Imagine a tiny landscape frozen in time: soft velvety hills covered with moss, reminiscent of mysterious swamps and forest thickets. This is wabikusa — the amazing Japanese art of creating autonomous plant compositions in a vessel with water.
Unlike complex aquariums, wabikus does not require expensive equipment such as filters or a CO2 supply system. Its soul is a special nutrient base from which moisture-loving plants grow, most often various mosses. Over time, they form those picturesque “bumps” that look completely natural.
Anyone can create such a miniature ecosystem. It is a creative and very meditative process. All you need is a few special materials, a little patience, and the desire to create your own piece of living nature at home.
What is a wabikusa?
Wabikusa is a style of ikebana that originated in Japan. The art has found many fans in its homeland. Many shops have appeared that sell exclusively moss mounds. Such phytodecor adorns almost every home. The Japanese, known for being workaholics, are convinced that if you contemplate man-made water landscapes after a busy day, your fatigue will melt away.
The name of this type of aquascaping consists of two Japanese words: wabi, which translates as moderation, simplicity, and kusa, which means grass. In other words, the mound looks simple, unassuming, but harmonious. Wabikusa is closely related to kusamono, compositions made from a single type of grass.
Kusamono, on the other hand, is compared to bonsai, in which a person tries to tame nature and grow a smaller copy of a large tree. Another relative of the marsh hummock is kokedama, balls of soil covered with moss and planted with decorative plants.
Wabicusa is not just a name, but a registered brand. It is owned by ADA, a company created by aquarium guru and founder of the popular Nature Aquarium concept, Takashi (Takashi) Amano.
Takashi Amano is an aquarist, photographer, artist, and businessman. In the early 1980s, he created a new direction in freshwater aquarium keeping—the “natural aquarium” style, or Nature Aquarium. His methods became widely popular.
Marsh hummocks are created for aquariums and paludariums, including those in the aquascape style. Ideally, the result should resemble a lake or swamp, with swaying grass and clear water.
The main advantage of wabikusa, also known as a “modular plant,” is that it is easy to move individual elements in the aquarium and create new colorful “landscapes” when you get tired of the picture, without harming the ecosystem. But this is true only until the submerged wabikusa sprouts roots in the soil.
Wabicusa can be placed directly on the bottom of the aquarium or on a pebble or stand attached to the wall of the tank. The main thing is that the soil is in the water. Moss mounds are arranged in a 1+2 or 2+3 pattern.
With this design, you can put catfish, corydoras, shrimp, and other inhabitants in the aquarium that stir up and dig into the soil, causing the water to become cloudy and damaging the plants. In a bog hummock, these restless inhabitants cannot reach the soil, the flora does not suffer and receives enough nutrients. In addition, a properly constructed hummock does not float like individual unrooted plants.
It is better to choose a compact, shallow aquarium up to 50 cm high. There is less light in large containers, which affects small plants
— Takashi Amano Aquascaper
No place to put an aquarium, but like wabikusa? Another advantage of this phytodecor is that it looks great in wide, shallow transparent glass vases, aquarium glasses, and deep salad bowls. The main thing is that the vessel is panoramic and can be viewed from all sides.
What is wabicusa made of?
A marsh hummock is a small island in an aquarium or other container, surrounded by water on all sides. It consists of the following components:
- akadama soil, which is usually used to create bonsai;
- black peat Keto — differs from ordinary peat in its increased stickiness due to its high clay content.
- moss that does not rot in water — sphagnum and other types.
Here's how to make a mound. Mix the soil and peat well to form a mass resembling a lump of plasticine. Attach a stone in the center or at the bottom if you need to keep the composition at the bottom. Plant the plants on top. The root system can be inside or on the surface of the substrate. Cover the outside of the lump with moss and wrap it with fishing line like a ball.
Since not all components are available in domestic stores, and the price is high, substitutes have been found. For example, clay is used instead of akadama. An analogue of keto is prepared, for example, from one part high-moor peat and two parts clay.
Wabikusa is the Japanese art of creating miniature moss compositions that imitate natural marsh hummocks. It is not just a decoration, but a way to feel the tranquility of nature in your home. Making wabikusa is easy: all you need is a container, clay, moss, and a little patience. Step by step, you form a small living island — first, mold the base, then attach the moss, and in a few days, it will settle in and begin to grow. The main thing is not perfect beauty, but the naturalness and lively atmosphere that such a hummock creates on your windowsill.
Plants for wabikus
Aquarium plants are selected depending on where the moss mound will be placed — in the water or on its surface.
