by Chuck Nishihira
Personally, I can’t think of many things in the terrarium more attractive than a clump of bryophytes all growing together. The variety of shapes and tones they create seems to add a delicate and subtle depth to the plantings. One problem is that many times when you acquire a new moss or liverwort, it is only a small piece. Definitely not enough to create the vision you have in your mind. And certainly not enough to satiate the need, because let’s face it, you rarely have enough!
With some leafy liverworts there is a partial solution. While most will still not grow as quickly as you would like, here is what I do to shorten the wait time. While it might seem like an obvious thing to do, for many years I was afraid to bother species that I was growing and left them intact for the most part. By cutting them into small pieces and laying them flat on a bed of sphagnum you can get a larger amount of growing points. Well, at least most of the time! I do have a few types that when cut this way, only seem to produce 1 new growth. With a little luck, you can create a specimen faster, or you can mix these with other bryophytes to create a bed of uniqueness
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