DIY Moss Ball House Plant "Pot" aka Kokedama
I saw these adorable little moss balls (aka kokedama) and thought, I should try that! The heartleaf philodendron I used was struggling in it’s pot ( I don’t know why it was, I have two others and they’re doing just fine...) but now that it’s been in this little moss ball it is GROWING. Apparently, it just wanted to be different from everyone else. Grab your supplies from the list below and check out the video to create your own!
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED:
- Plants! I used a 4” heartleaf philodendron and lancifolia (rattlesnake) calathea.
- Spagnum Moss
- Sheet Moss
- Soil
- Fishing Line
- Water
- Bowl
- Scissors
Before starting anything, you’ll want to remove your plant from the soil it’s in.
STEP ONE: Fill a bowl with water. The larger the plant you’re using the more water you’ll need to create your moss ball, also referred to as a dirt ball, by me, ha!
STEP TWO/THREE: Mix your soil and sphagnum moss into the water. The amount of soil and moss you’ll need depends on the size of your plant (again, my plants were in 4” pots). I used 70% soil and 30% sphagnum moss in my mixture.
STEP FOUR: Form your dirt ball! I made sure that my dirt ball was the same size as the pot it came in. Again, the plants I’m using came in a 4” pot.
STEP FIVE: Once you have your dirt ball formed you’re going to split it in half. Don’t worry, it might crumble a little, but just put more water on it to help keep it together before you split it.
STEP SIX: Place your plant on one half of the ball and then put the ball back together making sure that you’re enclosing the roots in the dirt ball.
STEP SEVEN: Wrap the ball in the sheet moss. This is the most annoying part of the process, for me at least. Try to use the largest pieces and then cut off the excess parts. If you have smaller pieces of sheet moss it’ll work, you’ll just need more fingers to hold it all in place, ha!
STEP EIGHT: Use the fishing wire to secure it. Wrap the fishing wire ALL around the ball, I did multiple times. You want to make sure you secure it all the way up to the top, but be sure to not go THROUGH your plant! Just around.
STEP NINE: Style and admire your adorable little moss ball.
UPKEEP: When watering these you’ll do the same as you do when bottom watering a plant. Fill a container half way with water and place the moss ball into it. I leave mine for 10-20 minutes then take it out, squeeze out the excess water a little, and done!
To check if your plant needs water, I stick my finger in the center of the plant and squeeze the outside of the ball a little. If I still feel moisture when I squeeze it or stick my finger in the middle then I don’t water it (for my philodendron at least).
