Different fern moss varieties belong to the Thuidiaceae family and Bryidae subclass and have feathery fronds and green to yellowish compound leaves. The common fern moss thrives in wooded areas, under the shade, in partial sunshine, in acidic soil, moisturized soil, and rotting logs and rocks. It forms an evergreen ground cover hence its common name, the ground fern moss.
The Fern Moss demands easy-to-low maintenance and cares as it does not require staking, pinching, or pruning. Its compound leaves act as manure, thereby reducing your maintenance efforts to put fertilizer to promote its growth. While the fern moss can grow in almost all situations, it thrives best in moist soil with nutrients, minerals, and organic matter or mildly neutral acidic soils.
When planting a fern moss plant, ensure that you plant them at shallow grounds and not deeply into the ground, as when planted in deep grounds, their crown is more likely to rot. It would be best to water the fern moss as it thrives in moist soil, and compost manure is applied to provide the fern with nutrients and nitrogen. Mulching ensures that the plants retain moisture which should be a thin layer to conserve the moisture and, upon its decay, act as a fertilizer for your fern to mature within two years.
Most fern mosses thrive best in shady areas as too much direct sunlight is not suitable for them, and the shady areas have a lot of nutrients from the decomposing rot of the leaves from the plants. A fern moss thrives in neutral to acidic soil with PH levels ranging between 5.0 to 6.0 since acidic soil produces more hydrogen that stimulates their growth. While fern moss requires moist soil, you must exercise caution to ensure that the moss does not sit on poorly drained land, as too much water kills the plant.
In appearance, the fern moss has large compound leaves that are triangular with a skinny thread-like branch and grows up to two feet tall and eighteen inches in width. The plant appears greenish to yellow, but a brown or dull orange color indicates that the plant is dying out or drying up. The fern moss does not produce any flowers as it is not a Blooming Plant; instead, it produces spores from its seeds.
Fern moss creates a healthy ecosystem that promotes a cleaner and healthier environment. The moss grows well with other moss, such as the shade garden, the moss sampler, and the rock cap moss. The plant has a long lifespan and grows in collections, leaving a great ambiance.
