Putting moss on your bonsai is something you should be doing. It can quickly and easily make things look better and also provide some health benefits, but I often see the same few mistakes over and over again, which I want to point out here.
These are all easy mistakes to make, and luckily they are also easy mistakes to correct, so if you catch yourself doing any of these then you can quickly correct it.
If you use moss in the correct way it will only add value to your bonsai, which is exactly what we want.
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Not Applying The Moss Correctly Is A Mistake
A very common mistake with moss that I always see is it not being applied properly.
When you put the moss on the soil in your pot, you really need to squish it down. The better the contact the moss has with the soil, the more likely it will take hold and grow and thrive. If you just set the moss on the soil, it will usually just dry up, die and just generally look awful.
If you look at moss that has grown on the soil by itself, it is almost a part of the soil, it’s not just floating on top, it is fully attached and grips the soil. If you are adding clumps yourself, you need to make sure it is pressed in properly. This will make it look flat and kind of ugly, but it’s important.
Within a few weeks it will be properly gripping your soil and it will plump up and look good, so don’t worry if it looks flat at first.
(You can read more about – How to Moss a Bonsai – The 4 Best Techniques)
Don’t Let The Moss Climb Up The Trunk
We use moss on our bonsai for both aesthetic and health reasons …but if we let the moss climb up the trunk of our tree, we lose both of these benefits.
When moss is climbing up your trunk, it doesn’t look great. We can’t see the trunk flare or the roots spreading out into the ground, it is all hidden and you normally just get this straight trunk poking up from a sea of moss. This really means that even moss that is just getting a little too close to your trunk can still be stealing from your aesthetics that you have spent so long developing, so if you have let it reach the trunk, you have really lost a lot.
However, more importantly moss on the trunk can actually be damaging to your tree. Moisture can get trapped under the moss and basically it will start to rot away your bark.
If you don’t deal with this quick enough, you may find that you peel the moss away only to find a section of your bark goes with it. Everything can go soft and mushy and just sort of melt away. This does not look good and it can cause your tree problems.
If you see the moss creeping on you your trunk, start removing it. It is a very easy mistake to avoid.
Adding Too Much Moss Can Be A Mistake
Adding too much moss can be a mistake, but really it depends on how well it is done, or not.
If you are adding patches of moss to your soil, it can be okay to have a few gaps, or spaces in between the moss. The moss will eventually grow and everything will fill in and it can all look very natural.
However, this doesn’t mean this is the only way to do thing, you can add the moss so that it is all touching and there are no gap. Although, I think to do this well is harder. You can end up making it look like everything is too man made, but not always.
Personally I would rather add slightly less moss and let nature do its thing and spread naturally. I just think this results in things looking more natural, but really it’s down to you to decide what you like.
I would make sure you are not adding moss too close to your trunk. As I’ve already discussed that is bad so if you are actively doing that, then this is a mistake and you have actually added too much moss.
Not Caring For The Moss Properly Is A Mistake
Moss really does not require a lot of care, it just needs light and water so it is hard to mess this up, but some people will.
Ideally you want to look after your tree in a way that will automatically mean the moss is getting looked after too.
All you need to do is make sure you tree is getting enough light, which it will if it is living outside, and then water it from above. This is going to make sure the soil surface and the moss will get wet and both will be very happy.
(You can read more about – How Do You Take Care Of Moss On A Bonsai Tree?)
Conclusion
As you can see the mistakes you can make with moss are pretty simple and easy to avoid, so there is no reason why you should be making them.
Having good looking moss that is well cared for is easy to achieve on your bonsai and with a little care you can make that happen.
(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Moss on Bonsai)
Hi, I’m Ian. I have been doing bonsai since 2014. I created this site to spread all the knowledge I have acquired over the years. Don’t forget to check out my Youtube videos where I show the progress of my own Bonsai each week or connect with me on social media.
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