In an aquarium, it is better to use small-leaved plants, which add volume and texture to the landscape. Large-leaved plants look like large spots and create shadows.
— Takashi Amano Aquascaper
Mosses
Terrestrial moss species are not suitable for wabicus. They harbor fungal spores that contaminate the aquarium. For underwater compositions, ADA, the company that created the style, offers the following moss species:
Javanese (Taxiphyllum barbieri)
Flame (Taxiphyllum sp. Flame Moss)
Riccardia chamedryfolia
The following mosses are suitable for above-water compositions:
Christmas (Vesicularia Montegni)
Spiky Moss (Taxiphyllum sp. Spiky Moss)
Peacock Moss (Taxiphyllum sp. Peacock Moss)
Semi-submerged Wabikusa
Ferns are often chosen for the above-water form — ceratopteris, microsorum pteropus windelow. You can also plant rotala, hygrophila, limnophila, small and medium species of periwinkle, hemianthus, echinodorus, etc. Scaffolding moss, nesia, and cryptocorynes will add color.
ADA offers compositions with the following plants:
- Lagenandra keralensis, Lagenandra meeboldii Red, Lagenandra meeboldii Green;
- Philodendron Papua New Guinea (Philodendron sp. Papua New Guinea).
various types of Anubias — Golden (Anubias barteri var. nana Golden), Round Leaf (Anubias barteri var. nana Round Leaf), Coffee Leaf (Anubias barteri Coffeefolia), Glabra (Anubias barteri var. glabra);
Dwarf orchids, such as Lepanthes calodictyon, small phytonias, and marantas, thrive in mounds.
For a wabikus with semi-submerged plants, you can use a small vase or glass. A moss mound surrounded by small floating plants looks very beautiful.
Immersed in water
Most aquarium flora is suitable for submerged wabikus. ADA uses the following in its compositions:
Microsorum Trident (Microsorum sp. Trident)
Bucephalandra Sintang (Bucephalandra sp. Sintang)
Anubias barteri var. nana Petite
Inspiration should be sought not in books, but in nature: it can provide more ideas
— Takashi Amano Aquascaper
Instructions for making it in 15 minutes
Anyone can make a moss mound with their own hands using readily available components. The cost of a “flower bed” is much lower than the price of a purchased one (about $30 for a DIY kit).
The following ingredients are required for the soil:
- clay (red or blue) — 1 part;
- lowland peat — 2 parts;
- garden soil for seedlings — 2 parts;
- sphagnum moss;
- cotton, nylon thread.
Red clay is obtained from the riverbank or purchased at a construction supermarket, blue clay is sold at a pharmacy. Before use, it is moistened with water and kneaded into a smooth lump, as for modeling.
Experienced aquarists use aquasoil instead of regular garden soil — substrates for aquatic plants, to which a little clay is added for stickiness.
The mound is assembled as follows:
- Pour clay, soil, and seedling soil onto a tray and mix. If the components do not bind well, add water little by little. The result should be a homogeneous mass with the consistency of plasticine.
- Form tablets of the required diameter.
- Wrap them in sphagnum moss.
- Wrap with cotton and nylon thread to secure the moss well. Secure the nylon thread by passing the needle through the center of the lump several times.
- Use a screwdriver to drill holes in the substrate and insert twigs for rooting.
The technology for planting large plants is slightly different.
- If using dry moss, soak the sphagnum in water for 5-10 minutes.
- Mix aquasoil with a small amount of clay to achieve the desired stickiness.
- Carefully squeeze the sphagnum and spread it on the table like a rug.
- Place the soil mixture in the middle, make a depression in the center, and pinch the edges slightly.
- The plant to be planted is examined, and the root is cleaned of old and rotten shoots.
- Place the rhizome in the center, cover with soil and sphagnum moss, and press the moss down carefully.
- Wrap the root ball with simple thread. You should end up with a ball or hemisphere for stability. It is better to make the bottom completely flat. It is almost impossible to correct the shape later.
- Wrap the lump tightly with nylon thread. If the wrapping is weak, the ball may fall apart.
When forming a mound, it is necessary to constantly spray the plant so that it does not dry out and retains its decorative appearance.
Wabikus for planting plants with a developed root system is collected in another way. This will require a bottle with a capacity of 50 ml or more (depending on the size of the rhizome) — for example, from some kind of baking product.
First, lay out the sphagnum moss as a mat, as described above. Form a ball from a mixture of aquasoil and clay and place it in the center of the moss mat. Use a glass bottle to press a hole in the ground. Without removing the container, form a mound as usual. Then remove the bottle and immediately plant the grass in the hole.
