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Moss Blog
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Polytrichum juniperinum approximately 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall
March 27, 2010 Moss walls, indoor moss walls and indoor moss gardens
I can’t believe I am writing this but due to numerous requests for information I am giving some general guidelines on moss walls and indoor moss gardens. I have avoided this topic because most of the people requesting this information have never grown any type of moss garden. I feel it is critical to learn how to grow a moss garden outdoors on the ground before moving on to moss walls, indoor moss gardens, indoor moss walls. Yet these are the hot topics so I will sketch out the parameters you need to understand.
There have been some magnificent attempts to push the envelope in moss gardening in the last few years. Although these attempts have not been successful, I believe that we are going to see success in these areas on a large scale soon.
The New York Times new building in downtown Manhattan had an open air birch and moss garden which was enclosed by glass walls but open to the sky above.
The California Academy of Sciences new building had a large indoor moss wall as the feature for the Moss Wall Restaurant.
A high rise on Fifth Avenue in New York had an indoor moss garden in the lobby.
There have been others but these three are the most prominent.
After the moss was dead or dying at the CAS and Fifth avenue gardens, Moss Acres (www.mossacres.com <http://www.mossacres.com>) was contacted by the landscape architects and Moss Acres then contacted me for my input. The irrigation subcontractor for the NY Times moss garden contacted Moss Acres who I was visiting at the time and Heidi, manager of Moss Acres, asked for my thoughts.
What I believe to be the issues causing the moss to die:
Moss wall (Moss Wall Restaurant) had coir as a base which turned black and degraded over time. Misting/irrigation water was not rainwater or equivalent thus water hardness, dissolved salts and pH were unacceptable.
NY Times had similar water issues. Landscape architect also believed that the extensive vertical glass walls may have lead to too much sunlight and overheating via reflection.
Lobby moss garden on Fifth Avenue had alkaline substrate for acidic loving mosses, inadequate light and also inappropriate water supply.
All three were good designs that were tripped up by water issues. I have explained my thoughts on water elsewhere on this site.
Indoor moss gardens.
Critical issues are moss species chosen, air quality, water, light, humidity, air movement, fertilization, temperature and substrate.
Moss species: choose a species that can tolerate desiccation and still look attractive such as a Dicranum or Hypnum species.
Obviously indoor air quality is not as good as outdoors. True there may be more available carbon dioxide which photosynthesizing plants love. What other indoor gases are there: smoke, even trace amounts of cigarette or motor exhaust, fumes from cleaning solvents etc? Some mosses are more susceptible to air quality than other. You really cannot moderate air quality. Site evaluation will determine whether it is in your opinion acceptable or unacceptable candidate. For now I believe most office environment or shopping mall type sites are good candidates for an indoor moss garden.
Water quality and delivery methods as well as fertilization are also variables that need attention indoors.
Water: initial water source should be either collected rainwater, distilled or reverse osmosis treated water. If using RO the hardness must be brought down to less than 10ppm and similar concentration for dissolved salts. The pH should be ideally 5.5 and the organic and inorganic fertilizer should not contain any appreciable calcium or zinc other than trace amounts. Using a dilute (1/5 normal applied concentration) of an acidic fertilizer such as Miracid is a good starting point. Fertilize every two to three weeks.
Water is best applied periodically as a mist or fog using display integrated nozzles that are on timers.
Light should be approximately 60+ foot candles at the moss level. Light supplied should be broad spectrum. The 60 fc is a starting point. The moss may require more or less.
Air movement may be acceptable but avoid a clammy still air environment which can lead to fungal infections.
Temperature around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is acceptable.
Substrate must be appropriate pH if using soil. For acidic mosses a pH of 5.5 is ideal. I prefer using an inorganic substrate either natural or synthetic of a neutral pH.
Moss walls
An indoor moss wall needs the requirements as mentioned above for indoor moss gardens and it needs to have adequate light all over the wall surface yet avoiding hot spots of too much light or heat. I prefer fluorescent T8 or the new T5 bulbs. I will be testing some new high end fluorescent bulbs this year from the manufacturer.
An outdoor moss wall if it relies on rainfall has to consider the following: orientation and verticality. Even a slight incline can dramatically improve the moss wall. Moss on hard vertical surfaces in nature always tend to be very short in height. A thick carpet of moss on a vertical surface is not going to happen without additional water and fertilizer.
If the wall faces any direction other than north it must be shaded yet remember shade may mean obstructed pathway for rainfall.
I will be testing this year some synthetic wall surface treatments I have developed to be used for indoor and outdoor moss walls. Currently wood, brick, concrete and stone can work but they have almost no moisture retention capabilities.
