# Wabi-Kusa - Beginners questions.



## chinwag (25 Aug 2017)

Hi,

I hadn't heard of Wabi-Kusa until I registered here - I'm trying to read up on everything at the moment, but I'm impatient to plant something!

Would Wabi-Kusa be a good starting project?

I was planning to get a substrate ball from TGM and start with that, then move onto making my own, purely because I like to know how everything's put together I like to do as much as possible myself.

Also - I see some Wabi-Kusa that are substrate ball based, but also others that look like a flatter substrate layer, so I'm not entirely sure what the term covers, what makes it a Wabi-Kusa rather than an emersed (I hope that's the right term) setup if the substrate is not in a ball shape?

Aaaand finally - I'm researching plants, trying to understand the requirements for everything, assuming for a first project I should go low difficulty, low CO2, low light requirements?

Thanks.


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## Konsa (25 Aug 2017)

Hi
For Wabi kusa  the CO2 is not in the things U need to worry about as the plants have access to all the CO2 in the air, same about the light intensity U can have it easy 12-15 hours per day(just make sure the light doesn't generate too much heat as will burn the leaves)
Have a look at the Emersed growing section of the forum.There are many usefull articles.
I find it quite easy to grow plants emersed.
Regards Konsa


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## zozo (29 Aug 2017)

Wabi-Kusa also isn't per definition on a ball shaped substrate.. You could say if you put it on such a ball, it is a Wabi Kusa ball, what else would it be.. Also the term Wabi-Kusa is a multi interpretable philosopic artform created with plantlife. Like Wabi-Sabi also is a style of Japanesse traditonal art of arranging things and even viewing things around you. For a westerner it is about impossible to translate it correctly with meaning. Wabi kinda stands for the perfection as well the imperfection in easthetic simplicity and serenity and much more. And Kusa could simply stand for grass as centre piece. Which again in combination means an artistic creation with plantlife in a certain style in zen with it's surounding and it's viewer. But it doesn't absolutely need to be on a ball of clay with aquariumplants.

It's made popular in the west comming allong with aqauascaping styles as Iwagumi, which again stands for "Rock (Iwa) Group/family (gumi)" the word by itslef doesn't imply very much, it is more the philosphy, style and tradition behind the placement in relation to eachother. It seems that this introduction gave the westereners involved the idea that exeptionaly using aquatic/bog plants on a ball of clay is a rule, but it isn't. As Kusa simply stands for grass you can create Wabi Kusa with only that as well and it doesn't need to be a special type of grass. But since it is so hard to explain and westerners are very focused on trying to explain all there is, we have to start somewhere. 

As far is my mind gets a grasp of what it realy means, it means a lot of things even the placement of the whole arangement in the room it stands is crucial to make it what it is and be Wabi kusa..

So don't go to hard on yourself.. It isn't a "Wabi-Kusa" it is Wabi-Kusa all over. So for a start if it is Wabi Kusa for you in that sense, than it is Wabi Kusa and don't let anybody tell you differently, Because over here we all try and try to do our best but nobody realy knows and 99% probably has it wrong..

You could make a Kokedama on a clay ball with moss and grass and or other plants. I've seen them, but don't realy see the difference, yet, probably never realy will but be in doubt.  Some state Kokedama is a hanging arangement, so that would mean, if you hang a Wabi-Kusa it seizes to be and becomes a Kokedama?


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## chinwag (30 Aug 2017)

Thank you both for the replies and the information - I'm going to check out the emersed growing section and do some reading.

Unfortunately TGM are out of Wabi-Kusa balls at the moment so I also need to read up on how to make my own!

@zozo - Thanks for the explanation, that atually made a lot of sense to me. I definitely have that desire to know I'm 'doing it the right way' I think because I'm just starting out and I want it to work.

But in doing that you lose that spirit of experimentation that makes these things more interesting and fun.

Thanks again.


