# encouraging moss to grow along the tracks



## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Does anybody here have a good recipie to encourage moss to grow along the line and over run the track a bit? I am about an hour north of Indianapolis, I believe thats zone 5. My line is raised on treated wood planks, but is ballested. I have read somewhere about mixing in horticulural grit or charcoal into a mix mix of portland cement dust when I fix the ballest in place or just using the grit and keeping the ballest in check with edge boards on my roadbed. I like the grown over look that so many UK style garden lines have where all you really see are two rails going thru a sea of moss. Thanks in advance. Mike


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## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

The use of Portland cement dust would be bad for moss. Moss prefers an acidic base rather than alkaline. Wherever I want moss to grow, I just spread on a "moss milkshake." I take a clump of moss and throw it in a blender with a container of plain yogurt. You can also use buttermilk. Mix it up thoroughly and spread the green milkshake on the places you want the moss to grow with a paintbrush. By the way, it doesn't like a lot of direct sunlight. Keep it slightly damp and in a few weeks you will have a new moss bed.


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## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

Mike,

Here is a link to a "how-to" article about moss milkshakes:

moss milkshake


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

You didn't say whether your track is in sun or shade. I have moss in the shady parts of my layout, but it isn't fond of sun. Chuck


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

One side, where my passing siding is only gets morning sun, then its shady the rest of the day as its under the eve of the house. Eventualy the whole layout will have shade, but thats a few years away when my tree grows that I planted. I know moss doesnt like lots of sun.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Here is the area that gets the most shade right now, the opposite side is in the sun during mid day till the house casts a shadow over the layout. I plan to let that yellow bush grow up higher and kind of overgrow the area till it becomes more of a natural tunnel of sorts. Mike


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

My guess is that you would have a hard time growing moss on an elevated layout. It needs shade and dampness. I doubt you can maintain enough moisture to keep it growing, especially with the light being reflected off of the white siding on the building. Chuck


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I have seen moss on a elevated line before, just like certain mosses grow on rocks. The white siding will soon be a darker shade of green when we repaint the house in a week or two. It faces east so by 11am or so, that part of the layout is in shade. I might give it a try anyways for grins and giggles. I plan to line the track along the fence with planter boxes so I can put some live plants. I would love to do a ground level line to gain more of the "garden" atomsphere to the line, but age combined with worn out knees from BMX racing as a kid dont like squatting to deal with live steam. I would love to expand the loop out into the yard area, but costs are to high for that right now. Mike


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,

Is there any moss growing on the ground near you? I've had great success by scraping moss off the ground and transfering it to my layout. As was mentioned above, moss loves really bad dirt, like clay, that nothing much else grows in. I have some success with growing mosses in full sun on my current layout. But I water it at least every other day. A couple of hours of sun doesnt appear to affect moss. Good luck.

Doc


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By rhyman on 30 May 2013 04:10 PM 
The use of Portland cement dust would be bad for moss. Moss prefers an acidic base rather than alkaline. Wherever I want moss to grow, I just spread on a "moss milkshake." I take a clump of moss and throw it in a blender with a container of plain yogurt. You can also use buttermilk. Mix it up thoroughly and spread the green milkshake on the places you want the moss to grow with a paintbrush. By the way, it doesn't like a lot of direct sunlight. Keep it slightly damp and in a few weeks you will have a new moss bed.

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We do the samething and make up a milkshake with Buttermilk and moss. We do have to keep it damp and out of sun here in N. Calif. 
Watch out for chlorine in your water. 
Our track ballast is mostly mortor and sand mix and moss grow well on it in the shade.. Sometime have to scrape it off when it gets to thick and grow over the top of the rails.


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