Addendum: I've made two solutions. #1 Contained all sorts of moss from around my home + beer + water + corn syrup (for thickness) + water retention gel + SUGAR - which I forgot to mention above. #2 Contained only own type of moss + beer + water + Greek yogurt + miracle grow + SUGAR. Neither have yet grown. It has been three weeks. How long show I expect before I see some sort of growth?

All the mosses I've grown require consistent moisture. Growing on a vertical wood panel is not the same as growing on the ground. The wood panel will dry out much faster than the ground. If the moss is allowed to completely dry out, especially when first becoming established, it will die. I water my mounted mosses several times a day. A few suggestions:

• Protecting them from full sun and wind may be necessary to keep them from drying out too quickly.

• Keeping the panels horizontal (at least while the moss is becoming established) will retain moisture longer.

• The paint you're using may prevent the wood from absorbing water and acting as a small reservoir for the moss.

• I don't know if this will help you, but I start my mosses from a collected mat rather than the slurry you're using, and I find that large, thick mats are much easier to grow than small, thin ones, which need more care in order to remain damp. Again, this is about providing a water reservoir for the moss.

• And finally, there are some mosses which simply adapt better to the artificial conditions we're trying to grow them in. Trying several species of moss will give you a much better chance of success than struggling to find the necessary conditions for one species.

-Chris

Hi Taylor. How did it go with the moss? Did it ever work? I'm eager to try it, but a lot of people claim it's fake. At least the DIY paint versions..