A kokedama resembles a hanging garden and is a fun home beautification project that you can complete on your own. To make it, you first need to make a ball of substrate using moss and potting soil; afterwards, wrap the plants in several such spheres and hang them around the house. Water and prune them regularly to keep your kokedama healthy.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Making the Substrate Sphere
Step 1. Choose the plant variety
You can use any type you like as long as it can grow hanging indoors using a ceiling hook and string. Traditionally, kokedama are made up of a number of different plants, so make variety the main feature. Go to a greenhouse and pick some potted plants; if you prefer, you can use the ones that grow in your garden.
Step 2. Remove the plant by grabbing it by the roots
Whether you have chosen the potted one or one from the garden, the first thing to do is extract it from the ground with all the root system; then, use your fingers to gently remove the topsoil from the root ball. If the plant has very thin roots, it is best to soak the roots in water to wash them from the earth.
When using a garden plant, always inspect its leaves for insects and other pests before bringing it indoors
Step 3. Mix the moss with specific bonsai soil
Grab a plastic bag or bucket, put on gloves, and use the two materials to create the substrate for the kokedama. Respect a proportion of 7 parts of peat moss and 3 parts of soil by mixing thoroughly to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
You need enough substrate to cover the root system of each ball. The exact doses may vary based on the size of the garden you want to build
Step 4. Prepare the sphere
Take a large handful from the bucket or bag and use your hands to create a compact, firm ball of substrate; make sure it has a diameter enough to completely cover the roots of the plant and set it aside when finished.
Step 5. Secure the roots
Take some sphagnum, available online and in nurseries, and use it to wrap the roots of the plant several times until they are completely wrapped and secure everything with string.
Again, the amount of sphagnum depends on the size of the sphere
Step 6. Insert the root system into the substrate
Break the sphere in half and fit the roots between the two parts as if it were the filling of a sandwich; then compacts the ball so that it completely hides the clod.
Part 2 of 3: Wrap and Hang the Plant
Step 1. Cover the sphere with sheet moss
This material is available online and in greenhouses; wrap a layer around the ball of substrate, making sure it completely covers the entire root system.
Use the amount you need based on the size of the sphere
Step 2. Secure the ball with string
Wrap it around the base of the plant, as it keeps the whole structure together, taking care to tighten it carefully to prevent the various layers from separating; you should be able to lift and move the sphere without falling dirt or moss.
Step 3. Attach a loop to hang the plant
Take another piece of string - its length depends on where you plan to hang the kokedama - and tie both ends to the thread that wraps the root system. At this point, you should have a string that allows you to hang the plant.
Step 4. Set up the garden
Choose a place in the house to hang the kokedama, making sure that the plant is facing a north-facing window; if you don't have any windows facing this direction, hang it 60-90 cm from an opening facing the other cardinal points.
Part 3 of 3: Caring for the Kokedama
Step 1. Moisten the plants you have placed in the kokedama daily
Wet them every day with nebulized tap water using a spray bottle; you can also add a tray full of pebbles and water right under the plants to give them the necessary moisture.
Step 2. Water them regularly
You can soak the root system in a bowl of room temperature water for 10 minutes. Then transfer the sphere to a colander to release the excess moisture and hang it up again as soon as it stops dripping.
The plants that make up a kokedama garden should be watered when the balls appear light and the leaves turn brown
Step 3. Regularly cut dead leaves
Observe the plants very carefully and use a pair of scissors or garden shears to remove dead or wilted ones.
Foliage regularly turns brown when you don't water frequently enough
Step 4. Modify the sphere as the plant grows
When the roots get large, they sprout from the moss and the sphere; this means that you have to transfer them to a larger substrate. In most cases, you need to do this once or twice a year.
