This plant upgrade got me tons of likes on Instagram. Now I’m sharing the secret.

In the plant world, ferns might seem kind of basic. But did you know they have been around for over 400 million years? Clearly these handsome friends know a thing or two about how to stick around. That’s what makes them so easy to care for. 

The plants shown above were cast-offs from a photo shoot. Poor fellas had been snipped, pushed, and prodded for their close-ups and then discarded. They were too cute to compost, so post shoot, I scooped them up and took them to my plant lab. Much like my ‘test kitchen,’ the ‘plant lab’ really is a state of mind. It’s where I take a step back and try to think like a plant. What care do I need? What pot would make me happy to live in? What growing conditions are going to make me thrive and come alive? 

This project was also born out of necessity. I had run out of pots to put plants in and wanted to get the abovementioned ferns to a better home. I had been reading about kokedama and loved that it was called the ‘poor man’s bonsai.’ What is kokedama? It is a ball of soil that you cover in moss to create a natural growing environment for your plant. You can hang them or place them on a tray. They are fun and super easy to make. Check out the steps below. 

How to make a kokedama

Materials you’ll need:

A plant, water, soil, plant food like Espoma, sheets of moss, twine, scissors, a flat space to work on that can get dirty (aka your plant lab), and a bucket for mixing your soil and plant food together. 

1. Gather your materials.

2. Select a plant.

3. Water the plant and moss.

4. Create your soil ball: in a bucket, combine a few scoops of soil and mix in a few tablespoons of Espoma. Add water slowly to create a paste that you can form into a ball.

5. Gently coax your plant out of its pot. If it is root bound, gently break up roots to help it get stronger.

6. Take your plant and insert it into your soil ball. It might be easier to break the soil ball in half. Now mound the soil into one big ball.

7. Lay out sheets of wet moss on your workstation.

8. Center the soil ball with plant on the moss sheets.

9. Wrap the soil ball with moss. Heads up: this will be messy but fun.

10. Wrap the twine around the moss ball to hold it in place.

11. Once wrapped up and in a shape you like, trim any excess moss from your plant.

12. Marvel at the new home for your plant. And be sure to take pics and post to Instagram.

How to care for a kokedama

You can hang or place your kokedama on a plate. Be mindful that it does not dry out. To water: soak the moss ball in a bucket of water for a few minutes. Let it drain before rehanging or placing it back in its home. Between soakings you can also mist with water.