Page 166 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

166 Creating your own bonsai

Create the kokedama ball

7 Make up the keto soil mix,
combining it with sphagnum
moss and work it into a ball
(see p.150). Make sure it is
structurally sound and does
not crumble easily. Add more
sphagnum moss if necessary.

8 Create a planting bowl by
molding the keto into the
desired shape. Check the size
of the hole against the root
ball to ensure a good fit.

7 8
9 Pour soil into the base.
Use a suitable small-particle
soil mix. Although the tree
will be in there for several
years, the existing root ball
will sustain it without the
need for transplanting.

10 Position the tree at the
right angle and fill the gaps
with soil. There is no need to
push soil in with a chopstick.

11 Compact the keto ball
around the roots. Smooth off
any cracks, and add more 9 10
keto to the top if necessary.
Mold the base a little to get
the best angle for the tree. Wire staples
hold moss in
place
12 Cover the keto with a
carpet of mosses. Secure it
with wire staples and black
cotton thread; tie one end to
an anchoring pin, then wind
it around the ball until it
covers all the moss pieces.
In about a month, it will
either be swallowed up by
new mossy growth or can
be removed as the moss roots
and holds the ball together. 11 12