Hi welcome to Taiga Bonzai, in this article we discuss bonsai pot design, colour, texture and functionality.

Introduction – a potential bonsai is a ‘living’ work of art and requires the correct pot because ‘Bon’ (pot) is the frame and ‘Sai’ (tree) is the picture or image. Both have to compliment each other in order to accentuate the overall composition.

Potential bonsai – specimens purchased from a store, garden centre, nursery or indeed other sources will need training to suit a particular design. This takes time, some species can take a few seasons to train whilst others much longer, but much depends on the intended design one is looking to create.

However, for some there is the urgency to purchase a ceramic pot/s be it lavish ‘hand made’ or mass produced. Buying bonsai pots purely for cosmetic values is a needles expense. Because the design of your tree may change over time, or it will out-grow the pot. A better way to lessen the expense is to buy plastic trainer pots or make boxes.

Boxes – a potential bonsai regardless of its origin needs space to grow, to develop its root system, trunk girth, branches and ramification. It cannot do this if restricted in an undersized pot. Our solution is to make boxes out of chemically free scrap wood for example, old pallets usually free from a builders or timber merchant.

The benefit of a box is that it gives plenty of room for ‘root-run’ establishing a strong and healthy root system needed for good Nebari. In addition, guy wires can be placed anywhere for stability and to aid in the tree’s design, which cannot be done if in a ceramic pot. The reason for this approach is that often conventional wiring cannot be achieved because of branch and trunk thickness.

Moreover, if undisturbed for example three years this will allow the tree to develop more quickly. In reality, a bonsai does not need a pot until it is at least 80% near to its final design. But knowing which pot to select is not as easy as it may seem, because a tree in the wrong pot can actually lessen the visual impact diminishing the tree’s full potential. A tree in the right pot will look quite remarkable.

Selecting the correct pot – then how do we find the right pot? Generally speaking, the accepted rule is that un-glazed pots are for conifers, whilst glazed pots are for deciduous. To arrive at a suitable conclusion when selecting a pot, there are some points to consider. These are the tree itself, pot shape, dimension, colour and texture.

Trees – a tree that gives an impression of strength through its large trunk and mature weather beaten nature, strong canopy can be considered as masculine and Pines are a good example of this.

Alternatively, a tree having a more delicate appearance via its trunk’s gentle taper and delicate foliage can be viewed as feminine, such examples of this are the ‘weeping silver birch’ Betula pendula and ‘Acer’ Acer palmatum.

However, some trees are able to project both masculine and feminine appearances for example. The Rowan Sorbus aucuparia with its bright red/orange berries may have good movement in its trunk. But it’s fine ramification at the apex can be considered to have both male and female attributes. Therefore, when selecting a pot one must consider both these characteristics.

Pot shape and dimension – are also considered to have masculine or feminine attributes for example. Deep pots with strong angular features are considered masculine whilst feminine pots are shallower with softer lines.

The following images illustrate this meaning, 1. a deep rectangle pot with strong robust corners gives the impression of strength, especially suited to Pines. Whereas 2. has delicate rounded lines suitable for flowering/fruiting trees such as Cherry or Quince. Alternatively, trees having wide canopies that may be considered neither masculine or feminine for example a Beech Fagus sylvatica, are best suited to a wider shallower pots 3.

Other factors considered appropriate are the dimensions of a pot in relation to it’s tree for example. The depth of the pot should equal the diameter of the trunk just above soil level. For rectangular and oval pots, the size should be approximately ⅔ the height of the tree. For round pots it should be about ⅓ the tree’s height.

The colour and texture – of a pot can be used to enhance a tree’s particular feature for example, an un-glazed brown pot can highlight the ‘craggy’ brown bark of a Pine Pinus sylvestris. A dark blue glazed pot could be used to emphasise the red berries on a Cotoneaster Cotoneaster frigidus. A green glazed pot would enhance the leaves on a Beech. Fagus sylvatica. From these examples we see how a pot’s colour can be used to depict a tree’s particular feature.

Pot texture – For masculine pots textured finishes are ideal as they enhance the wildness of a tree’s rugged appearance. However, some contend that a smooth textured unglazed brown pot is able to enhance the tree’s ruggedness even further. It is a matter of choice.

Pots with smooth finishes are more suited to feminine trees, because their glazing highlights the tree’s feminine attributes. For trees that are considered neither masculine nor feminine meaning neutral, should be in pots that enhance their best characteristics either glazed or un-glazed.

Nonetheless, one factor that is crucial when planting a tree in a pot is its position, meaning how it will look. In most cases all bonsai apart from cascades styles are seldom positioned in the centre of the pot. They are positioned slightly to one side in order to achieve visual perspective and correct alignment. The illustration given below explains the importance of this.

We hope that this brief discussion on bonsai pots and their functionality is useful to our readers. In the next post we discuss the defensive system of trees and shrubs, until next time, BW, Nik.