Moss Troubleshooting: A Photo Guide to Common Problems

1. sunburnt moss

Sun-damaged moss has several obvious characteristics.

First, it happens very suddenly.

Moss can turn yellow very quickly after being exposed to direct sunlight. Where I live, it can look perfectly fine in the morning, and then when I water it in the evening, I suddenly notice that something has gone wrong.

Second, the damage is usually limited to a specific area.

The damaged area and the unaffected area are clearly separated.

Third, the moss may turn yellow, but its structure is still completely intact.

Look carefully at the photo. Other than the difference in color, the green moss and the yellow moss look almost exactly the same.

Fourth, it can recover on its own.

Look even more closely at the yellow moss. The new growth is already starting to turn green again.

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the above moss is a kind of local moss (mini sheet moss, Hypnum cupressiforme moss or Brachythecium).

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(this is pin sun burnt pincushion moss, Leucobryum glaucum. you may wonder why it is not caused by lacking water. If lacking water, it will turns white. )

2. naturally dying.

   The following moss is philonotis falcata moss . You have done nothing wrong. They are naturally dying. You may see them all grey completly. That is why I do not recommend it a terrarium moss. In the follow photos, there is a small patch of pin cushion moss. See how stable it performs. It keeps that look all the time.

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