[dartboard]

I like my terrarium so far, but there are a lot if backgroundpatches I am waiting for stuff to grow into. I have that oak leaf stuff but it is a slow grower it seems. What are some other great vines that will grow upwards on clay and then back down?

 

[josh_r]

You may just want to sit tight. Once that "oak leaf" stuff takes off, it will try to cover everything assuming you are talking about ficus pumila. Patience is key young grasshoppa!

 

[JimO]

I always seed my clay backgrounds with various mosses and liverworts. If you transplant a plug, it might die back due to changed conditions, but the spores will grow and in a month or two, it will completely cover the clay, provided it has plenty of light and stays moist.

 

[RentaPig311]

I always seed my clay backgrounds with various mosses and liverworts.

You grind it up and put in your clay as part of the organic content before adding water or you grind it up with buttermilk and paint it on?

 

[josh_r]

You grind it up and put in your clay as part of the organic content before adding water or you grind it up with buttermilk and paint it on?

You can grind it up and mix it directly into the clay or often times just smear it all over your clay background and the spores will stick. I have yet to try the buttermilk method as I have always had enough success just mixing it into the soil

 

[JimO]

You know, someone else just recently told me about blending it with buttermilk and I intend to give it a try. What does the buttermilk do to promote growth?

You grind it up and put in your clay as part of the organic content before adding water or you grind it up with buttermilk and paint it on?

 

[RentaPig311]

I'm honestly not sure why it works but it does promote quick growth. Just nutrients for the moss I suppose. It's an old landscape tip. I've seen it used on landscape rocks to quickly age them. I know one d.b. member uses beer instead of buttermilk. Not sure how frog friendly that is though.

 

[dartboard]

What are your favorite mosses to seed it with? I have riccia moss, would that work to blend that?

 

[josh_r]

What are your favorite mosses to seed it with? I have riccia moss, would that work to blend that?

You can pretty much try any moss. No guarantee that it will grow but it's always worth a shot. Riccia is not a moss, but I believe a type of liverwort. Do some experiments and let us know how it works out

 

[Ross]

You know, someone else just recently told me about blending it with buttermilk and I intend to give it a try. What does the buttermilk do to promote growth?

I believe it's main purpose is to promote a more acidic growing environment.
It's supposed to reek and most members seem to report mixed results, but I think a lot of failure is due to the moss drying out.

 

[josh_r]

Many mosses have specific ph requirements. If you want to be successful with any particular species, I recommend finding out what ph it likes. I have noticed most species do better on a more neutral or sometimes slightly alkaline growing medium than acidic, but then it all depends on the requirements of the particular species you are working with.