SELECTING THE RIGHT CONTAINER FOR YOUR BONSAI

By Artist Dave Paris

Bonsai Containers / Pots

In bonsai, the container is half the equation and absolutely critical to the plant’s well being.  Containers (“pots”) fall into two categories:  grow and show.

All containers possess the ability to freely drain water and protect the roots.  If these two properties are not present in the pot, don’t use it.

Containers for Growing:

These may be plastic, mica, or ceramic.  They are all oversized for the tree – not grossly oversized, but large enough to allow for good root growth and trunk & branch thickening.

Plastic growing containers are inexpensive and drain well.  Unfortunately, they’re often dark colored which absorbs the sun’s energy, warming the soil to a temperature that doesn’t promote the most vigorous root growth.  If you’ve got a very large collection though, it may be the most cost-effective type of container to use.

Mica growing containers are also comparatively inexpensive and drain well.  They’re thicker than plastic which allows them to give some insulation to the roots in both summer and winter from the extremes of heat and cold over a short time period.  They’re also virtually indestructible and will last for many years.

Ceramic growing containers span a huge range of prices and quality.  They’re available in glazed and unglazed.  The key to a good ceramic container is to make sure there are no areas in the bottom that are lower than the drain holes.  This would allow for standing water that tends to promote root rot and other problems.  A quick fix for these is to drip candle wax into these low spots, filling them in to establish complete draining.  A key quality to ceramic containers is their ability to absorb water.  This acts as a cooling system for the roots on a hot day by absorbing water and allowing it to be evaporated.  This also means trees in ceramic containers need to be checked a bit more often to see if they need watering.

Containers for Showing:

Show containers are almost strictly ceramic.  They range from a little more expensive than growing containers to extremely expensive.  Every aspect about the container is taken into consideration when selecting one to go with a tree.  The shape, color (glaze or clay), and texture should be carefully matched to give the best composition with the plant.   When a plant is in a show container, there is not much room for additional root growth and the plant tends to reside in the container for the duration of the show and then transferred back to a growing container afterward.

Glazed containers are almost strictly used with deciduous, flowering, or fruit-bearing plants.  Unglazed containers can be used with any plant.  If the plant has smooth, flowing lines and curves, the container shouldn’t have sharp corners or hard lines.  Ovals, rounds, rounded rectangles or organic shapes with no hard details will likely compliment the plant.  If the tree has abrupt direction changes in the trunk and branches, the container should match this feel with hard corners.  Squares and rectangles with straight sides tend to work best here.  A heavier texture also tends to compliment this type of plant.

Glaze colors should compliment the best feature or the feature you’re showing.  If you have a crabapple with red fruit and are showing the tree while it’s fruiting, a blue, white, or yellow container might work well.  A red container wouldn’t because it would distract the attention from the fruit.  If the tree has brilliant yellow or orange fall foliage and is being shown in the fall, the best glaze colors may be off-white, green or black.  If the tree is being shown in the winter and has a light colored bark, compliment this with a dark colored glaze.

Trunk diameter also plays a part in show container selection.  A thin trunk looks best in a container with a thin lip and either no or very delicate details while a large trunk can balance well against a container with a thicker lip and heavier details.

If you decide to show your trees, it helps to keep a wide variety of containers on hand.  If you don’t happen to have just the right container and go shopping for one, be sure to bring the tree with you.  It’s invaluable to have the exact tree in-hand when selecting a new container!  Don’t be afraid to ask friends to borrow a container either.  Since show containers can be expensive, it helps to have a good group of friends that can share containers.

Summary:   When selecting a container, the overall health of the tree is the primary concern.  If you’re working on developing the tree (trunk thickening, main branch development), use a little larger container so the plant has room to grow quicker.  If you’re working on refining the branch ramification and finer details, use a slightly smaller container to keep root growth in check so the plant responds with finer growth. Bonsai Pots are available at www.hollowcreekbonsai.com