Kokedama as living art
The name kokedama comes from the Japanese words koke = moss and tama = ball. Instead of growing the plant in a planter, we grow it in a round ball of soil that is also wrapped in moss and secured with string. Kokedama is actually a kind of variation on bonsai. This way of growing plants is very aesthetic and economical too. Making a kokedama is itself a calming, even meditative activity. You can hang a kokedama up or simply stand it in a suitable container. Depending on the plant you choose for it, you can place a kokedama indoors or, for example, on a tree in the garden, on a summer patio or on a balcony. One thing is certain, though: if you follow the advice below, it will bring you joy wherever it is and attract admiring glances.
Photo: Kokedamas look most beautiful hanging, and if you choose an invisible hanger, such as nylon thread, from a distance they will look as if they were floating in the air on their own.
Which plant should you choose for a kokedama?
You can grow basically any plant in a kokedama. As a general rule, beginners at least find it easier to work with a moister, clay-rich potting mix that holds together better and does not crumble while you are making the ball. Moisture-loving plants appreciate it: various ferns, Maranta, Syngonium. On the other hand, when you are starting out, it is also easier to work with a smaller kokedama that fits in your hand, and therefore with a smaller plant, such as a small succulent. So which plant you choose depends above all on where you want to place the kokedama. Always go by the needs of the particular plant species. You can make a kokedama from the ferns mentioned above, tropical plants, succulents and cacti, but also from bulbs and tubers, or from herbs or indoor trees. Do not be afraid to experiment.
What will you need?
It should be said up front that making a kokedama is bound to get messy. Prepare, for example, a tray to work on and a large bowl for mixing a suitable potting mix. You will also need thread, synthetic or waxed string, or even shoemaker’s thread (it must not be made of materials that can snap after constant contact with moisture), scissors, moss (ideally a large sheet of moss made specifically for kokedamas), sphagnum moss, the plant you have chosen and, of course, potting mix.
Photo: To make a kokedama, we use our potting mix and moss for wrapping
Which potting mix should you choose?
Opinions on the most suitable potting mix vary, because it all depends on the plant you choose. Basically, a mix of sphagnum-based potting mix and bonsai soil is enough. But if you want to put more work into the potting mix and give the plant a suitable home for several years, you can add pieces of coconut husk and perlite (to aerate the potting mix), coconut fiber, akadama or water crystals (to retain water in the potting mix, which moisture-loving plants in particular will appreciate), compost or slow-release fertilizer (for essential nutrients). To help the potting mix hold together well, a special Japanese clay, Ketotsuchi, is also added.
We make our kokedamas with our own potting mix containing perlite, which we blend with akadama, zeolite, Japanese clay and sphagnum moss. If the individual ingredients for a special kokedama potting mix are hard to find, you can use our ready-made potting mix, which we have tried and tested together with moss, and save yourself time.
Photo: Making a kokedama with Chamaedorea elegans: here we are shaping the ball
Wrapping the roots
You can finish a kokedama in several ways. Here are a few of them, so choose the one you like best.
Take the plant out of its planter and gently remove its original potting mix from the roots. This is easier if the plant has been left without water for a few days and the potting mix has dried out. Then wrap the roots in a layer of sphagnum moss that you have soaked in water beforehand. This layer gives the roots a kind of barrier around them when you then press them into a ball together with the potting mix.
Spread a presoaked sheet of moss on your work surface, place the plant in the middle and add the potting mix you have prepared. Then wrap the moss around the root ball and press it into a ball. Next, tie it up with waxed string. The string tends to loosen over time, so do not be afraid to pull it tight enough.
Add water to the prepared potting mix to make a kind of dough that you can form into a ball, but be careful not to make soggy mud. Then cut the ball in half and place the plant in its center. Then join everything back together, wrap it in moss and secure it with string.
Or try making a paste from the potting mix and a small amount of water, which you apply to the plant’s root ball a little at a time, gradually building up and shaping a ball, which you then wrap in moss and string.
Photo: A kokedama with a Monstera Minima plant
Kokedama care
Water a kokedama as often as the particular plant species you have chosen needs. The best way to tell is to feel the weight of the kokedama in your hand. Simply place the kokedama in a bowl or bucket of water that has been left to stand and let it soak. Make sure you water kokedamas with water left to stand and avoid chlorine, which harms kokedamas; we recommend the same for misting. Depending on the size and dryness of the ball, about 10 to 30 minutes is enough. Once the kokedama has soaked up enough water, take it out, let it drain on a saucer or plate and then simply put it back in its original spot. Do not worry, once it has drained, no more water will run out of it. Materials such as sphagnum moss, zeolite and akadama hold moisture well and soak up water.
Between waterings, you can mist the ball, or even the whole plant. During the growing season, you can add fertilizer to the water. For kokedamas, we mainly recommend liquid fertilizer, or crystalline fertilizer that dissolves in water.
Photo: A moss ball wrapped in thread
Because kokedamas are made from natural materials, you have to accept that over time the natural work of fungi and microorganisms will show, and the surface may become spotty, grayish and unsightly. This often happens even with a new kokedama you have just made. It is a natural process, because microorganisms are often present in the moss itself and wake up as soon as it gets damp. Simply remove them carefully by hand, and they will disappear over time. Alternatively, you can loosen the original string, add a little fresh potting mix and wrap the kokedama in new moss again, but that is more for perfectionists who like to play with kokedamas.
And what about the lifespan of kokedamas? In most cases, kokedamas will last you several years. Usually, after 5 years, they need repairing and enlarging because of the growing roots.
On behalf of the whole Dej mi pokojovku team, I wish you lots of fun making them and much success with your plants.
Author: Ing. Alžběta Lacinová