Frequently Asked Questions About – Moss on Bonsai

Putting moss on your bonsai looks great and it can actually help your tree stay healthy, but I often get asked a lot of questions about moss, which I will go through here.

If you have any other questions that I haven’t covered below, just let me know.

What Type Of Moss Is Best For A Bonsai Tree?

When it comes to moss for your bonsai, anything you can find is going to be perfect.

You do not need to go out and buy moss or try and grow it yourself, you just have to go out into your local area and find little patches of it. It will literally be everywhere and super easy to find and harvest.

This is going to be the best moss as it will actually grow in your climate. It is probably going to grow like crazy when it meets your lovely soil and excellent watering regime …and it’s free, so you really can’t beat it.

Of course you will find different types of moss and you may like some more than others, and that is okay. Just use the moss that you like the look of, this will be more than adequate for your bonsai.

Is There Any Moss You Should Not Be Using?

Really this comes down to person preference. Moss grows in slightly different ways and there may be a moss that you just don’t like the look of …and if this is the case, don’t use it.

The only “moss” you shouldn’t use is “Irish moss” which is also known as Sagina Subulata, this isn’t real moss and is more of a plant. This will have roots it will take up space in your pot and steal resources from your tree. It can look nice, but it is more trouble than it is worth.

How Can You Distinguish Between Different Types Of Moss?

We can try and get all scientific when it comes to moss, There are all sorts of different names and characteristics you can look for but really none of that matters, you just need to look at the moss and that is more than enough to distinguish them from each other.

You will very easily be able to see different traits and styles of growth by just looking at your moss and you can tell from this if it would look good or not with your bonsai. You don’t need to worry about its name or whatever. So long as its moss …and you like how it looks, that is all that matters.

Ideally you want to see the moss when it is healthy and plump, so you should examine it after it has rained, or at least water it first and then come back shortly after to look at it. A lot of dried moss can look the same, so it is important that you see it when it’s wet.

How Fast Does Moss Grow On A Bonsai Tree?

Moss can be quite fast growing, but really this depends on the type of moss, your climate and even what time of year it is.

So long as the moss has adequate light and water, it will grow.

How exactly it grows will also depend on the species of moss, some will spread sideways and other will grow more upright and some species do a sort of combination of the two.

Watch any of my youtube videos and you will see the moss quickly grow and spread on my pots from month to month.

What Is The Technique For Applying Moss To A Bonsai Tree?

There are a number of different techniques for applying moss and all of them will work.

I actually cover this in a lot more depth in this article – How to Moss a Bonsai – The 4 Best Techniques

Really you just need to scrape up some moss and squish it down on to your soil and that’s it. After a while it will take hold and start to spread. Of course you can do this with multiple patches of moss and quickly cover the whole pot.

You can also do nothing, which is what I do …but this only works if you are in an environment that is very favourable for moss. Where I live, it just grows, so even if I don’t want it … it’s going to grow in my pots no matter what.

What Are The Best Methods For Propagating Moss For Use In A Bonsai?

Personally I don’t think you need to propagate moss, but I am aware that I live in an environment where it is just going to grow regardless and I know some of you do not have this advantage.

I would first start by trying to collect as much moss as possible and just placing this on your pots. It will grow and spread and for most of you, this will be fine, any little gaps you have will disappear over time.

However, if you want to grow moss for future trees, then I would do something similar. I would get a shallow tray and fill it with a thin layer of your bonsai soil. I would then go and collect as much moss as I could and try to fill the tray.

I would just leave this tray near my trees and just water it when I was watering my trees (make sure it has a drainage hole). Eventually this tray will just become a sheet of moss and then when you need it for you trees, you can take as much as you need and place it on your pots.

Doing it this way is going to make sure the moss is use to your climate, soil and watering regime so it will transfer over very quickly to your pots. This will be better than growing it elsewhere or keeping it covered with a plastic dome. It may grow faster, but it may also die when you take it out and place it on your pots.

This method is a little slow, but it is the best method and this is what I would do if I was tryhing to propagate more moss.

Can Moss Help Improve The Health Of Your Bonsai Tree?

Moss can help with the health of the tree in an indirect way. The moss itself doesn’t help the tree, but how the moss interacts with the soil does.

The moss stops the soil from drying out so quickly, and it can also help keep the soil in place, which of course is always going to be a great benefit for any tree.

Moss also allows the roots to grow in every part of the pot, usually the soil near the surface dries out a lot and the tree doesn’t grow roots here for that exact reason. Since the moss stops this happening and keeps that area damper for longer ….roots will grow here. This means that moss can help your tree have more roots growing in the pot, which will indirectly make the tree healthier.  

(You can read more about – Should You Put Moss On A Bonsai?)

What Is The Difference Between Using Moss And Other Ground Coverings Around A Bonsai Tree?

Sometimes you will see moss being used on bonsai, and sometimes you may see other ground coverings, such as small stones and pebbles.

The only real difference between these two things is aesthetics. Both are used to give the tree a certain look and feel and hopefully bring some realism to the planting. Which one you use comes down to personal preference and of course the tree you are using, one or the other may just look better with that certain tree and pot.

However, as I’ve already discussed above, moss can give the tree some indirect health benefits, which will not happen if you use any other sort of ground covering like pebbles.  

(You can read more about – What Is The Significance Of Moss On Bonsai?)

Conclusion

Hopefully this clears up any confusion around moss for your bonsai.

If you haven’t got any already, get out there and find some and add it to your pots, it is very much worth your time, both for how cool it looks and for how it can help your trees out.