Cultivate Central's DIY Coco-dama kit

Hailing from Japan, the beautiful and hand-crafted Kokedama has long been seen as garden art that allows individuality and creativity.

The compound word explains what it is 'Koke' meaning moss and 'dama' meaning sphere. 

Originally crafted with moss around an indoor plant, we have taken the concept and given it a local flair. Moss, taken from forest floors in temperate climates, is not abundantly available in the tropics. Creating a demand for it will cause more harm than good. Instead, we look for a material that is regional, accessible and sustainably sourced- coconut fiber!

With coco- fibre, we are able to use the same techniques and idea to create a tranquil hands-on experience. We love the wordplay from Kokedama -> COCO-dama. 

The idea of a series of hanging indoor plants can create an environment of beauty, calmness and peace. So important now that many are working from home. Selecting the right plants are important, these hardy plants thrive well as a Coco-dama. We usually use a variety of the following plants when creating our Coco-dama:

• Variety of Peperomias
• Variety of Snake plant
• Variety of Spider plant
• Variety of Pilea
  

Caring for your Coco-dama might seem complicated but it isn't! Just consider the following factors and enjoy the beauty of your creation.  

Placement

• The plants provided do not need direct sunlight. They can tolerate semi-shaded spots in your house near a window, corridor, on your patio or balcony. 
  
• You can also choose to hang it outdoors, we have done it and it does just fine! 

Watering 

• You can water your Coco-dama once or twice a week, or whenever it feels light.
• Simply dunk it into a pail of water for deep watering. Soak it for about 5 minutes. Drip and drain before hanging it up again.
  
• Or if you want, spray water directly into the soil at the top of the Coco-dama 

Reuse, repurpose or compost

Lastly, we will like to remind you that the box and card in your kit are 100% compostable and can either be recycled, reused, repurposed OR placed in a compost bin. Here are some articles that we have written on composting at home, composting should not be too complicated, we share our 2 favourite ways to compost. 

To help you kick start composting culture at home we are taking pre-orders for our Bucket Compost Tube Planters until 20 May 2021. If want to do your part in reducing waste and recycling kitchen and paper scraps into compost. And love the idea of starting a small, using a tried and tested, manageable, fuss-free, and effective composting solution in your home, click HERE to put in your pre-orders today!

If you would like to order our Cocodama Kits as corporate gifts, for an eco event or for friends and family, please drop us a note at hello@cultivatecentral.com.

Nova Nelson

Nova Nelson is a permaculture practitioner and consultant with over ten years of experience in Singapore and Malaysia. She is the founder of Cultivate Central, where she integrates permaculture, syntropic agroforestry, and community development to shape regenerative urban food systems. Nova leads the Goodman Community Farm, a demonstrative urban permaculture ecosystem connecting people to soil, food, and environmental stewardship. Certified in Sustainable Food Production and Processing from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, she consults on regenerative food initiatives and hosts Cultivating Change, a podcast exploring food systems and regenerative farmers, communities and cultures across Southeast Asia.

How did I find myself doing what I do? Read my story here.