Ok so I have recently bought a Chinese Elm and I am pruning it to fit a broom-style look. From my recent trip to China & Japan I bought mini figurines to put on the bonsai but they don't look good on top of soil. I was considering growing moss , will this damage my bonsai? I am a beginner and I don't really want another bonsai to die. Bonsai Empire says moss is beneficial but other forums say otherwise.

Thanks in advance.

PandarenBonsai wrote: Bonsai Empire says moss is beneficial but other forums say otherwise.

Yep, that's how it is. You will get different opinions.

I do like moss and I believe it is beneficial. It doesn't prevent proper drainage, and it keeps the top of the soil moist, which prevents the surface roots from drying out / getting overheated in the sun.

But again, that's an opinion.

I do NOT like moss on the tree itself.

Don't let moss grow in your pot, it's just a pretty weed. OK, i let Poke weed grow in my yard, after a few years they get ugly, then i pull them up. Another will pop up next year.

Like any other plant, Moss does take up nutrients, and water. It does offer some benefits, and is appealing to the eye, but like any weed, it can get out of control. Then it will be hard to get rid of.

Samantha wrote: Like any other plant, Moss does take up nutrients, and water. It does offer some benefits, and is appealing to the eye, but like any weed, it can get out of control. Then it will be hard to get rid of.

Moss does NOT take up nutrients from the substrate; it gets carbon dioxide from the air. Also, it does not take up water from the substrate as moss mainly gets water through its leaves. Moss does offer benefits, as described.

Getting rid of moss is VERY easy as they have no real roots. It will not get out of control.

crataegus.com/2012/07/05/the-moss-myth/

Also, moss is not quite a weed.

It does have roots, not very big though. OK, maybe i'll let it grow in a few, and see what happens. Maybe even go so far as to encourage some. Live some learn some.

How do you keep it from climbing up the trunk?

i only use moss for display.. other than that i put it back in the cultivation trays..

Samantha wrote: It does have roots, not very big though. OK, maybe i'll let it grow in a few, and see what happens. Maybe even go so far as to encourage some. Live some learn some.

How do you keep it from climbing up the trunk?

I remove it before it reaches the trunk. I have patches of moss on the soil that I reduce when they grow too large.
Sometimes I forget... and then I brush it off. As it has no roots (no, it doesn't, it has tiny threads to anchor itself. Look it up), it's fairly easy to remove - though you have to be careful not to damage the bark while cleaning it.

thank you

I use moss on all of my penjings and it is regularly removed by birds searching for worms or I find some hidden acorn under it with roots when I am repotting.
Without moss my substrate would dry out even these days already when it is not too warm yet.
I use substrate consisting of 80 % zeolite and it dries quickly.
So moss keeps it moist even when moss itself is dry when I get back from work.
Therefore I am trying various measuer to scare the birds off.
(Usually they work only for few days. But last trick of hanging up the pic of bigger bird that looks like predator is still working even 1 week later )
SO - moss is great in my opinion, especially for penjings to create landscape and to keep substrate moist.
And supposedly when left on the bottom of the trunk of yor bonsai, it helps the bark underneath to get texture quicker.

And supposedly when left on the bottom of the trunk of yor bonsai, it helps the bark underneath to get texture quicker.

depends on the species.. but true.. works on my pine, oak, and a lot of other species that create a nice textured bark..