Containers for bonsai

To give a bonsai a finished look, we need to choose a suitable container for it. The container and the tree should blend together harmoniously. The container should be simple and plain. A gaudy or very ornate antique pot draws too much attention and is of little use for bonsai. In the art of bonsai the tree should command most of the attention; the container comes only second in importance.

Bonsai containers are, as a rule, made of clay. (In the early stages of training, a plastic pot or some other vessel can be used.) Recently, mica (MICA) containers have become very popular. Containers made of this material don’t break easily, stand up well to frost and are cheaper than classic clay pots.

A clay pot is better glazed on the outside. Such a pot is more attractive and more durable, but the inside must be left unglazed.

The pot must have a drainage hole. If the pot is fairly large, it needs two or more drainage holes. If water collects anywhere on the bottom of the pot after watering, it will inevitably cause part of the root system to rot. To prevent this, examine the pot carefully, and if you think the drainage holes are too few or too small, enlarge them or make extra ones.

The pot must have feet, at least half a centimeter high. Why are feet necessary? After watering, water runs out of the drainage holes. If the pot has no feet, moisture lingers for a long time between the bottom of the pot and the surface it stands on. A tree’s roots try to grow as deep into the soil as they can, so they will inevitably make their way out through the drainage hole. Roots that grow outside the pot soon spoil and become a breeding ground for diseases and pests. Harmful insects also gather under a pot without feet and easily get into the pot through the drainage hole.

A pot is chosen individually for each bonsai. Certain proportions and color combinations need to be observed. Of course, if we plant a small tree in a large pot, or the color of the pot doesn’t suit the tree, the tree won’t die because of it, but in the end we won’t get what every bonsai lover strives for: a single, striking whole of pot and tree — what we call a beautiful, refined bonsai. While a well-chosen pot shape, size and color make a bonsai’s overall appearance more effective, even the most beautiful tree planted in an unsuitable pot loses a great deal aesthetically.

A vast number of pots are made around the world, in every size, shape and color. But picking out the one that suits your bonsai exactly is no easy task. The final decision still comes down to the bonsai enthusiast’s own taste, but beginners do need to know certain guidelines for choosing a suitable pot for a bonsai.

Shape

By shape, pots can be square, polygonal, rectangular, oval or round. Tall pots are used for the cascade and semi-cascade styles.

Ideally, a bonsai of any style should be given a pot of a suitable shape. Single-tree styles can go in pots of any shape. Styles with several trunks or a group of trees (Netsuranari, Ikadabuki, Yose-ue) are best placed in a rectangular or oval, fairly shallow pot. For these styles we can also use a flat, slab-like stone with asymmetrically broken edges. Styles such as Seki-joju and Ishitsuki need the same kind of container. For the Bunjingi style, as a rule, only small round pots are used. The Kengai and Han-kengai styles require a tall pot to balance a tree that leans out to one side. On a tree styled as Kengai, the branches often grow lower than the bottom of the pot. In that case the bonsai is placed on a tall stand.

Color

Choosing the color of a pot is fairly subjective. But it is best if the pot has some “unshowy”, neutral color: gray, dark or light green, brown, reddish terracotta. White and dark blue pots also look beautiful. There are red, sky-blue and yellow pots as well. Many specialists choose the color of the pot according to the species of tree. For example, neutral colors are chosen for conifers and deciduous trees, while red, yellow and sky-blue pots are preferred for fruiting and flowering trees.

Size

The size of the pot is chosen based on the dimensions of the bonsai itself. There is a certain basic proportion between the size of the tree and the size of the pot. The depth of the pot should equal the thickness of the trunk at the base. For trees with wide-spreading branches, where the widest part of the canopy is greater than the height of the bonsai, the length of the pot should be 2/3 of the canopy’s width at its widest point. In this case the pot may be slightly shallower.

If the bonsai is tall (its height greater than the width of the canopy at its widest point), the length of an oval or rectangular pot should be 2/3 of the bonsai’s height. For a round pot, the diameter should be 1/3 of the bonsai’s height. Likewise, the side of a square pot should also be 1/3 of the tree’s height. In styles where several trees are planted together, the length of the pot should be 2/3 of the height of the tallest tree.

The width of a rectangular pot should be roughly 70–75% of its length. For oval pots, the width at the widest point should be 70% of the length. If a tree has a very thick trunk relative to its height, it is better placed in a slightly deeper pot. Some conifers (cedar, pine) may die if a large amount of root is cut back. So for such trees it is a good idea to break the ideal proportion and plant them in a pot deeper than the “rule” allows.

For the Kengai and Han-kengai styles, choosing a pot of the right size is probably hardest of all. As a rule, a tall, narrow pot is used for these styles. The exact dimensions depend entirely on the taste of the person creating the bonsai. A shallower pot can also be used. In that case the bonsai is placed on a special tall stand.