I hate to spout this sour milk but

[FJ and G]

it's not working for me.

The other day, I collected a bag of moss and poured milk into it (milk had expired previous week). I mashed it all together and painted my rocks with it (in full shade, in cool 70 degree weather).

Nothing's happening except dirty rocks.

Is there some trick to this or perhaps I've been had with a practical joke?

I'm using fat free milk, btw.

[John Busby]

Hi  FG&J

Now its wait and see as long as the area is one that gets damp and stays that way for while all should be OK.

I am not sure what effect skim milk has on the process.

It really is a case of now let nature take its course it will not give you instant results it could take some conciderable time to get a decent amount of moss growing.

regards John

[Rene Schweitzer]

I haven't done this myself, but I believe you need to use buttermilk. Jack Verducci wrote a sidebar once that he's had good luck using buttermilk to "glue" pieces of moss onto rocks (not grinding it up).

[FJ and G]

Thanks, guys.

I'll wait and see if this works and after 2 weeks I'll try pasting with buttermilk. I'll have to note wind direction that day or else the hound will eat the moss when she smells the buttermilk. You won't believe the crap she eats.

[cabbage]

Here in the UK we use a vile mixture of natural (live) yoghourt and lichen -sometimes we mix in compost(!)

Obviously the other "unapproved" mixture, an aqueous solution of secondary diacarbonzines, as supplied by the pet dog -is not working...

regards

ralph

[markperr]

Buttermilk or beer, and a teaspoon of sugar, mixed with the moss.

Mark

[ttrigg]

FJ and G

That's BUTTERMILK and KEEP IT MOIST.  You should be spraying it with a hand held spray bottle at least five times a day.  I put some in the "spray pattern" of my waterfall and it has taken solid "root" and is spreading like wildfire.

[newto gscale]

What you are talking about i tried in our garden a couple of years ago.The tv gardening show gardening by the yard talked about it .The way they did it was to use a old blender in it you put your moss ,milk and blend .They then brushed the liquid on clay pots and other itemsThey  said to be sure to mist the area where you applyed the mixture. There was no mention of any specific type of milk to use, i dont think chocolate would work very well .Like i said we tryed it in our garden with mixed results.Good luck

[ttrigg]

it's not working for me.

The other day, I collected a bag of moss and poured milk into it (milk had expired previous week). I mashed it all together and painted my rocks with it (in full shade, in cool 70 degree weather).

Nothing's happening except dirty rocks.

Is there some trick to this or perhaps I've been had with a practical joke?

I'm using fat free milk, btw.

David,
Just went back and read your original post.  You put it into a bag and mashed it up......
You should have put it into the blender, high speed until it is finer than Instant Ice Tea.  Blend in the buttermilk, equal parts, moisten the target surface, paint on, keep moist.

[Anonymous]

How is the moss working after almost a month?

William

[FJ and G]

Not working well. I'll need to buy buttermilk next time and hire a moss-sitter to spray the rocks 5 times a day

[Anonymous]

When I did landscaping there is a way to "sit" the rocks moss. Use a above ground temp. water system with timer and spray heads with a fine mist. I would suggest to the fine mist from the spray heads start from 5' and check it from there, then cut any pvc to lower it if it is to high and so on.

I would think if a head hit the moss in a direct hit it would wash out the moss on the rock. So this type of system could be a temp. or non-temp. for your moss. 1/2 cent.

William