Kokedama – the Art of Growing Plants Without Pots. This Is a Modern Gardening Trend in Japanese Style

Plants can be cultivated without pots. This interesting gardening style was born in Japan and now is catching on all over the world.

Hanging gardens straight from Japan

Kokedama in Japanese means ‘ a ball of moss’. The roots of the plant get integrated with the mixture of soils, turf, clay and form a ball.

Such interesting decoration might be put on a tray or it might hang from the ceiling. This is how you can easily make your own ‘hanging garden’. Preparing a kokedama is not that difficult; still, the final effect is spectacular. Your guests won’t take their eyes off them!

Things you need:

• soil
• keto (this is soil dedicated to bonsai trees, which is am mixture of turf and soil from Japanese swamps)
• akadama (burnt Japanese clay used as medium for bonsai cultivation)
• large sheets of moss (it can be fresh or dried)
• plants
• water
• linen, cotton or jute string
• gloves
• scissors

Kokedama step by step

1. Mix the soil, keto and akadama in 2:1:1 ratio, then add two measuring cups of water.
2. Mix it well until it becomes a homogeneous pulp. If it crumbles, add some keto.

#3 Prepare the plant. Take it out of the pot and remove the excess of the soil. Do it carefully so as not to harm the roots. You can gently rinse it with water.

#4 Slowly and carefully cover the roots with the mixture forming a ball. You can also first form the ball, then make a hole inside and put the plant into it.

#5 Wrap the ball with moss and tie it tight with the string.

And that’s it! Your kokedama is ready!

How to take care of your plant ball

First of all it should never be exposed to direct sunlight. Every morning you need to dew it with cooled boiled water. Once a week you also need to give it a bath. Immerse the ball in water and wait about 5 minutes.
Kokedama will decorate your house for 2 – 3 years (in case of succulents even for 3 – 4 years). Then you have to form a new ball for the plant.

What plants can be used to make a kokedama

You need to select plants that prefer dump conditions and dispersed light or even partial shade. The best ones include:
• ferns
• succulents
• spider plants
• the bromeliads
• ivy
• asparagus ferns
• nerve plants
Herbs and plants with extensive root systems do not tolerate this kind of cultivation

Anthurium

Mother-in-law’s tongue

Golden pothos

The Swiss cheese plant

Spath

Pelargonium

What do you think about this way of growing plants?