Lichen on stone

["Brian King" <brianaking@zzzzzzzzz>]

The buttermilk or yogurt concoctions will get the spores in place, but
they will only grow  if the conditions are suitable, and lichens are
*very* finicky as to the conditions they grow in.   If you are hoping
to transplant lichen spores via a buttermilk concoction, make sure you
are using a lichen that is 'thriving' on a similar rock in the same
area that the piece will be displayed.   Things as small as the amount
of light hitting it is important so think about keeping it on the
north face of the sculpture which will receive less light.   You could
probably also use the shotgun approach here.  Take as many samples of
lichen as you can find, blend it up with the butter milk, and hope one
of them is able to take form.

Another issue with Lichens growing on rocks, is that they seem to
inhabit the thin layer that surrounds a rock that has been impregnated
with organics.   Not sure if that's just for footing or whether it
pulls nutrients from the rock, probably just for footing.   This is
something you probably won't find on a carving, but if you are
selecting rocks, you may be able to leverage that.   The buttermilk
may help here too.

I've been working on a moss garden for around two years surrounding
some boulders in my yard.   The one thing that helps it grow the most
is humidity.   Some mosses can survive droughts for centuries, but
sexual reproduction occurs much quicker in the presence of moisture.
The same is true for most varieties of lichen.  I believe the reason
why they prefer shade is because the sun dries out the humidity that
much faster.

Enjoy, Moss and Lichen get me almost as excited as rocks do =)

Brian King