Moss Caresheet
This care sheet is downloadable for easy printing!  Click to download.



     
This caresheet pertains to our New England Herpetoculture terrarium moss.

Introduction & Acclimation:
Getting the moss to acclimate is very important for many reasons. Once acclimated – it can handle animals walking on it much better, it looks much nicer, and it'll be generally much hardier. Mist it at least once per day for the first 2 weeks the moss is in it’s new environment.  Mist it more often, if possible. We have automated misting systems in our breeding rooms that never allow this moss to dry out. When in doubt - Mist it!  So long as the moss is kept well lit, humid, and well misted it should acclimate and begin to visually grow higher & greener within 2 weeks.

Dormancy Period:
The #1 most common question about any moss! We've had this exact moss growing in a vivarium since May 2009 with no cool-off or dormancy period and it's still going strong. (Updated 4/4/11 - Still going strong!)

Humidity:
70%+ humidity is what’s best. It grows faster in 85-90% and can survive well in borderline WET conditions.  Lower humidity dries out the moss and once dried it takes a good while for it to reanimate itself.  If it's allowed to dry out under bright lighting for a long period of time (more than a day or two) the moss will die.  Be extra careful!

Lighting:
Keep the moss in a well-lit area.  We use 6500K lighting on our grow benches.  Simple & inexpensive compact florescent lighting works great, but T8 & T5 lighting work very well, too.  Automatic 12 hour on, 12 hour off lighting is best. It’ll survive in a shaded spot, but it will stay small and will take a long time to acclimate. Also be careful not to have it too close to a light source. If the tips of the moss start to turn brown the light could be burning it.

Heat:
65-100F is ideal. The moss can handle high heat nicely so long as there's high humidity along with it. Also – the moss has survived happily in a shipment that hit over 110! I wouldn’t recommend keeping it over 100F.

A Word on Processing:
If you aren't buying your moss from us (which is pre-processed) please process your moss.  We've got a plant processing caresheet located HERE.  This is extremely, extremely important if you are gathering moss from outside!  Using "backyard moss" is usually not the best choice anyways, since it's temperate and can require a dormancy period to thrive long term.

Other:
If taken care of correctly the moss will grow up to 2.5” high with nothing trampling it down or about 1” or less with herps keeping it at bay. If in a humid enough environment it can survive on wood and backgrounds. It DOES climb if planted near backgrounds that stay moist!



If you have any questions at all we're always happy to help!  Email us at meikmail@gmail.com



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