Moss and Lichen Garden - Ask Extension
Hello,
I have a north facing backyard at my town home with a large pine tree in blocking the light from the east and the town houses blocking the lig...
Knowledgebase
Moss and Lichen Garden #892300
Asked February 04, 2025, 3:56 PM EST
Hello,
I have a north facing backyard at my town home with a large pine tree in blocking the light from the east and the town houses blocking the light from the west. It appears that it is also on a lower slope and has water coming towards it. I would like to start a moss and lichen garden but there are not many resources on how to encourage the growth of these plants.
Should I encourage these to grown on concrete structures, how to I ensure good growth and how do I make sure I purchase from an ethical sources and I've heard some of these plants are poached out of national and state land areas?
Anoka County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for writing. This is a difficult project. It requires shade and nearly constant misting or dampness. I include two pictures from Japan.
Because the misting has to be constant, you need extremely constant monitoring. Notice on the buddha, there is a fine plastic mesh, moss is applied. The misting spigot can be seen center bottom.
the Brits use yogurt-moss milkshakes. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/yoghurt-method-moss-dry-start-method-how-to-grow-moss.53478/ Legal packets of moss can be purchased at major garden centers (do not buy at little markets or box stores) lest the moss die during storage.
In order for me to comment on your particular plan, I would need a photo of the site, with dimensions. Tell me the lowest site and direction of waterflow. Tell me which direction is north and the time of day of the picture. Overall, it sounds quite ambitious. You might consider shrubs that normally grow under trees such as rhododendron, blueberries, azaleas, etc.
Because the misting has to be constant, you need extremely constant monitoring. Notice on the buddha, there is a fine plastic mesh, moss is applied. The misting spigot can be seen center bottom.
the Brits use yogurt-moss milkshakes. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/yoghurt-method-moss-dry-start-method-how-to-grow-moss.53478/ Legal packets of moss can be purchased at major garden centers (do not buy at little markets or box stores) lest the moss die during storage.
In order for me to comment on your particular plan, I would need a photo of the site, with dimensions. Tell me the lowest site and direction of waterflow. Tell me which direction is north and the time of day of the picture. Overall, it sounds quite ambitious. You might consider shrubs that normally grow under trees such as rhododendron, blueberries, azaleas, etc.
Here is the second picture
