How (and Why) I Mill Moss
Today is moss-milling day (AKA the day I wonder why I ever thought white kitchen counters were a good idea)
For me there are two good reasons:
- Compared to long strands of moss, it’s so much easier to remove the moss from the roots when you’re moving to another substrate.
- You can make your substrate much more consistent. That means you can avoid clumps of moss that hold more water than other areas. I also find it stops the moss compacting which can lead to inconsistent watering.
I got the idea from US grower, Justin Jones (@createdinagarden) and I haven’t looked back.
Sphagnum moss!
I get mine from Mella’s Jungle. It’s the most beautiful pink and green fresh moss, ethically sourced from forests in Wales. I’m not affiliated, just a fan. If you’re using dried moss, rehydrate it well first.
A blender
You can use a food processor or a hand-held blender like I do. Be aware you will need one with a bit of power (I learned my lesson by burning out the motor on my first two pretty quickly). The one I use now is 1200W.
A bowl or tub
One with deep sides (you don’t want it to overflow when the blender gets going).
A colander or sieve
One with a relatively fine mesh so you don’t lose the super blended bits.
That’s it!
I’ve got to be honest, it’s not my favourite job. But really the only difficult thing about it is not spraying yourself with sludgy water/moss slime. If you can do it outside, then I’m jealous as you’ll have a much easier time than me.
Step 1: this is not strictly necessary as you can use straight moss, but I start by adding a load of rinsed perlite to the tub. Wear a mask when you pour out dry perlite as it’s nasty stuff. I use perlite to give a bit of aeration to the mix.
Step 2: separate your moss a bit and pick out any particularly twiggy or stringy bits (your blender blade will thank you).
Step 3: add water to almost cover the moss. Don’t overfill your bowl! I think it helps to let it sit and soak for 10 minutes or so.
Step 4: if you’re using a hand-held blender, get the head of it under your pile of moss. Make sure it never breaks the surface or you’re gonna get slimed, as will everything else.
Step 5: blend!
Step 6: pull out a handful, squeeze out the water and check the consistency. You want it to fall apart when you rub it.
Step 7: pour into your colander or sieve (yup, it looks pretty disgusting).
Step 8: squeeze the water out and add it to your tub.
Step 9: ‘rub it in’ as if you’re rubbing fat into flour to make pastry. You want to separate the clumps and end up with a nice airy, crumby mixture.
This is what you should end up with:
Now clean up the spray from your walls and ceiling and get in the shower. Oh, and label the blender / bowl / colander you’ve used as you really don’t want them to be used for anything else.
