Kokedama allows gardeners to turn plants into living sculptures. It’s a style of Japanese bonsai that means “moss ball.” As you might expect, creating a kokedama garden involves encasing a plant’s root system in sphagnum moss to create a ball, which makes an elegant, natural, versatile garden arrangement when hung. It’s a simple, rewarding project for gardeners and a simple tutorial for garden centers and nurseries.
How to Make a Kokedama
- Pick your plant. The best plants for kokedama are small houseplants suited to your local climate.
- Mix half sphagnum moss and half bonsai soil. Mix water with your soil and peat moss mixture until damp. (Sphagnum is the best moss for kokedama because it can hold 20 times its weight in water).
- Use the soil mixture to form a ball around your plant’s roots.
- Wrap the root ball in a layer of sphagnum moss. Make sure it remains in a sheet to prevent the root ball from falling apart midair.
- Wrap the sphere in string to reinforce its shape.
- Loop another length of string around the string reinforcement. This is the string you’ll hang it by, so your options are endless. Choose coarse twine for a rough, natural look, ribbon for a polished look, or a length of thin wire for a more industrial vibe.
- Hang your kokedama plant in bright, indirect sunlight.
- Help it grow. Mist your kokedama plant daily to keep it hydrated. Water it every few days, as soon as the root ball starts to dry out. Don’t wait until the plant becomes dehydrated and droopy to water your kokedama. Trim off dead leaves as necessary.
Contact Besgrow for premier length sphagnum moss in New Zealand.