely moss I read about. I think it was in a press release from a stone ornament manufacturer.

[Snadger]

The other things you could do with the area is pave it (although the paving would probably accumulate moss!) or gravel it. I totally agree with you about not fighting it........you'll never win, especially in a damp shady area!!

[Birdie Wife]

Would work for algae too, I'm sure, but it was definitely moss I read about. I think it was in a press release from a stone ornament manufacturer.

Definitely not lichen then? I think I've heard of this technique for painting lichen on garden seats and statues

Moss likes a nutrient poor, acidic environment, so don't add fertiliser or lime. Sphagnum moss is a specific type that grows in exceedingly wet, boggy areas and doesn't like to be out of water for too long, so not the best choice for your lawn really! I'm not sure of the 'lawn moss' species but I'm sure if you ask around, there'll be someone who has some in a lawn near you. As it has no roots, it will grow from very small pieces (propagules) so if you find a supply, you can chop it up finely and spread it on. There are Dutch peat bog restoration sites which have done well with encouraging sphagnum growth by blitzing up sphagnum in a liquidiser and spreading it over sites.