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'Mossing-up' my Alpine trough

West Somerset, England Eng

Last spring we made an Alpine trough from an old belfast sink covered in a mixture of peat and cement (as recommended by a 'Which' magazine expert. As suggested, I painted it with plain live yoghurt to encourage moss and lichen growth. As you can see, it hasn't worked at all. Can anyone suggest any other ways of 'mossing it up' please?



Alpine_trough

Answers

 

Your trough looks like it is standing in a sunny position. Moss tends to grow in shady spots. Lichen growth is an indication of clean air but I don't know what your air quality is like

3 Nov, 2007

 

We are very rural, near the coast so I expect the air quality is good. Certainly my asthma has been very much better since moving here! The trough gets sun in the morning but is in shade for the reat of the day.

3 Nov, 2007

 

Never found the yoghurt method to work either. Mind never needed to get moss to grow on a trough either. The other method sometimes suggested is to paint the thing with manure water. Drop a lump of cow/horse droppings in water and paint the trough with the liquid. Never tried it though.
The cemenet/peat/sand mix is called Hyper tufa by the way.

4 Nov, 2007

 

Did you keep reapplying the yoghurt mixture? I believe it needs a few applications to get started. You'll need some moss spores to land there in order to get started, too. Is there any moss nearby?

4 Nov, 2007

 

Not sure about the moss, ukslim. I'll have a look tomorrow, it's pitch dark now! As to the yoghurt, yes, I've repeated it, with another potful. (The dog was amazed and thought he'd try licking it off!) Can I paint the manure mix over the yoghurt? Would it be best to wait for a while first?

4 Nov, 2007

 

You can paint the manure water pver the yoghurt and now is as good a time as any, from what I have been reading. As I say, never needed to do either method so this is just second hand info.

5 Nov, 2007

How do I say thanks?

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