How to Select a Bonsai Pot

The pot you choose for your bonsai is as important as the kind of tree you use and the pruning that you do. Its color, shape and texture can mean the difference between having a tree in a pot and having a subtle, yet vibrant showing for your work.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bonsai Potting Soil
• Bonsai Trees
• Gardening Tools
• Perennial Plants
• Pots And Planters

1. Remember that, in bonsai, a 'pot' can be a very loose term. A pot can be a hollowed-out log, a homemade cedar box, a crevice in a rock, a flat piece of slate or a porcelain or earthenware planter created especially for bonsai. As always with bonsai, look for a design that almost speaks for itself.

2. Try a few of these basic ideas for the more traditional pots, but don't adhere too strongly to any given set of offered circumstances.

3. Select a wide and shallow pot to keep the attention on the planting itself. The wide, flat planting gives the feeling of calm serenity found in the deep forest.

4. Find a container whose length is about two-thirds the height of the tree. If the tree is wider than it is tall, use the width as your gauge for the pot size - a planter with a width two-thirds the height of the tree.

5. Look for a planter with a depth of approximately 1 1/2 times the trunk diameter.

6. Choose a tall pot with a narrow opening for a cascade-style planting. It allows for the overhang without the need of a special stand or table edge to provide clearance for the low-hanging branches.

7. Use colors that complement the tree - a brightly colored pot for a flowering tree or for a deciduous tree that has stunning fall leaves or more muted and solemn colors for a pine or cedar.

8. Look at the bark of your tree. If it has a rough texture, a bit of texture on the pot itself works well.

9. Remember that no pot is permanent. Your tree will require repotting over the course of time to keep it from becoming rootbound.

[ashfeather]

on 6/16/2009 CREATIVE! *****