Kokedama

Most of the materials and tools you will need for this project will be available at your local garden center and hardware store.

Materials

• Akadama Soil
• Peat Moss
• Sphagnum Sheet Moss
• Waxed String or Fishing Line
• Plants (proportionate to the size of your kokedama moss ball)

Tools

• Scissors
• Bowl
• Latex Gloves ✱
• Measuring Cup ✱
• 
  ✱ = Optional tool or material

Struggling to find a material or tool? Check out some alternative options.

How to make a Kokedama

Latex gloves may be used to keep hands clean while shaping your ball.

Step 1: Form the Ball

To create the ball, combine Akadama soil and peat moss together in a 1:1 mix. Akadama soil is a naturally occurring, granular volcanic clay soil from Japan. Combining it with peat moss will help the ball retain moisture so you will not need to water it as frequently!

• For a ball 4 inches in diameter, combine 1 cup of Akadama soil and 1 cup of peat moss
• Combine the two soils together in the bowl, crushing some of the Akadama pellets as you go
• Pour in water little by little. You don’t want the soil to get too wet at once or it will be difficult to work with. The kokedama in my video needed about ¾ to 1 cup to get the right consistency

Once you have formed the ball, hold it in both hands and press one thumb into the top to make a hole for your plant’s roots.

If your soil mixture is not holding when you form a ball, try sprinkling in a little more Akadama soil.

Step 2: Let's Talk Plants

Set your kokedama-to-be aside. For this next step, we are going to prepare the plants.

• Take your plants out of their containers and gently remove any potting mix from their roots so they are as bare as possible
• Carefully place the roots into the hole and pack soil around them
  

Step 3: Wrap and Wind

Now you're ready to wrap the ball in sphagnum sheet moss! Soaking the moss in water may make it easier to work with. Set the ball in the center and fold the moss up and around to the base of the plant.

To fasten the moss in place, hold the ball with one hand and wind the waxed string or fishing line around in all directions. Start at the bottom of the ball and leave a piece of longer string exposed so you can tie and cut it off when you’re done wrapping.

Caring for Your Kokedama

• Fill a bowl halfway with water and set your kokedama in for ~10 minutes or until it’s heavy. Every week feel the ball’s weight to determine if it needs soaking again. The humidity and temperature inside your home or garden will affect how often you need to water
• During the growing season, feed your kokedama once every couple weeks by mixing in water-soluble fertilizer

Looking for more inspiration? Check out my GitHub!