Moss Cutlivation and Bonsai Trees

So I have recently gotten Back into bonsai trees and I was looking to put moss in the bottom to get that nice "Grassy" illusion going, but I don't know for sure how to make it grow. I did a couple of google searches, And I found a few things out that don't seem like they make alot of sense, so I was hoping that the plant Gurus here might know a thing or two.
I do Have one small spot in my backyard where I have some Clumpy fine green moss growing, and only that one spot. There is not alot of it there either, So I want to make more.
I've read in several different places that you can Put Beer in a blender with a bit of moss, blend it up to a nice even goo, then apply it to your surface. How does that work? Why does beer make it reproduce?
I've also read that It has no roots, But Rhizomes (Spell?) and that it absorbs Nutes through the air...I don't think I believe that. I don't think that there is such thing as air borne trace elements or airborne NPK. So the real question is how would I feed it to make it grow faster. I don't think I can do a hydro system with no roots...(I like to grow alot of things hydro just for fun, Catnip, beans, vines, anything I can make work) And I can't seem to find any good websites with any botanical information, just the beer trick.
I don't know if there are any other bonsai growers here, but I would assume so, with all the bonsai moms I see in the growers forums. But I was thinking about using a Chinese elm for my tree. They are plentiful here, And I could Air Layer (Fancy cloning method, basically) and make a bunch of them, but I'm open to suggestions on faster growing, hardy, or just plain nicer trees. I plan on doing a hole little "Bonsai farm" just for fun.
If anybody else has pics of there trees, you can post the here, I would love to see trees people actually grow, not the ones that are glued together for a quick sale on ebay or something.

the proper term is rhizoids, not rhizomes.the mosses are the lowest of the land plants, and they dont have vascular tissues, but bryophytes have hydroids and leptiods which are primitve xylems and phloems. Rhizoids are more like root hairs though, and are simply used for absoprtion. they require moist areas, usually in the shade, to survive. doubt you could get one to survive in a bonsai pot with the infrequent waterings and the moss would compete with nutrients in the small pot.

but beer....i'd think blending and the beer would kill the moss....depends though ig uess, beer doesnt have that much alcohol. you could give transplanting it a shot, but it might die, they need the high humidity and constant moisture, especially since they need water to reproduce (motile sperm must swim to the eggs)

with bonsai....do anything, just be patient lol
some plants bonsai better than others, but with all my plants i gotta look after the only thing i could manage to partially bonsai were Ficus'. varigated ficus are cool looking plants though

I can't speak on the moss, but i can direct you to my little bonsai farm!

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=104949

after speaking to some bonsai masters, and growing moss for many years, i can attest to the fact that the best bonsai moss (are you growing these outdoors?) is indeed the moss that grows between the sidewalk cracks.....piece them together for a carpet appearance......they like low nitrogen

http://slices-of-life.com/2008/03/14/up-for-extreme-gardening-check-your-moss-graffiti-recipe/

well i'll be damned that some cool stuff
sounds like you could make some of that stuff and then put it over the pot, or you could try to let it occur naturally. the moss still needs a lot of water, but you could prob mist w/out over watering the bonsai plant, or w/e else because i bet moss would also help with the pot drying out

you can buy spanish and irish mosses at a landscaping nursery.

I think I read somewhere that if you dry a clump of moss and crush it in your hand over moist soil and mist it every day some kinds of moss will propagate and fill in evenly. I've heard of feeding moss dilute buttermilk also but not sure on that one.

I love moss, love walking into the forest and laying down on a thick bed of moss and looking up at the trees. Its a little forest in itself.

Check out mossacres.com

They have LOADS of info on propagation, purchasing and the whole subject in general.

Excellent info and their moss is good too.

--dh

Moss sure is cool. Any one ever see pics of moss gardens? I wish I had a house with a yard to make one, they are really neat.

there are plenty of mosses that do not require constant moisture, in fact that is a very fast way to kill them....that is why i suggested sidewalk moss....look where it grows....it appreciates a good misting but also likes periods of drying out
!

i collect moss on the property for bonsai trees. usually a half sunny half shady place so the moss can handle the sun.