Just returned to the Mirai archive and viewed Ryan’s video entitled ‘Topdressing Creation’. I now understand how to shred, sift, dye and dry sphagnum moss to create an attractive top dressing. I also understand what type of moss to collect and how to shred it to create fine spores for growing moss on the surface of the soil.
What was not covered in the video (or in the two referenced videos - Repotting Yamadori and Nusery Stock Series Pt4) was how and in what quantity one would apply the moss spores to the soil surface. There’s a reference in the video to combining ground sphagnum and the ground/sifted collected moss 50-50, but unless I missed it, the video never shows Ryan actually mixing the two or adding the ground collected moss spores at any time before or during the application process.
When and how would that be done? Is the ground collected moss added to the ground, dyed sphagnum after it dries but before it’s placed on top of the soil? Is the moss simply sprinkled on top, and if so, when?