Outdoor moss
 

I was just digging painted ferns out of the lawn and there's a lot of beautiful moss out here. How could I sterilize it to use with my orchids? I recently bought a tabletop green house from IKEA and this would be perfect as a base layer. Help? Ideas?

If you want to keep it alive, there’s little you can do. Besides, it is not appropriate for indoor culture.

sterilize = kill every living thing

If you seriously want to try it, use a magnifying glass to remove some of the thread-like fruiting bodies. They have brown lantern spore chambers. Smash those and sprinkle onto something you would be willing to have moss, and keep the surface glistening wet. Moss spores require standing water to sprout, conjugate and propagate the 2n form. Standing water to a moss spore might be something you can't see.

Well crud. I'd heard you could put it in a blender with buttermilk and spread it that way. Ok, ES, I'm not doing that, either. So it stays outside where it is so beautiful!

Suggestions for my little green house base layer?

Carol, I purchased moss for my terrarium from NEHERP. They have several mosses to choose from, I used the moss that they sell in a patch, comes in a ziplock bag and ready to go. Just be sure to keep it moist. Thuidium delicatulum is the moss I used. They have two sizes of these “patches” to choose from.

They have other mosses and they sell the slurry as well. I’ve always been pleased with anything I’ve purchased from them, very nice people. You may want to take a look at their site. Nice terrarium supplies.

Thanks, Patty. I'll check them out.