Kokedama (Japanese for "moss ball") is a style of potting up plants in a ball of moss and displaying them in a dish or suspended in the air. The style comes from a centuries-old tradition of exhibiting the exposed root ball of a bonsai specimen on a plate to highlight its elegant root system. As time passed, moss would accumulate on the roots, enhancing the display. Today, kokedama are usually crafted into spherical shapes and are often made with houseplants rather than with trees and shrubs, the traditional bonsai plant material.

The first thing you’re probably wondering is how do I water my kokedama? Because it’s not in a traditional pot with a saucer, you don’t want watering to make a mess. Instead, you can soak your moss ball in a bucket of room-temperature water for 5 to 10 minutes or so. Then take your moss ball out and let it hang over the bucket or a sink for it to stop dripping. How do you know when your kokedama needs water? The easiest is by weight. Get a feel for how heavy your kokedama is five days or so after you soak it (but before your plant wilts). The size and type of plant, the amount of light, the air temperature, and other factors will affect how often you need to water your kokedama.

Kokedama care also includes fertilizing. The thing about fertilizing that can be confusing is that there’s not one best amount to fertilize. It depends on how much and how fast you want your plants to grow. You can fertilize most plants grown as kokedama as little as twice a year, or as often as once a week. If you use a water-soluble fertilizer, you can mix it in the water in the bucket you use to soak the moss ball in. Alternatively, if you use a water-soluble fertilizer, you can feed the foliage by misting the leaves with a water/fertilizer mixture. Or, if you use a time-release fertilizer, just mix it in the soil ball you use for your kokedama. The product will slowly add nutrients to the soil for several months. No matter what type of fertilizer you use, be sure to follow the directions on the product packaging.

Just like with watering, the amount of light you provide your kokedama depends on the type of plant. In general, display high-light plants in a bright window. You might want to avoid especially sunny spots, though, otherwise the moss ball will dry out too fast). Low-light plants don’t need to be grown in a window. Instead, suspend them above your desks or tabletops. This makes them fun additions to offices. If you don’t wish to hang your moss ball, display it on a decorative plate or tray that matches your home or office décor. Wherever you display your kokedama, avoid spots with hot or cold drafts (such as from heating or cooling vents). These blasts of hot or cold air can make leaves turn yellow or brown prematurely, especially on more tender plants like ferns. Most houseplants appreciate a spot with average to high relative humidity, as well.

Don’t worry – so are we! All of our kokedamas are made with love and live with our family for a time before they go to their forever home to ensure they don’t sustain any shock in the replanting process. Taking care of your kokedama is easy (see previous question). The leading cause of death is over loving and over watering – this causes the plant’s roots to rot. Only water when the ball feels light and spray the leaves on most days to keep it happy. The next most common cause of death is sunlight. These babies don’t like the direct sun (unless they are outdoor varieties). If you want to check how to care for your particular kokedama check out our blog section for detailed instructions, shoot us an email or give us a call.

It’s our dream that we will one day have a store filled with beautiful kokedamas, pots, plants and gorgeous things for your home, but, this is a labour of love for us and we work day jobs to pay the bills. We will hold out hope that one day our dream will come true! In the meantime, if you want to chat to us in the flesh, you’ll find us at arts and craft market events. Check out our Facebook and Instagram pages @lifeisakoconut to see where we’ll be. We’d love to meet you!