How to Care for Your Moss Art and Living Walls

Because moss art and living walls are not alive, they do not need sunlight, water, or potting mix. Sunlight can actually bleach living art causing its colors to fade in addition to drying out the plants causing them to lose their texture and crumble. 

Drafts and moisture also cause damage including drying the moss art out and creating mold and mildew, which is why placing moss art across from vents, in bathrooms or basements, or by entryways and doors is not a good idea. Here’s where and how to place your moss art.

• Avoid direct sunlight - Find walls that do not get direct sunlight from windows but do get ambient light from the room including light fixtures so the colors of the moss art can be on display.

• Humidity and temperature - Too much or too little humidity can cause damage including crumbling and mold, so avoid rooms with too much moisture like bathrooms and basements, and placements directly across from vents and ducts that blow hot air as this can dry the moss art out.

• Rooms to use - Any room that is designed for regular use and comfort will likely also be ones that have moderate levels of humidity, proper temperature control, and lighting. These are perfect for moss art and include living rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, and offices that are not in basements or attics.

Just like traditional wall art, living walls accumulate dust. The more that builds up, the less vibrant the colors will be and the harder the dust will be to remove. Like paintings and photographs, you do not want to use liquids as this can damage and lead to other issues with the moss art. Instead try using dry methods for dusting and dust your moss art at least once a week.

• Dusting wands, especially ones with magnetic cling to bring dust in are a gentle way to remove regular dust accumulation.

• Compressed air canisters with quick and light bursts of air can be a good way to remove dust trapped in hard to reach crevices. Do not try this method if the moss art is brittle as it could damage the plants.

• Hairdryers that have a no-heat or cool, and a low pressure setting, can be used to blow dust off your moss art. The no-heat is the most important part as heat dries the moss art out.

• Soft bristle brushes used gently can get dust off living art that is stuck in crevices, along ridges, and in hard to reach places.

When you go to move your living art or want to maintain it a bit, you’ll want to use the following precautions.

• Do not touch the plants with your hands as the oils and dirt can impact the preserved plants. 

• Wear powder-free latex or nitrile gloves when adding coloring or replacing damaged preserved plants to avoid getting the chemicals on your skin, and your skin from getting oils and dirt onto the plants.

• Keep living walls away from high-traffic areas where people will bump into it. This includes hanging moss art around the height of the back of a chair in dining rooms, kitchens, or family rooms. Moss art can be fragile and small bumps can cause damage, especially if they occur repeatedly.

There are two ways to fix discoloration with moss wall art.

• If it is from UV or sun damage and just starting, move the moss art away from direct sunlight and to somewhere where only ambient light will reach it.

• When the discoloration is more noticeable:

  • Use a plant safe dye like food coloring and an air brush to add the coloring back.

  • Try a mix of vegetable glycerin and plant friendly dye. 

    1. Mix 1 part vegetable glycerin and 2 parts water

    2. Add dye until you get the correct color. 

    3. Airbrush it onto the discolored plants.

The only way to repair crumbling is to stop the cause which could be:

• Dehydration

• Too much humidity

• Direct sunlight

• Incorrect preservation

• Natural aging

• Humans touching it and the oils and dirt drying it out

Carefully remove the crumbling plants and replace them with new preserved plants. This could be the perfect time to update it with new pops of color. Just make sure to preserve the plants correctly and use an adhesive like PVA or Tacky glue, or even a hot glue gun.

The first thing to do is to remove your moss art from the atmosphere and placement that caused the mold and mildew. By reducing humidity and exposure to moisture and dark conditions you can be proactive to help prevent this. Next try one or a combination of the following.

• Use a light peroxide and water mix with 1 part peroxide and 8 parts water gently on the affected area. This could cause further discoloration or bleaching, so be careful.

• Try brushing the mold or mildew off with a clean and soft brush. 

• Spray a plant safe fungicidal spray on the affected area.

• Replace any plants or the frame if you cannot treat all of the mold and mildew on it. You don’t want it to begin spreading again.

Once you’re done treating the moss art, make sure everything dries completely as moisture is one of the causes of mold and mildew and it can begin coming back. 

Keeping your moss art looking lush and vibrant is easy when you know what issues to look for, identify the cause, and then treat it. It could be a simple dusting to remove a layer blocking the colors, replacing a couple of plants, or adding color back via a plant-safe dye mixture.