Kokedama: What It Is and How to Make a Moss Ball Plant

A kokedama is a plant without a pot: its roots sit inside a firm ball of soil wrapped in moss and bound with string. These green balls can stand on a saucer, hang from the ceiling or be grouped into displays. They look striking but need a particular way of watering, so here is how to make one and how to look after it.

Greenery and flowers for your home: potted plants and flowers in a box.

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What kokedama is

The Japanese name means “moss ball”: koke is moss and dama is ball. The technique is related to bonsai and to the tradition of growing plants on mounds of earth covered in moss. Today kokedama is popular all over the world as a simple, natural-looking way to display houseplants.

Which plants work

• Shade-tolerant foliage plants: spider plant, pothos, peace lily, fittonia, ferns.
• Flowering plants: moth orchid (in bark and sphagnum), anthurium, miniature roses; these need more light.
• Succulents: haworthia, echeveria, but only with a lighter, fast-drying mix and infrequent watering.
• Herbs: rosemary, thyme, mint for a kitchen windowsill, although they usually do better in pots.

Small plants with compact roots are the best choice. Large, fast-growing species quickly outgrow the ball.

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How to make a kokedama

You will need a plant, soil (a mix of peat and clay, or Japanese akadama), live or dried sphagnum moss, twine or clear fishing line, a bowl of water and gloves.

• Soak the moss in water for 15–20 minutes, then squeeze it out.
• Mix the soil with a little water until it feels like modelling clay and roll a ball 2–3 times the size of the root ball.
• Take the plant out of its pot and gently shake off some of the old soil.
• Break the ball in half, set the roots inside and press the halves together again.
• Cover the ball with moss and wrap it tightly with string in several directions. Tuck the ends into the moss.

Kokedama care

• Water by soaking. When the ball feels noticeably lighter, submerge it in room-temperature water for 10–20 minutes, until bubbles stop rising. Then let it drain.
• How often. Usually every 5–10 days, more often in summer or near a radiator; go by the weight of the ball, not the calendar.
• Light. Bright but indirect; strong midday sun dries the moss out.
• Humidity. Mist the moss between waterings, especially while the heating is on.
• Feeding. In spring and summer add half-strength fertiliser to the soaking water once a month.
• Repotting. When roots grow through the moss (usually after 1–2 years), make a bigger ball or move the plant into a pot.

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Where to put it

Stand a kokedama on a ceramic saucer, a wooden stand or glass, hang it near a window or make a “string garden” of several balls at different heights. In a bathroom with a window, moisture-loving ferns and fittonias in moss balls do especially well; more ideas in “Plants for the bathroom”.

FAQ

Why are my kokedama leaves turning yellow?

Usually because the ball dried out completely or, the opposite, stayed wet all the time. Let it dry slightly between soakings and check its weight.

Can I make a kokedama with herbs?

Yes, but herbs need a lot of light and are easier to look after in pots; see “Growing herbs in pots”.

How long does a kokedama last?

With the right watering a plant can live in its ball for several years; the string and moss are renewed over time.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.