February is repotting season for most of your bonsai here in the Bay Area. So, many bonsai hobbyists are busy pondering what stye pot they plan to purchase and to use for their best trees. For our February meeting we discussed the basic guidelines for choosing a pot for your bonsai tree as well as provided our members a chance to sell, buy, or trade bonsai pots.

This was our first bonsai pot swap, and as you can tell from our cover picture, we had quite a selection of pots for our members to browse. Choosing a pot for your tree is serious business for bonsai hobbyists. Most often trees and pots are produced separately and therefore finding a pot that matches your tree’s characteristics means an exhaustive search through fellow members’ collections, bonsai sales, vendor tables, and internet pages. The beginning of our February meeting was meant to introduce our newer members to the varieties of pots available in the market place and how to best fit their tree to that perfect pot.

Bonsai pots are available in many combinations of colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. In most cases, pots used in bonsai are relatively shallow and not ornate. The shape and size should reflect the age and be in proportion to the size of the tree. The color of the pot should also compliment the bark, foliage, or flower color of the tree. The pot should not distract the viewer from the tree.

Bonsai pots are available from four sources.

1) China - Pots made in China are the most common and inexpensive. Quality can sometimes be a bit on the lower end and have uneven sides, poor drainage holes, thick walls, and overall, very heavy weights. These pots are usually massed produced using slip molds followed by a small amount of hand-cleanup. Chinese pots may seem a bit “coarse” and uneven. However, recent imports of excellent Chinese pots have been available, so do not rule out choosing a pot made in China for your tree. In fact, antique Chinese pots are sought out by Japanese masters for some of their greatest bonsai creations.

2) Japan - Most high quality bonsai pots are made in Japan. Even the mass produced brands are well made. Most are very light weight, and finished with a high degree of care. Pots from the Tokoname region of Japan are considered the highest quality pots for bonsai. Because more time is spent hand finishing these pots, they are often much more expensive than pots of similar size. If you receive the publication Bonsai Focus, then you may be familiar with a series of articles highlighting different potters from that region.

3) Korea - A few bonsai outlets are selling pots made in Korea. The pots are very similar to mass produced Chinese pots and quality is much lower than pots from Japan. Korea also exports pots made from mica, a silica-based mineral mixed with polyethylene. The pots are good for bonsai development and inexpensive.

4) Your local artists! - Several potters around the world specialize in producing handmade bonsai pots. On the West coast, potters such as Jim Gremel and Michael Hagedorn have fired a few kilns full of bonsai pots and other artists such as Sara Rayner feature websites offering their pots for sale. Many of these artists will design and produce pots specifically for your tree with little more than few measurements and picture for a reasonable price.

So, how do you choose pot for your tree? There are a few guidelines you should observe when choosing a pot for you tree. First, is your tree ready for that ideal pot? Many times, we rush to repot our bonsai into pots that do not support the development and health of the tree. If your tree is in development, choose deeper and wider pots that allow for greater root growth which will led to greater growth on the top of your tree. If your tree is ready to show, there are three guidelines you should follow when selecting a pot:

1. Pot Size: The size of the pot should be in proportion with the size of your tree. The pot should promote the strength and age of the tree. The height of the pot should be between 1 - 2 times the diameter of the trunk and the width between 2/3 and 3/4 the height of the tree.

2. Pot Shape: Pot shape reflects the degree of masculinity or femininity of the tree. Trees with soft curves and foliage fit pots that are either round or oval. Usually flowering, deciduous, and young junipers are potted in circular pots. Trees that are rugged, old, and/or formal are planted in rectangular pots. Most old pines are typically planted in rectangular pots. Pots can also be varying degrees of masculinity or femininity. For example, some rectangular pots may have rounded corners or beveled edges to soften their appearance.

3. Pot Color: The color of the pot is important to consider. Unglazed pots are ideal for pines and junipers. Various colors are available ranging from dark grey, brown, or brick red. Glazed pots are used for deciduous and flowering trees. Pot color is chosen based on fall foliage or blossom color. The color of the pot is sometimes complementary to the color of the foliage. For example, a blue pot complements the orange foliage of a trident maple.

Of course, there are many exceptions to these guidelines and every tree is different. With more experience, you will be able to decide which bonsai pot is best for your tree.

Pots for bonsai also sport additional features specific to bonsai culture. All bonsai pots should have adequate drainage holes. Most pots have at least two large holes in the bottom. Larger pots may have many more (6-8). These holes are also used for tying trees into the pot. Some pots, especially hand finished or handmade pots feature additional tie-down holes that provide more options for securing the trees.

So, next time you are out shopping for bonsai pots, be aware of each pot’s origin, style, and extra features. Keep a decent selection of pots on hand for repotting season and be wiling to share and trade with your bonsai buddies. Think ahead about the kinds of pots you will need in the future and keep an eye out for pots at local sales that might be perfect for your trees.

Tags: Beginner, pots