Kokedama: care + which plants are suitable?

Kokedama are very easy to make yourself and are particularly decorative. The Asian window decorations also save planters and stand space. The following guide shows what to look for with the moss ball.

Kokedama: definition

Kokedama is a ball of moss that is directly planted with a plant. It comes from Japan and is usually used here as window decoration.
It consists of moss and substrate as well as a houseplant that remains as small as possible.

Materials needed

Only a few materials and utensils are required for production. These are:

• Wire or cord
• suitable substrate
• filter bag if necessary
• Moss panels
• Scissors or, if necessary, pliers
• water

Note: On the one hand, suitable soil must match the respective plant and, on the other hand, it must be as malleable as possible. A mixture of sandy and loamy soil in equal parts is usually ideal. In addition, peat or an equivalent substitute should be used.

Instructions for making

If you want to make a Kokedama, you only have to follow a few steps. These are:

1. Prepare substrate: The soil for the selected plant is mixed with enough water that it can be shaped into a ball. If it is orchid soil, it is moistened and poured into a coffee filter.
   
2. Plant yourself: There are two ways of doing this. You can choose to shape the ball directly around the root ball or cut it in half and then insert the roots between the two halves. In any case, it is important that the old soil is thoroughly removed and, if necessary, rinsed off. If the root ball is already very large, it should be carefully reduced in size. This requires clean and sharp scissors.
   
3. Attach moss: The moss sheet is wrapped around the globe and fastened with string or wire. Green thread is invisible on the moss, as is fishing line. Silver or gold wire, raffia and different colored cord, on the other hand, can act as a decorative contrast. Combinations of these are of course also possible.
   
4. Hanging: The moss balls are traditionally hung up. For this purpose, two to four cords are attached to the wrapped Kokedama. Alternatively, you can use a network.

Note: Moss panels are also sold under the names Flachmoos or Moosmatten.

care

A planted moss ball is decorative, regardless of whether you hang it up or, for example, place it on a glass bowl. But how does the watering and fertilizing of the plants work in it?
The culture is simpler than expected. Because only one measure is required for both watering and fertilizing: diving. Place the moss ball in a bowl of water for a few minutes until no more air bubbles rise. Then squeeze out the Kokedama slightly and, if necessary, place it on a grid or in a sieve to drain off, so that excess water drips off. You can then return to the specified location. If fertilization is necessary, you should add the liquid fertilizer directly to the irrigation water when diving.

Location

The location depends on the particular plant. The following criteria are generally recommended:

• protected
• bright but no direct sunlight
• warm

Earth change

Since the plant has only a small amount of substrate available, it may be necessary to change soil annually or at least every two years. The same procedure is used here as with the original production.

• Thoroughly remove soil
• Shape the fresh substrate into a ball
• wrap with moss

It is also beneficial to choose plants that remain small or plants with a small root ball.

Suitable plants

ivy

Ivy is a resilient, undemanding and easy-care plant. Small-leaved varieties are therefore ideal for Kokedama. If you hang the unusual planters on fishing line, it is particularly decorative. Because then they seem almost floating. In addition, the ivy creeps and has overhanging shoots.

Efeutute

The ivy has larger leaves than the ivy, but it also creeps. In addition, it is easy to care for and undemanding. Due to the different colors, it can be a wonderful contrast to the moss ball.

A leaf

The plant, also known as arum, is easy to cultivate and, despite its relatively rapid growth, requires little effort. The white flowers are decorative and unusual due to their shape.

Ferns

Ferns are also suitable plants for the moss ball. While they shouldn't dry out completely, they still don't require a lot of maintenance. In addition, the combination of the shape of fern and moss ball is very decorative.

Green lily

You can even grow green lilies if you don't have a green thumb. They can withstand a lot and have extremely low demands. They adapt easily to small planters and form offshoots that hang on long shoots.

Orchids

There is now a very large selection of orchids on the market. Different colors and flower shapes provide variety. In addition, the roots are strong but not particularly long and voluminous. This means that they can easily fit into a small ball of moss for a long time.

However, there is one special feature: You may only use orchid substrate. Since it is difficult to enclose this with the moss, you should fill it in a coffee filter. This means that moisture and nutrients can still penetrate both the moss and the roots of the orchid, but the loose substrate is still well fixed.

Succulents

Succulents like fat chicken, Cacti or aloe are ideal for the culture in the moss ball. They require little water, grow slowly and also do not have high demands in terms of nutrients.

Bulb flowers

Suitable variants include:

• Hyacinths
• Daffodils
• Tulips

Making the Kokedama is particularly easy with onions because they are already round themselves. This makes molding a lot easier. In addition, onion flowers develop comparatively short roots, so that they only need a small amount of substrate. Although they only bloom for a short time, they also make it possible to change the planting more frequently.

frequently asked Questions