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## zozo (31 Aug 2017)

chinwag said:


> 'doing it the right way'



This is all about choosing plant sp. and hardscape with textures, colors and it's placement and scaling etc. in a way it complements eachother into a eastheticaly pleasing naturaly looking creation. The rules applied are the same as in aquascaping, landscaping, photography, painting and many other artforms. Which is extremely difficult to master and many articles are written about it. I guess to fully understand the whole Zen part in it, you maybe need to be something like a born buddist in heart and soul.


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## chinwag (1 Sep 2017)

Learning the species is going to be hard but I think I can have some fun experimenting and picking it up that way.

I have a whole list of plants to look into, so I might start off with a few just seeing how they grow as well and getting a feel for their shapes and preferences.

Composition wise, I think you can definitely see when the correct balance is there, or not there - I think even if I cannot do it myself at the moment, I can see when something is balanced properly.

But then I guess some of that is personal  taste and how your taste evolves over time as well.


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## ArioNb (24 Sep 2017)

Hi,
I have a wabi kusa in a close tank and I tried to keep it under defined temperature (among 18 to 25 degree of centigrade). Its lightening is considered (8 to 12 hours lightening with related lamp). It was completely green and fresh. But, I have suddenly noticed that some of its leafs are getting yellow. Is it reasonable or not? What should I do? Should I cut and pollar the yellow leafs or it is the natural life of my plant?
Bests,
Ario


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## chinwag (24 Sep 2017)

Hi @ArioNb - you might have better responses starting a new thread specifically about the problem you're seeing as that would probably get more responses TBH.

I'm very new to all this, the only things I can think to ask is;

How long has the container been setup for - it looks quite well established, has it been growing fine for months and just dipped?
What's the name of the plant that's giving you problems (apologies if this is obvious to everyone else - I can barely tell one from another still!), just so that we can check conditions, search for common problems for that plant.
From what I've read, most wabi-kusa are started off with cling film or similar to seal them, but are allowed to breath for increasing periods, with the long term goal of having them entirely open - it may be a question of getting the humidity to a correct level so that it will remaing happy if you're planning on keeping the container sealed?

As I said though - I'm really very new to this, so I'm sure more experienced people will help you, but it might be worth posting a new thread to ask for help and draw more responses.


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## Gabriel19 (25 Apr 2018)

What exactly is wabi kusa?


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## zozo (3 May 2018)

Gabriel19 said:


> What exactly is wabi kusa?



It can't easily be explained, i don't even know if i can... Google it, see what it is and decide for yourself.. 

Wabi is ancient Japanese aesthetic concept in philosophy of the Art of Life or Living. Best known in the western world as Wabi-Sabi.. Wabi or Sabi isn't realy a word that can't be translated to something particular it can mean a number of things. Wabi in combination with Kusa that means Gras it can refer to the solitary beauty, serenity and sobriety of a simple leaf of gras in it's surounding. Than it is Wabi Kusa for the viewer, it is not only in the viewed object it is in the soul of everything around it and of yourself.

So anything beautiful like a scenery in nature containing plants can actualy be Wabi Kusa for you in that sense. Creating it yourself as an artform likely will have some rules in the Japanese philosophy, but not living by this philosophy makes it even harder to explain, even the Japanese themselfs can't realy translate nor explain it clearly without beeing vague to outsiders. 

Now it was introduced into the western society i believe by Mr. Amano, he made little beautifull emersed creatons with aquarium plants and said this is Wabi-Kusa and smiled. And so it became simply a trade name for something with commercial potential in the west. Commercial potential needs a manual to survive.. So be it and the Wabi-Kusa manual was created as a simple starting point of discussion how to create it. But there is nothing excactly about it and that's why very little people like to answer the question what it is.. 

Anyway the simplest way to understand what Wabi Kusa is, than look up de aquascaping rules regarding its presentation, placement, shape and color contrast etc. For example look up the Iwagumi style which is also Wabi-Sabi. These same rules are aplied in all eastern scaping styles. Keep these rules into respect and start creating and you are well on your Wabi-Kusa way..


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## abazar (16 Apr 2019)

hi
im creator bacopa monnieri wabi kusa, but stem out of water Decayed
can you help me ?
my wabi kusa covered with naylon


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