DIY:
Kokedama

Make your own Kokedama

Kokedama literally translates as 'moss ball', they are beautiful compositions made with ferns, flowering plants, bamboo or succulents.

Creating a Kokedama can be a bit tricky, but if you scroll down you'll find a step-by-step plan that explains how to make a Kokedama yourself!

What is Kokedama?

These small moss balls are an old tradition in Japanese gardening, and are somewhat related to the accent plants often shown alongside a Bonsai, as well as to Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement). A Kokedama can be created with a wide variety of plant species. By covering the root ball with a layer of sticky mud, covered with moss, the distinctive round shape can be made. The moss balls are traditionally displayed on a shallow tray, but recently they are also displayed as hanging plants.

How do I care for a Kokedama?

Watering a Kokedama is a relatively straight-forward task. The best way to determine if your moss ball needs watering is to feel how heavy it is. You can also check the moss, if it feels dry you need to water. Soaking the ball in water for about 5 minutes should be more than enough to make sure it is well wetted. Most ferns and succulents will thrive indoors, but ultimately it depends on which plant you selected what the optimal place is to put (or hang) your Kokedama. Read the instructions of the plant you purchased before proceeding! You can fertilize your moss ball once a month using a liquid fertilizer.

Examples of Kokedama

Here are a few inspirational shots of finished moss balls.

Kokedama

Kokedama plant (a fern).

What do I need to create a Kokedama?

You'll need some soil components like peat moss (Sphagnum), keto soil, akadama soil and water. Of course your composition also needs a living plant (try a fern on your first attempt) and some string to tie it all together. See the photos below for more information.

Kokedama - things you need
The soil components (Akadama, Keto (a Japanese type of very sticky clay), Sphagnum and Water). You can use potting soil if you can't get Keto.
Kokedama - things you need
A living plant. Ferns are strong and good for beginners, but you could also try flowering plants, succulents or even bamboo!
Kokedama - things you need
Finally, you'll need some moss and string. The moss can be collected in a variety of places like your garden, a park or forest.

Now let's see how we can create our very own Kokedama! These photos belong to art-kokedama.com.

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Key take-away

Try to select plants like ferns, flowering plants, bamboo or succulents for your Kokedama.