The second method is more convenient because there is no risk of damaging the plant during wrapping. But you can't delay planting, because the threads quickly close the hole.
Video tutorial on how to make your own wabikus
Useful tips and life hacks
Although Wabikusa has only recently appeared, it has already gained many fans in Russia. Aquascape enthusiasts have their own techniques and are happy to share their observations. Here are some tips that may be useful for beginners and others:
- The soil used to make the nutrient mixture should contain a minimum amount of fertilizer. Otherwise, delicate plants may “burn.”
- You can add two parts of river sand to the soil mixture. This is a loosening agent that is needed for plants that do not tolerate heavily silted soil well.
- Vermiculite will reduce the likelihood of the soil becoming acidic.
- Moss can be replaced with… a nylon sock. Plant roots grow through it perfectly. Coconut coir is used for the same purpose.
- The easiest way is to use anubias, bucephalandra, and parrot fern — they can be tied to lava or driftwood. They get enough nutrients from the “anchor,” and they take what they need from the water.
- Large wabikusa is not noticeable if you hide it behind a snag or surround it with other clumps.
In 2003, Takashi Amano visited Moscow. He held a seminar-presentation where he met with his fans and followers. During his speech, the guru gave a master class right on stage, designing a 180-liter aquarium.
Why doesn't the wabikusa sink?
Both beginners and experienced aquarists face this problem. There are several reasons why a bump floats:
- it was made from garden soil and peat, saturated with air, and poorly compressed;
In the first case, you can do the following: place the wabikusa under water for a while so that it gets thoroughly wet. Then you need to carefully crumple the tablet with your fingers, squeezing out the air. Continue doing this until it begins to sink to the bottom. It is best to perform such manipulations on a hummock without plants so as not to damage the root system.
In the latter case, wabikusa can only be anchored with foreign objects — for example, hooked onto a bend in a piece of driftwood.
Care and maintenance
Like any composition with live plants, a wabikusa needs care. Then the landscape will not lose its lushness, colorfulness, and attractiveness.
Caring for wabikus is determined by how it is located. For example, semi-submerged mounds are sprayed several times a day with osmosis or distilled water from a spray bottle, periodically adding fertilizer, or kept in humid greenhouses.
It is convenient to get an automatic irrigation system with a timer.
Soft water promotes the formation of lush growths. Increased hardness interferes with the absorption of trace elements and requires more carbon dioxide.
— Takashi Amano Aquascaper
- Many plants need additional lighting. Any household lamps are suitable—fluorescent, incandescent, special devices for greenhouses. Lamps can be placed inside the container, but only moisture-proof models.
- When the plants grow too large, they are pruned and thinned out. In his master classes, Takashi Amano advised using fertilizers with a growth-suppressing effect.
Plants in hummocks can be fed with aquarium fertilizers by dripping solutions onto the tops.
There are aquarists who refuse to use moss balls. They have already seen the disadvantages of modular plants. It turns out that the life of a wabicus is limited, since the supply of nutrients in the soil dries up quite quickly, especially if the plants are actively developing. Then replanting is inevitable. Sphagnum gradually loses its decorative appeal due to aquatic fauna, and quite quickly — within 3–4 months.
Not wanting to abandon the idea of a modular aquarium, Takashi Amano's followers are looking for a way out of the situation. Plants with developed root systems are planted in homemade pots made from plastic bottles. This type of frame is practically indestructible. Perforations are made in the walls to allow water and air to circulate. This helps to combat soil acidification in the container.
However, even dozens of holes may not be enough. Therefore, people are increasingly experimenting with coconut coir — pots made from this raw material are sold, in which even the largest aquaculture plants can be planted. The walls of the container are not airtight, so water circulates freely. This solution is also convenient because the roots have room to grow and the grass develops actively. The downside of coconut containers is their short lifespan — only 6 months.
Wabikusa is a wonderful hobby that allows you to touch the ancient traditions of the East. By mastering this type of ikebana, a person learns patience, respect for nature, and even other people. They begin to see beauty in simplicity and naturalness and become creators of life themselves.
So, you now have all the basics you need to create your first living island — wabikusa. It's not difficult and doesn't require expensive materials. The main thing is to get started and not be afraid to experiment with the shape and selection of mosses and small plants.
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This amazing hobby allows you to bring a piece of the wild right into your home. The finished composition will be a unique decoration for your table or windowsill. It will grow and change slowly, reminding you every day of the wonderful tranquility of the marsh edges.