Rick
I can’t believe I am writing this but due to numerous requests for information I am giving some general guidelines on moss walls and indoor moss gardens. I have avoided this topic because most of the people requesting this information have never grown any type of moss garden. I feel it is critical to learn how to grow a moss garden outdoors on the ground before moving on to moss walls, indoor moss gardens, indoor moss walls. Yet these are the hot topics so I will sketch out the parameters you need to understand.
There have been some magnificent attempts to push the envelope in moss gardening in the last few years. Although these attempts have not been successful, I believe that we are going to see success in these areas on a large scale soon.
The New York Times new building in downtown Manhattan had an open air birch and moss garden which was enclosed by glass walls but open to the sky above.
The California Academy of Sciences new building had a large indoor moss wall as the feature for the Moss Wall Restaurant.
A high rise on Fifth Avenue in New York had an indoor moss garden in the lobby.
There have been others but these three are the most prominent.
After the moss was dead or dying at the CAS and Fifth avenue gardens, Moss Acres (www.mossacres.com <http://www.mossacres.com>) was contacted by the landscape architects and Moss Acres then contacted me for my input. The irrigation subcontractor for the NY Times moss garden contacted Moss Acres who I was visiting at the time and Heidi, manager of Moss Acres, asked for my thoughts.
What I believe to be the issues causing the moss to die:
Moss wall (Moss Wall Restaurant) had coir as a base which turned black and degraded over time. Misting/irrigation water was not rainwater or equivalent thus water hardness, dissolved salts and pH were unacceptable.
NY Times had similar water issues. Landscape architect also believed that the extensive vertical glass walls may have lead to too much sunlight and overheating via reflection.
Lobby moss garden on Fifth Avenue had alkaline substrate for acidic loving mosses, inadequate light and also inappropriate water supply.
All three were good designs that were tripped up by water issues. I have explained my thoughts on water elsewhere on this site.
Indoor moss gardens.
Critical issues are moss species chosen, air quality, water, light, humidity, air movement, fertilization, temperature and substrate.
Moss species: choose a species that can tolerate desiccation and still look attractive such as a Dicranum or Hypnum species.
Obviously indoor air quality is not as good as outdoors. True there may be more available carbon dioxide which photosynthesizing plants love. What other indoor gases are there: smoke, even trace amounts of cigarette or motor exhaust, fumes from cleaning solvents etc? Some mosses are more susceptible to air quality than other. You really cannot moderate air quality. Site evaluation will determine whether it is in your opinion acceptable or unacceptable candidate. For now I believe most office environment or shopping mall type sites are good candidates for an indoor moss garden.
Water quality and delivery methods as well as fertilization are also variables that need attention indoors.
Water: initial water source should be either collected rainwater, distilled or reverse osmosis treated water. If using RO the hardness must be brought down to less than 10ppm and similar concentration for dissolved salts. The pH should be ideally 5.5 and the organic and inorganic fertilizer should not contain any appreciable calcium or zinc other than trace amounts. Using a dilute (1/5 normal applied concentration) of an acidic fertilizer such as Miracid is a good starting point. Fertilize every two to three weeks.
Water is best applied periodically as a mist or fog using display integrated nozzles that are on timers.
Light should be approximately 60+ foot candles at the moss level. Light supplied should be broad spectrum. The 60 fc is a starting point. The moss may require more or less.
Air movement may be acceptable but avoid a clammy still air environment which can lead to fungal infections.
Temperature around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit is acceptable.
Substrate must be appropriate pH if using soil. For acidic mosses a pH of 5.5 is ideal. I prefer using an inorganic substrate either natural or synthetic of a neutral pH.
Moss walls
An indoor moss wall needs the requirements as mentioned above for indoor moss gardens and it needs to have adequate light all over the wall surface yet avoiding hot spots of too much light or heat. I prefer fluorescent T8 or the new T5 bulbs. I will be testing some new high end fluorescent bulbs this year from the manufacturer.
An outdoor moss wall if it relies on rainfall has to consider the following: orientation and verticality. Even a slight incline can dramatically improve the moss wall. Moss on hard vertical surfaces in nature always tend to be very short in height. A thick carpet of moss on a vertical surface is not going to happen without additional water and fertilizer.
If the wall faces any direction other than north it must be shaded yet remember shade may mean obstructed pathway for rainfall.
I will be testing this year some synthetic wall surface treatments I have developed to be used for indoor and outdoor moss walls. Currently wood, brick, concrete and stone can work but they have almost no moisture retention capabilities.
Rick