Bonsai Pots: Choosing the Right Pot for your Tree

It is very important to choose just the right bonsai pot for your tree as your tree matures and is beginning to reach a level that you can consider entering it in a show, or just for your own enjoyment. You have to consider not only the artistic points of a pot but also the horticultural aspects of what your bonsai will need to continue to flourish.

The proper bonsai pot needs to act as a picture frame for your finished bonsai and not detract from the overall composition that you are trying to achieve. The correct pot should be no more than 20 to 25 percent of the visual weight of the finished bonsai. This holds true with trees in the range of 12 inches and larger. With Shohin and Chuhin the rules are a little more relaxed and you can use bonsai pots of vibrant colors such as yellows, reds, and blues. When picking pots for your larger trees the general consensus is that you use unglazed pots for your pines and junipers and glazed pots for your deciduous trees.  An old black pine in a nice blue pot is a little jarring. There are exceptions to these ideas but these are just general guidelines. When choosing a glazed pot look for glazes that are muted and have an appearance of age. You want the pot to have a certain patina that only use and age will provide. If you place your new bonsai pots under your benches for a season or two you can begin the process of aging and seasoning your containers.

One of the problems many of us have is buying a pot that we like and then trying to make a tree that we already have fit the container that we just spent a lot of money on. This is the wrong approach as we should be looking for a bonsai pot that suits the tree and not the other way around. The old adage in bonsai is that you can never have enough pots, and you never have the right pot for that special tree when it comes time to repot, so it's time to buy a new one. This is okay, and sound judgment since I sell pots; however, spend the needed time to decide what that special pot should be. A general rule of thumb is that the pot's depth should be 1 to 2 times the thickness of the trunk and the length should be 2/3 of the height. However, as this is just a rule of thumb, we can ignore it if need be to make sure that the tree remains healthy and continues to thrive.




This style of bonsai pot is often used for Bunjin style trees or trees with thin trunks when using the shallow type container, and is appropriate to use in a cascade style with heavier trunked trees.






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Here you see a bonsai pot in the Mokko shape. These pots can be used for trees that are a little more feminine in style. This shape of the pot comes in deep and shallow forms so is very versatile



The octagon shape is a much stronger shape and can be used for trees that are stronger visually. These bonsai pots also come in different depths so you will see them for cascade style trees along with shallower styles for upright styles.


 



For that strong upright tree you might want to consider a rectangular or square shape as these pots project a strong image and will give your tree additional visual strength. You will find rectangular pots that have rounded corners or cut corners that will change the overall look and feel of the finished composition.

One of the best resources for advice on the proper bonsai pot is the Bonsai Albums published by the Kokufu-ten and Gafu-ten shows in Japan. It is very informative to see what the experts are choosing for their pot choices.  It is a valuable  guide and a pleasure to look at what is possible.
        

Looking for Something to Start With

One of the questions that I hear most often in workshops and demonstrations is where do I find material to work on. The first thing that you need to learn is what is good material and what is not worth spending time on. Bonsai is an art form that can take decades to bring raw material to a point that a tree is of show quality. Spending decades on material that doesn't have the potential is discouraging and a waste of your time and talents.

The most important thing in looking for raw material is to evaluate the trunk and the Nebari. The Nebari is the roots that you can see lying at the surface of the soil.  A good Nebari adds the appearance of age and dignity to a tree, so this is a crucial part of the future design of the tree. A good trunk line is also very important, so what you want to avoid is a reverse taper where the trunk gets fatter as you go up from the base. Another flawed trunk is the lazy S shape.You see a lot of these for sale on some bonsai websites and they will never make a good bonsai, so avoid them. So picking a trunk with good movement is the first step.

The very best place to start looking for starter material is at old established landscape nurseries, preferably those that grow their own stock. Good materials to start with are the junipers, especially the Japanese Garden Junipers, the Chinese Juniper varieties such as Old Gold, Blauuw and Shimpaku and also the Sabina Junipers such as the Buffalo and Tam. Many of these will be overgrown and will need to be cut back drastically to start with. Always leave healthy growth on junipers when you start cutting them back or the tree could die or lose important branches. If you are new to bonsai take your purchase to a workshop at your local club and have one of the more experienced members help you with initial styling.

This type of material
offers a lot of possibilities cutting back hard will produce something in a Shohin size or possibly a windswept or cascade style. This tree was a close out for $3.00

Here you have something that can
be developed into an informal upright style that already has a nice trunk line
and branches were you need them,

And here the possibilities are endless, a sea of junipers all for less than $10.00 each.




If your tastes run towards the deciduous varieties such as maples, elms, boxwood's or other species then the same holds true about looking at the trunk and Nebari. With deciduous trees you can cut them back quite drastically and they will pop out new growth all over the tree. This will allow you to pick where you want branches and the final height of the finished bonsai.  Just remember in cutting back your tree to plan ahead for where the scars will be from large drastic cuts. Don't be in a big hurry to put your tree into a bonsai pot. Your new pre-bonsai will appreciate you not disturbing the roots at this time as it will grow much more vigorously and heal over cuts if you wait a year or two before starting to reduce the root ball.

When choosing material, make sure that you look at the health of the tree. Healthy plants will have firm glossy foliage and an overall appearance of health. If you start with sick plants it will not only take longer to start working with your tree but you could be introducing a problem to your other bonsai. When purchasing plants from a local nursery you are not only supporting a local business but you can see the health and vitality of the plant before you purchase it. You also will spend $10 to $20 dollars for material that would cost $100 from an online resource.There are some marvelous bonsai nurseries throughout the U.S. that have old material that you can purchase, so you should take the time and visit these nurseries as most do not sell their best material on the Internet.

Another good resource for plant material is your local bonsai club. Many clubs have raffles where members bring in plants that they are willing to sell. Also, the conventions held throughout the country are another good source of bonsai as there are many backyard bonsai growers who only sell at the conventions.

So good luck in your searches, and if you are new to bonsai take someone with you who has had more experience to help you in finding the perfect plant to begin your journey. Half of the fun in bonsai is in the looking and the anticipation of finding that diamond in the rough. For those of you with the years of experience, reach out to those who are new and share your knowledge and just remember there was a time when the shoe was on the other foot.