Ladyfern Moss
Ladyfern moss has been sustainably grown and harvested from our family-owned property located in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.
Everything is meticulously collected fresh by hand to ensure only the very best lush, and healthy moss is selected. Moss is only harvested from areas of proven abundance within the property, with only small fragments from each growing area carefully collected at a time.
We do not harvest or forage from public lands. All our moss is grown, monitored and regenerated on site and never over harvested to meet demand.
We set an ethical standard by which we follow strictly to maintain minimal disturbance without impacting negatively on the natural environment. Our sustainable philosophy and practices ensure we leave behind the majority of natural moss to ensure quick regeneration. Various mosses are grown and propagated on site, with a focus on encouraging further growth and abundance for many years to come.
Please be mindful that stock is subject to availability, and there may be periods where moss collection will be put on hold to allow for regeneration.
About Moss
Moss is an amazing division of plant life called Bryophytes which consists of over 12,000 species which have existed for hundreds of millions of years. Moss is found throughout the world and can be found growing just about anywhere except salt water.
Moss is unlike your usual plant as it does not have a typical root system and so can be found growing on more than just soil, including wood logs and rocks. Though moss is very resilient, cool, moist environments closest to it's natural habitat will encourage it's success and reproductive life cycle by spores and vegetative spread.
Some of the varieties found naturally in Australia come in a vast array of colours including vibrant chartreuse, golden olive green, deep forest green and even hints of red.
Care
Moss can be super easy to care for, especially when used within a closed terrarium. It is possible to include moss in open terrariums too, but keep in mind they require more maintenance as they are prone to dry out quicker. If you want to use moss in an open terrarium, or a concept more exposed to airflow, keep a closer eye on the moss to monitor for signs of dehydration. You can tell moss is dehydrated as it will usually shrivel down and become more compact, look brittle and often become dull in colour.
Closed terrariums barely need watering after the initial set up, but will require moisture if the moss is visibly dehydrated or dry to the touch. For best results, lidded terrariums are advisable as they provide a more suitable environment for moss growth and longevity. Adding a lid increases condensation and minimizes water evaporation. Humidity and moisture are essential for moss to not only survive, but to thrive.
Open the lid up every so often to let some air flow in, and leave the lid off for about half an hour after watering to allow some natural evaporation. Once every 2 weeks is ideal. You should see a fine mist of condensation on the glass morning and evening as an indication there is enough moisture inside.
When watering, use rain water, spring water or distilled as opposed to tap water which can harm the moss and eventually leave marks on the glass over time.
Mist your moss with a spray bottle which has a nice even flow of fine water droplets - ideal to hydrate your moist adequately. You should notice the soil change to a darker colour through the glass as a sign the moss is fully hydrated.
If you find your moss has gone yellow or brown after long periods of little to no moisture, you may be surprised to find that once it is misted or soaked with cool, fresh water it will most likely spring back to life and become green and fluffy again. If however it is too far gone, it may have died off completely or entered into dormancy. When conditions are less than ideal, the moss will naturally change colour or die down, however throughout this time, spores remain alive in the environment and can come back to life when cool, moist conditions return.
Ideally, keep the moss cool and avoid placing your moss in full direct sun as this can quickly dry it out and overheat. Our moss does best in dappled morning sun or filtered light. Light is crucial for healthy plant growth and photosynthesis. LED lighting can be implemented in areas with no natural light.
Where moisture is consistent, moss can adhere to a range of media and substrates - particularly those that are porous. If using in conjunction with soil, opt for a neutral to slightly acidic soil PH and avoid the use of fertilizers.
Storage
When you receive your moss, immediately open up the packaging to give it some air and spray well to hydrate it again if necessary. You can use rain water, distilled or spring water, but do not use tap water as this will harm the moss.
Ladyfern moss is hydrated thoroughly prior to posting and sent in eco packaging that retains a fair amount of moisture during transit. If, however it does arrive a little dry or dull, once rehydrated it should bounce back. If moss is extremely dry, alternatively it can be soaked in chilled water for a few minutes.
If storing the moss for a prolonged time, transfer to a covered glass or plastic storage container (sterilized, recycled takeaway containers also work well). This will provide a humid environment for the moss and act as a temporary greenhouse / terrarium until you need to use it.
Place in a cool area away from direct sunlight. Provide some natural sunlight - ideally soft morning sun. Open the tub once or twice a week for half an hour to allow some airflow and spray with water.
If you want to store and use your leftover moss at a later date, you can also store unused moss in the eco packaging it came in. As the packaging is slightly breathable and allows sunlight to permeate, there is no need to take it out completely, unless it will be in storage for longer than a month.
If storing in the original packaging, simply follow the steps mentioned earlier. Be mindful however, that it will dry out a lot quicker when storing as is, and will require extra monitoring and hydration.
. . . Last but not least, love your moss and watch it evolve!
Moss in Summer
Over the Summer period moss harvesting is halted as moss goes dormant naturally and we allow for regeneration.
Moss + Australian Summers can be a little tricky so here’s our guide to keeping your moss alive and well during the hotter seasons below.
1. Keep it cool – Avoid direct sunlight. Keep in a room that has a cooler temperature (eg. Air conditioned office, South facing room)
2. Keep it moist – Closed terrariums are ideal, as they require less frequent watering. Condensation on the glass is a good sign there is enough moisture inside. If your moss is exposed in an open terrarium, it will need a good spray of water once (sometimes even twice a day) on particularly hot days.
3. Provide some airflow – Open your terrarium up once a week (particularly on hot days). Terrariums can overheat inside the glass so opening it up every so often will let the hot air escape. Do this for half an hour, spray it with cold water and then leave for half an hour before putting the lid back on.
4. Use the right water – Avoid tap water as over time a build up of added impurities can harm the moss and leave marks on the glass. Moss loves rainwater, spring water or distilled.
5. Provide some light – Avoid direct sun as this can cook the moss and turn it brown or yellow. The ideal position is somewhere with soft filtered light or soft morning sun.
Try to mimic moss’ natural habitat to keep it happy, and even though this may sound like a lot, moss is very resilient! Summer can be brutal on all plants (moss included)
If you notice your moss starts to change colour and look less than ideal, do not fret, this does not necessarily mean it’s dead. It’s important to note that most moss species go dormant over summer and need cool, moist conditions in order for it to return back to its usual lush state.
It is possible to keep moss alive and looking well over Summer, but in order to do so, you must keep an eye on it and ensure conditions are ideal in order for it to thrive.
