# Wabi Kusa substrate cup type thing I might try and make.



## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

So first off I want to let everyone know I am potentially designing a new product. I couldn't figure out where the best place for this thread would be but I think here may be best. With that said, I am not trying to sell you it in this thread, I'm just trying to see if my idea makes sense hobbyist to hobbyist before I make the investment to have them manufactured. Sometime towards this weekend I will get some sketches up and whatnot. 

I have wanted to really get into wabi-kusa for over a year now. Yet I've never been able to figure out how to keep a nice ball of substrate suspended in the dish with plants growing out of it. One day I realized a solution which is pretty simple. Put it in a small bowl/cup this will keep the substrate in! Yet a normal bowl/cup would not allow plants to grow out the sides and would look foolish to me. So I came up with the idea to make a bowl about the size of a baseball with cuts going down the sides so that plants and moss can grow out and around it hiding the plastic of the bowl and keeping the shape. The slits would be as large as possible without loosing the substrate then there would be small plastic pieces going up between the slits that were cut. I'm not sure if I'm doing a great job explaining it. so something like this would be how the side of the bowl would look ( l l l l l l l l l l l) with the l being the pieces of plastic going up the sides, they would be curved to the shape of the bowl. About 1/3 from the top of the hypothetical baseball is where the cut would be for the open bowl.

Does that make any sense? Should I stop over thinking this? 

All comments and constructive criticisms are very much appreciated. 
-Andrew


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## N1CK (Oct 3, 2009)

couldn't you just buy a water lily pot??








theres tons of different sizes and come in square and round shapes also.........


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

N1CK said:


> couldn't you just buy a water lily pot??
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think they're too large? I'm also looking to make something a bit cleaner looking if that makes sense. Since you will see it for a while. 

Thanks for the advice though, I'll have to do some research on that tomorrow!
-Andrew


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## Dollface (Sep 30, 2008)

Wabi-kusa are usually made out of a small amount of soil wrapped in sphagnum moss, no fancy cup required.

You can cheat by planting things in a plastic cup and then disguising it with moss and rocks, like steven chongs tank, but this isn't really a kind of wabi-kusa.


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

To the best of my knowledge Shagnum moss will die if submerged entirely, christmas or java moss would be a better idea.


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## BGRAFX (Jan 17, 2010)

I'm new but couldn't you just cut a soda bottle in half and then cut vertical slits in the sides?


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## koop (Sep 18, 2009)

What about coconut fiber pots?


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## A Hill (Jul 25, 2005)

I've gone over all the options and am working on a properly formulated substrate ball that should hold together. I feel that the coco pot may be the next best thing but a true substrate ball that holds together is best so that plants can grow out of the sides if they feel like it. (if plants have feelings is beyond me). If I can't get this to work I will settle for some type of dish like I was thinking about this winter. 

I'm hoping to have something figured out sometime in July.

-Andrew


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## gillt (Jun 17, 2010)

The recipe I've used for making terrestrial moss balls and planting medium for mame is Akadama soil, Keto soil (high clay content) and sphagnum moss, 1:1:1. Sometimes I wrap bonsai training wire around for extra security. You may want to do this if you'll be half-submerging them in water. As was suggested earlier, substitute an aquatic moss. Original recipe belongs to Lisa Tajima from her book "Pop Bonsai"


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## jamingo (Mar 1, 2010)

Why not pack the substrate in tube netting like the ones for scrubbies, bath puffs and dish scrubs? Tie off the ends like sausages and have your ball shape. Plant and cover as you desire.


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## jimmyjam (Dec 25, 2008)

I dont know if this product would work man, I think your getting away from the essence of wabi kusas. I have make dozens of them without any issues keeping them in a ball. You just have to have enough moss to shape the ball. I have also used a few other products to keep its shape.


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