Growing Irish Moss from Seeds

Irish Moss is a very popular type of plant which has a number of different uses, it also has an attractive and unique appearance which make it so popular with lots of people. Irish moss is also sometimes called Sandwort and Scotch Moss. Despite the name it is actually a perennial plant and not a moss.

Irish moss will grow very well in dry conditions with high humidity. It is often successfully planted in between patios and walkways, and the plant can also be used in flowerbeds.

Choosing a Location

The first thing that you need to do is choose a location to plant the Irish moss. You will want to choose somewhere which is dry and in partial sunlight. This is a very versatile little plant which can be planted in the gaps between paving slabs or also used to provide ground cover in flowerbeds. Where you want to grow the Irish moss seeds is completely up to you and depends on what you are looking for from the plant.

Choosing a Time

It is possible to sew Irish moss seeds indoors at any time of the year, however if you try to sew the seeds outdoors during the winter months, you will often find that the birds will eat them. It is much easier to grow these during the spring, or alternatively you can start them indoors before planting them out.

When sewing the seeds outdoors wait until the last frost has passed so that the seeds will be able to safely germinate.

Preparing the Soil

Before you can plant your Irish moss seeds you need to first prepare the soil. Use a fork to break up the soil and mix in some sand to improve the draining ability of your soil. The amount of sand required will depend on the state of your soil and the amount of improvement it needs. If your soil is normally well draining, you may want to skip using sand.

Once the soil is prepared you should level it out so it's ready for the seeds. Watering the soil at this stage is also optional but can be helpful.

Sewing the Seeds

Sprinkle the seeds out across the surface of the soil and leave them like that. The seeds do not need burying or covering in the soil. The seeds will take between 7 and 28 days to germinate by which time you should notice tiny seedlings appearing.

Caring for Irish Moss

Irish moss is pretty easy to care for, you just need to water it whenever the soil feels dry. Don't water the plants too much though as this can cause root rot and end up killing the plants.

After the second growing season, start fertilizing the Irish moss plants. A general purpose fertilizer will be good enough and this should be used after the plants have flowered. If you fertilize before flowers are produced, you might get lots of foliage without many flowers.

The plant doesn't require any pruning as such. However, if you do think that it's starting to take over a bit, you can shape it and control it.