What is Kokedama?

Kokedama History
As a brand that takes its name from the Japanese art of kokedama, our first article was naturally going to be about kokedama. One of the questions we get asked most often is; what does kokedama mean? Why did you use this name?

Kokedama is a Japanese bonsai art and is made by wrapping the roots of suitable plants with sphagnum moss or live moss and then wrapping it with string. The word kokedama consists of “koke” moss and “dama” root balls. At its origin, kokedama was only for bonsai trees, but today we see it used with all plants whose root structure would be suitable for kokedama.

Kokedama is also seen as a reflection of the Wabi-sabi aesthetic, which is about “accepting the imperfections of nature and the transience of natural beauty.” The Wabi-sabi philosophy includes simplicity, intimacy, worldliness, disorder, difficulty, and most importantly, naturalness. With its simple and natural appearance, kokedama art was also created based on Wabi-sabi principles.

It is said that kokedama was born out of the need to wrap bonsai in moss because it would be difficult to carry them in ceramic pots during migration. Thanks to the kokedama, the weight of the ceramic was eliminated and soil spillage was prevented during migration.

Today, we can see kokedama; interpreted with many modern plant designs, replacing pots on balconies or in homes or hanging from store windows. Since many tropical plants, orchid varieties, ferns, ivy or some bulbous plants can be used in kokedama, the choice of using your kokedama indoors or outdoors is up to you. You can use your kokedama on a coffee table or table with the help of a ceramic base, or you can hang it from the ceiling or wall with the help of accessories that you can purchase. Depending on the plant you use in your kokedama, the frequency of watering and care details of your kokedama will also vary.

So how to make kokedama? Before explaining how to make kokedama step by step, let's list the materials we need.

Kokedama Supplies:
-Plant with a root structure suitable for kokedama
-Kokedama soil mix (Peat+aquasoil)
-Sphagnum moss, live moss or coconut fiber
-Organic rope, fishing line or jute rope
-Water
-Scissors

Plants Suitable for Kokedama:
Plants with simple root structures are suitable for kokedama. To put it simply, if you see a lot of intertwined roots when you remove it from its pot, your plant is probably not suitable for kokedama. Adiantum species, fern, love ladder, begonia rex, fittonia, platycerium, staghorn fern, crassula ovata, sedum species, asplenium nidus, chamadorea, tiltladensia, hedera helix, echeveria runyoni, aloe vera, and asparagus plumosus are suitable for kokedama.

1- Choosing Kokedama Plant:
In addition to being suitable for kokedama, the plant you choose should also have the right needs for your home, such as sun, shade, soil, and humidity. Learn your plant's needs and make sure your kokedama's needs will be met in its new home.

2- Prepare Your Plant for Kokedama:
Separate your plant from the soil without damaging its roots. If there are very long roots, it would be beneficial to prune them before kokedama. If this is your first time making kokedama with the plant you have chosen, get to know the root structure of your plant well before making kokedama.

3- Surround Your Plant with New Soil:
Add water to the soil mixture, which will vary in amount of peat and aquasoil depending on the plant, and shape it into a round ball and surround the roots of your kokedama plant with this mixture. If the soil has difficulty forming a round shape, you should add water.

4- Wrap Your Kokedama With Moss:
Spread one or several pieces of moss on the table. If there are any foreign objects such as branches and leaves, remove them from the moss so that they do not harm your kokedama. Lightly wet your moss with a spray bottle and make sure that it completely covers your soil ball. If you are sure that you have enough moss for your kokedama, gently squeeze your moss together with the soil and move on to the rope step.

5- Secure Your Kokedama with String:
You can start to fix the moss to the soil with the help of string. During the wrapping process; take care to preserve the ball shape of the kokedama. If you do not want to lose the green appearance of your kokedama, you can choose fishing line instead of string, but fishing line is a material that is difficult to handle with wet hands due to its slippery structure.

6- Give Your Kokedama a Lifeline:
Make sure that the moss and soil are completely soaked by soaking your kokedama in a bowl of water for 5-10 minutes. You can remove the kokedama from the water and place it in its new location by squeezing it gently with your hand.

7- Your Kokedamas Are Ready for Their New Place:
You can use your kokedama either in a ceramic plate or by hanging it. You can find hanger or base options for your kokedama under “Accessories”.

8- Do not neglect the care of your kokedama:
-Temperature: If you live in a warm climate like Türkiye, you can keep your kokedama on the balcony for 9 months of the year. The critical point here is that the temperature does not fall below 5 degrees. If you keep your kokedama indoors, do not forget to air it every 2-3 months.
-Sun/Light Ratio: Most kokedama plants like a bright environment without direct sunlight.
-Watering Frequency: You can tell if your kokedama needs water by its weight. Kokedama plants generally need water once a week in the summer and once every two weeks in the winter.
-Watering Method: It will be enough to leave your kokedama in a bowl of water for 5-10 minutes, with the moss part completely submerged. When you take it out of the water, you can put your kokedama back in place by squeezing it lightly with your hand. Apart from this, if you want the moss part of your kokedama to stay green all the time, it will be useful to keep it moist by misting it every other day.
-Rope Care of Kokedama: As the moss of your kokedama becomes more firmly anchored to the soil over time, the ropes will loosen. If you see a condition in the ropes that threatens the shape of your kokedama, you can re-frame your kokedama with rope.

If you need “Corporate Kokedama Training” to do kokedama, you can contact us.