# Kyoto Moss



## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

I don't hear many speak of this moss, but let me recommend it. Kyoto is used widely in the bonsai hobby as ground cover under trees. It spreads very quickly and isn't harmed by trampling frogs. 
I have 18 trees that act as a moss farm for my vivs. Simply take a knife under it, rinse any wee-beasties off the underside, and apply. 
Spores can be purchased online as well. 
http://i.imgur.com/ITMS9.jpg


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## inka4040 (Oct 14, 2010)

Have you had good success starting it from spores? I've never tried it, but friends have tried and failed to get it established. Gotta love its super fine texture though.


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

I originally started with one spore pack 10 years ago. Now, every tree grows plates of it for me. Bonsai need daily watering, so it always does well. 









If anyone in soCal wants a starter piece, just pm me for pickup.


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

inka4040 said:


> Have you had good success starting it from spores? I've never tried it, but friends have tried and failed to get it established. Gotta love its super fine texture though.


If trying spores, don't use the "popular" method of mixing in milk. 
Just use a small shallow pot of large orchid bark. Then a top dusting of potting mix. Sprinkle spores on surface and keep moist. Mine thrive all year outdoors, even in 100 degrees....given a shady spot and twice daily waterings.


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## KarmaPolice (Apr 25, 2012)

It sounds like this moss in pretty hardy, but is it versatile? I am curious on how it would do in 90% humidity all the time in a tank. 
Also where are you located at in So Cal?

-Duncan


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

If you look at the 2nd pic posted, you'll see a little patch to the right that is very green and growing. That is a patch put in only one week before the others. You can tell it loves my 93% rH.
I'm in Corona/Riverside. Why? You need some? Just holla.


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## isacco (May 26, 2012)

Just order two packs of Joshua Roth Moss Spores. Never use it but I hope it will do well. I have read that people grow it on shalow slates and later when it grows move it inside a terrarium. I think I will use one pack to directly seed spores inside terrarium and one pack on some media on separate slates. will keep you posted. It would be interesting to know why people don't use it, as morg said didn't find many info about terrarium use of this moss.


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

I think it has been solely/religiously used by Japanese bonsai for centuries. 
Are the spores you purchased Kyoto? On slate rock? I don't know if Kyoto will have the high nutrient levels it needs on bare rock. Maybe dust the surface with potting mix.


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

Here in soCal, winter is like springtime for outdoor moss. Summer becomes winter because of the dryness. My mosses under bonsai definatly brown up in July august-- semi dormant. Being in a moist viv is perfect for it proven with the pic above. It shows a recent transplant pushing out Spring shoots.


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## candm519 (Oct 15, 2006)

The packets I got looked like just finely chopped dried moss 'leaves'. The invisible-to-naked-eye spores are presumably stuck to the leaves.

One packet held plenty enough spores to distribute over my 40 (50?) gal tank surfaces.

I tried to scatter spores evenly all over the terrarium jungle floor, to let them decide which microniches of temp, light, and humidity were good for them. 

Too often, I've transplanted bits of moss, (or other plants), where I had decided they would have to be happy because aesthetically that is where I wanted them to grow. They frequently had other ideas.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

i'd recommend bleaching and quarantining wild collected moss. A simple rinse won't get rid of all snail/slug eggs, not to mention parasites and other things...


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## isacco (May 26, 2012)

morg said:


> I think it has been solely/religiously used by Japanese bonsai for centuries.
> Are the spores you purchased Kyoto? On slate rock? I don't know if Kyoto will have the high nutrient levels it needs on bare rock. Maybe dust the surface with potting mix.


Yes it is Kyoto, just arrived this morning, along with tle led bulbs I intend to use on the terrarium. It is going to be on a slate but with some soil as grow media. In the instructions as a hint they say you can rinse white rice and mixing the spores with this water to improve growth rate. 
Here is a pic with the spores and leds .


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

goof901 said:


> i'd recommend bleaching and quarantining wild collected moss. A simple rinse won't get rid of all snail/slug eggs, not to mention parasites and other things...


I have no snails. I wrap all plant table legs with copper. 
August in Riverside is 108 degrees. So right now, the dried moss comes right up in 6 inch pieces that I keep in plastic critter ceepers in the window bay. I use 2 sided tape along the rim to catch and identify any pests. After a 6-10 days, I place in the vivs.


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

candm519 said:


> The packets I got looked like just finely chopped dried moss 'leaves'. The invisible-to-naked-eye spores are presumably stuck to the leaves.
> 
> One packet held plenty enough spores to distribute over my 40 (50?) gal tank surfaces.


I don't know about spores on the leaves. Mine will shoot out 1 inch long stems with a brown pod on the end. They dry and brown almost instantly allowing them to break off and spread. Sometimes, I will mow these stems with scissors and apply to other pots.
The chopped leaves suggests a vegetative method of propogation...regenerating old growth.


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## candm519 (Oct 15, 2006)

Whether new moss came from dried leaves or spores (the packet said it contains spores), it worked. Kyoto moss grew where it found conditions favorable.


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

RAOK. FREE MOSS SEGMENTS. 4X4 in pieces. Pickup only. SOCAL. 

I have many pieces of Kyoto moss available. As summer quickly approaches, my outdoor mosses are ready to harvest before they dry out for the season.


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## DrawntoLife (Nov 12, 2009)

morg said:


> RAOK. FREE MOSS SEGMENTS. 4X4 in pieces. Pickup only. SOCAL.
> 
> I have many pieces of Kyoto moss available. As summer quickly approaches, my outdoor mosses are ready to harvest before they dry out for the season.


Where in SoCal? I'm in orange county pm me?


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

Corona/riverside.


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## SLiK JiM (Oct 10, 2011)

Just ordered myself some of this moss seed and want to apply it to the side of my enclosure (which is a mixture of a substrate and silicone and substrate and clay). What's the best way of distributing the seeds/spores?

I was thinking of adding them to water then spraying them on with a handheld mister. Will that work?


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

Place on soil surface, keep moist, and limit any breeze that will blow them away. Very slow growing at first. Don't water with hard water as the mineral salts buildup will hinder growth. Some have success placing plastic wrap over top to maintain humidity. 
Again, any SoCal members are welcome to stop by and pick up live sections.


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## SLiK JiM (Oct 10, 2011)

OK, so it's not going to grow directly in the enclosure on the wood I have in there. I should grow it outside first then transfer it in?


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

I'm sure it will grow in any viv, given time. My experience with it started with my outdoor bonsai collection where it covers all my pots. Then I quarantine sheets of it before placement.


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## SLiK JiM (Oct 10, 2011)

morg said:


> I'm sure it will grow in any viv, given time. My experience with it started with my outdoor bonsai collection where it covers all my pots. Then I quarantine sheets of it before placement.


OK, well maybe I try one packet directly into the viv and one packet I keep out of the viv! See which works better! When you say 'soil' what works best?


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## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

My bonsai mix is the same as my viv media :

75% Orchiata bark 
15% orchid charcoal
10% dried moss (shredded)


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## SLiK JiM (Oct 10, 2011)

morg said:


> My bonsai mix is the same as my viv media :
> 
> 75% Orchiata bark
> 15% orchid charcoal
> 10% dried moss (shredded)


Cool, thanks!


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