Experimental Plantscapes
type | NATURE DESIGN status | ONGOING year | 2020
DOOA Terra Base
Terrariums have been around for a long enough time to be popular parlance. There are however, several new techniques of plantscaping being experimented with around the world, and among these are various Japanese techniques, both traditional and modern. One of them, the wabi-kusa is a method pioneered (or at least, brought to the world) by the creator of Nature Aquariums, Takashi Amano. [Wabi-kusa is a portmanteau of the word "wabi" - a Zen Buddhist philosophy referring to a serene beauty associated with spirituality; and "shitakusa" or "kusamono", both creations associated with small terrestrial plant arrangements, either accompanying a bonsai set or standalone]
Of the various kinds of wabi-kusa set-ups practiced, I have tried by hand at the more traditionally 'scaped emersed aquatic terrariums and mossariums. I love working with novel concepts and materials, so I gravitated towards the DOOA Terra Base, a product by Aqua Design Amano, Japan.
The DOOA Terra Base. Created and photographed by Kahin Vasi.
The Terra Base is a cylindrical ceramic vase used onto which moss and emersed aquatic plants are attached. The concept comes from an ancient Brazilian technology called pau de barro, which literally translates to "stick of clay". In the Amazonian rainforests, several species of epiphytic plants grow on branches of larger trees, their roots adapted to absorbing moisture from the air or tufts of moss. To cultivate these plants, for decoration and medicine, the native peoples would use an unglazed clay pot, onto which they would tie clumps of mosses and the orchids or other epiphyte, and fill it to the brim with water. This creates a condition of permanent moisture, without being waterlogged. Water permeates through the porous clay (the "unglazed" aspect is important) and is wicked up by the moss, which then transfers it to the root system of the epiphytic plants. Eventually, the root system will wrap around the surface of the pot or tube, as they would around a branch in their native ecosystem.
Aqua Design Amano's Terra base functions similarly; however, this is a more standardised system with variable porosity in the ceramic, that modulates the rate of water seepage through the surface at different levels. From the top, for the first 20 - 30 MM, water seeps out in a minute or so. After that, it takes about three days for water to drain out from the next 150 MM, and another week for the remaining 100 MM of water to drain out. This graduated seepage has been designed to accommodate different plants' water requirements. Based on this, I designed the surface as shown in the diagram below.
Illustration of growth zones on the Terra Base, and the plants added. Illustrated by Kahin Vasi
While 'scaping the terra-base, some plants did die off in the initial stages. It is imperative that all dead and decaying matter is removed from the surface, as it could lead to the spread of mold or other diseases.
The moss layer I used here is of Java moss - a moss found in tropical rivers and lakes, which is quite tolerant of the high equatorial temperatures we experience in Mumbai. However, the Terra Base does have to be housed in a glass enclosure to have an optimal microclimate. Eventually, the moss grows into a bushy layer of fuzz all over the planted portion, creating a good medium for water to spread to the roots of the other macrophytic plants.
Towards the top, I tied on riparian plants, i.e., plants that can tolerate alternating wet and dry spells (although, terrestrial plants would have done just as well, seeing as this portion retains moisture for a very short time).
Below this layer, I added a few stalks of Lagenandra meeboldii Keralansis, which generally has most of its root system under water in the wild. This was attached to the mid layer, where the water takes about a week to drain out. However, these plants did not survive, and wilted away over the course of a week. After this, I placed some trimmings of Bolbitis heteroclita difformis on the lip of the Terra Base - which have grown in well. I chose to leave the lower portion covered in only Java moss - the bright green contrasting with the darker greens and browns of riparian plants. This leads to a top-heavy aesthetic, like a bouquet of textured leaves.
Below, you can see thumbnails of each plant I used, and the over-all look of the Terra Base top.
The individual plants, above (roll your mouse over the image to see their names) . The head of the "bouquet", below. Created and photographed by Kahin Vasi.
Lava Rock Lithophytes
The DOOA Terra Base is a manufactured item, created specifically as a medium to grow epiphytic plants. In natural systems, there are several surfaces onto which plants attach themselves. Epiphytic plants are those that grow attached to the bark or branches of trees, whereas lithophytic plants grow on porous or craggy rock surfaces.
Having worked with a particularly hardy species of plants for my aquascapes, I knew that the Anubias spp. was a well-performing lithophyte - and so, I conceptualised a 'scape using Anubias coffeefolia, and Christmas moss, grown epiphytically on a lava rock. Lava rocks are both porous and craggy, giving the root systems of the plants and mosses a higher surface area and more nooks to attach themselves to.
Anubias coffeefolia on a lava rock. Created and photographed by Kahin Vasi.
In creating the 'scape, I was careful to choose a rock that had enough crags to fit the root systems of the Anubias coffeefolia. This species of plant has two sets of roots: one that anchor the plant to a surface such as rocks or driftwood, and another that absorbs nutrients from the water column. The anchor-roots are particularly thick and often quite rigid, so the crags would have to be deep enough to hold the roots in place without any glue.
I did not want to use any glue for this because in some cases, plants that are artificially secured to a surface do not grow the anchor-roots. And, since I wanted to observe the root systems going about their natural processes, this would impede observations. Each root was individually manipulated and pressed into a crag, tweaked until it was secure. Once this was done, I placed the back of the 'scape onto a temporary scaffolding and began adding the moss.
Christmas moss has a structure that tapers towards the ends, like a christmas pine (which is where it gets its name from). The moss, as in the Terra Base, is a medium that is used to wick moisture and transfer it to the plant's roots. However, in this case, the moss absorbs water from the atmosphere and transfers it to the rock, where it drips down the crags into the root system. This happens very gradually, at a microscopic scale - and therefore, it is not easy to observe.
On the other hand, it is easy to infer this process through second-hand observation, i.e., the spread of the moisture-seeking root systems downwards, instead of outwards. In the photograph shown below, it is apparent that the roots are growing along the crags; in fact, the largest root had snaked its way under the rock, along a crevice. These roots grew over the period of about 2 months, during which time there were not as many new leaves: the plant invested the majority of its energy in establishing a good root system. After the root system had grown considerably, new leaves begin emerging at a quicker pace.
Behind the 'scape: an image showing the whole root system, where the roots can be observed along the crevices of the rock. Created and photographed by Kahin Vasi.
Kulhad Clay Pots as a Growing Medium
Of the various media I've experimented with (there are several technologies available for growing plants in a soil-less environment), I'm most interested in using clay pots made in India - kulhad chai cups - made from unglazed clay. This is not a bespoke vase or jar created for plants, although the same concept as the DOOA Terra Base applies here.
Unglazed clay pots have been used to store drinking water for centuries. Initially dry pots are filled with water, and the water leaches through the clay to the surface where it evaporates, cooling the vessel and the water within. I hypothesise that this partially wet surface could also be used to grow epiphytic or lithophytic plants and mosses - however, the quantum of water on the surface of the pots is far from what is required for mosses and macrophytic plants to flourish. The set-up may have to be misted externally.
Although this is a drawback, the porous clay-based surface of the pot will be an ideal surface for mosses and roots to attach themselves to, and so may work out with a combination of internal water and external misting.
Below, you can see a short time lapse of how water spreads along the surface of a dry kulhad pot.
The kulhad clay pot, as water spreads through the surface from a full pot. This took about 15 minutes in real time. Filmed by Kahin Vasi.
As I experiment and observe more, adding plants to this 'scape and other similar concepts, I will add more information to this page.