To add moss to a topiary frame, soak sphagnum moss until it is soft, squeeze it damp, then push it into the frame a handful at a time and pack it much harder than feels right, until the whole body is firm.
Trim the stray fibers flush with the outline, and keep the moss damp. A small frame takes an hour or two.
Below is how much moss to buy, each step in order, and how to keep a moss topiary green afterward.
What you need
- Long-fiber sphagnum moss. It holds water and packs firm. Sheet moss and woodland moss are for dressing surfaces, and they do not pack.
- A tub or bucket big enough to soak the moss.
- Gloves and long sleeves. Sphagnum can carry a fungus that causes a skin infection through small cuts.
- A wooden dowel or spoon handle for pushing moss into ears, legs and tails.
- Scissors for trimming.
- Clear fishing line (optional) to hold the surface on a large frame.
How much moss you need
| Frame height | One cubic foot of sphagnum fills |
|---|---|
| Mini, under 10 inches | 8 to 10 frames |
| Small, 10 to 14 inches | 3 to 4 frames |
| Medium, 14 to 24 inches | 1 frame |
| Large, 24 to 36 inches | Take 2 cubic feet or more each |
Buy a little more than you think. Moss compresses a lot when it is packed hard. Our 46 pound sphagnum bale holds 5.5 cubic feet, enough for several large frames or a season of repairs. It is in topiary supplies with the green spray.
Step 1: Soak and loosen the moss
Put the moss in a tub of water and leave it until it is soft all the way through, about 15 minutes. Lift out a handful and squeeze it so it is damp but not dripping. Pull the clumps apart with your fingers into loose fibers.
Damp moss bends into corners and stays where you put it. Dry moss springs back out of the frame.
Step 2: Pack it hard
Start at the part of the frame farthest from you, or at the narrow ends such as the tail and feet. Push in small handfuls through the rods and press each one down before adding the next. Use the dowel to drive moss into ears, legs and other thin parts.
Pack it much harder than feels polite. When you press the finished body with a finger, you should not be able to push in. Loose moss slumps within a season and leaves gaps at the top of the frame.
On a large frame, wind clear fishing line around the body every few inches as you go. It holds the surface in place, and it disappears into the moss.
Step 3: Trim the outline
Stray fibers will stick out everywhere. Trim them back with scissors, following the lines of the frame. Cut close, but do not dig into the packed body. If you cut too far, push a little more moss in with the dowel and trim again.
Step back every few minutes and look at the silhouette from across the room. The shape should read as the animal, not as a ball of moss.
Step 4: Keep it green
Sphagnum is a growing medium, like soil, and it does not stay green on its own. Water it when it feels dry just under the surface. In summer sun that can be every day or two. Keep it out of hard afternoon sun if you can.
When the color fades, mist it with moss green spray in light passes. When the moss thins, work fresh sphagnum in with the old, once or twice a year. If the body has gone soft or hollow, repack it. The sphagnum moss care guide covers a piece that has browned.
Step 5: Plant into it (optional)
A packed frame is ready to plant straight away. Push small ivy, creeping fig or succulent plugs into holes in the moss and pin their stems flat. Plant within about six months of packing, while the moss is still fresh. The step-by-step is in how to make an animal topiary.
Moss topiary you can buy ready-packed
If you would rather skip the packing, every animal in our mossed animal topiary range arrives packed firm, from a 4 inch frog at about $72 to a 60 inch elephant. The bare frames are in wire frame animal topiary if you want to pack your own.
Quick answers
What kind of moss is used for topiary?
Long-fiber sphagnum moss. It packs firm, holds up to 20 times its weight in water and lets plants root into it.
Do you soak sphagnum moss before putting it in a topiary frame?
Yes. Soak it until it is soft, then squeeze out the extra water. Damp moss packs tight and stays in place.
How do you keep moss on a topiary frame?
Pack it very hard, and on larger pieces wind clear fishing line around the body. A layer of chicken wire over the frame also holds the moss in.
How do you keep a moss topiary green?
Water it when it feels dry, keep it out of hard afternoon sun, and refresh the color with green moss spray. For a living green coat, plant ivy or creeping fig into it.
