Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Selecting the Right Bonsai Pot for your Tree

Bonsai trees are becoming more popular these days. Bonsai is a Japanese word which means a plant in a tray. To keep Bonsai tree, lots of work and dedication is needed as these trees must be trimmed and cared continuously. To give miniaturization effect to bonsai tree, it is essential to choose the right type of pot. Selecting the right bonsai pot for bonsai tree is not easy. It is an art in itself. Bonsai pots are available in different shapes and sizes so it very important to get the right size, shape and color of pot for bonsai tree. To know how to select the right bonsai pot for your bonsai tree read the following article.

For your Bonsai tree you must buy pot which is designed specially for it. Bonsai pots have pre-designed holes like drainage and training wires. Drainage holes help to prevent water stocking inside the pot while other holes are for the passage of training wire. To choose right pot, there are many things that you should consider such as length, shape, color, size, width, height, etc. Right bonsai pot brings out the total beauty of bonsai tree.

Tips To Select the Right Bonsai Pot:

Size
You must select the size of your bonsai pot wisely as size matters. If the pot doesn’t support the weight of the tree then it will be wastage of time and money. Always buy the bonsai pot that is enough big and strong to hold the tree. Plant will have many difficulties to grow if the pot is very small. The tree will also look unbalanced if the pot is small. Too large bonsai pot makes the tree to look small and insignificant.

Shape
The shape of the pot also affects the growth of the tree so select the shape wisely. Bonsai pots are available in many shapes such as rectangle, round, square, oval, shallow trays, freehand shapes and more. While purchasing pots you must consider whether your bonsai tree is gentle and flowing/ thick and heavy, etc. Soft bonsai tree looks good in a gentle curvy, glazed bonsai pot while a black pine with a thick, strong trunk looks good in square or rectangle bonsai pot that have absolute minimum of decorations/fancy feet.

Length, Width and Height
Along with shape you should also consider length, width and height of the pot. The length, width and height can also affect the growth. Select the pot with enough depth to support the roots of the tree. Width of the pot must be as wide as the length of the stems/branches of the tree while the height of the pot must be of similar measurement to the overall width of the trunk of bonsai tree. You should select deeper pot if the trunk of the tree is wider.

Color
Bonsai pots are available in different colors but you must select the color that complements the look of the tree. If you want understated beauty then choose solid color pots and if you want your garden to be more eye-catching then select printed or polychromatic designs. Flowering bonsai trees look good in light colored pots and pine trees that have dark green needles look good in deep brown and red colored pot. Never buy highly glazed pots as they distract our attention from the tree. If you are not sure about the color of the pot then buy the pot that matches the color of the tree trunk.

Material
Different materials bonsai pots such as porcelain, terra cotta, mica, wood, stoneware, and plastic are available in the market. Select heavy duty plastic pots if you want durable pots and if you want more authentic look choose wooden pots. Clay pots are great for the tree but they are easily breakable. When the tree is in initial growing stage, mica pot is preferred by most of the people as they are lightweight and durable.

Airflow and Interior
Select the bonsai pots that have feet so that the air can flow freely around the base of the pot. The pot must be unglazed from inside as it will keep the tree stable in the pot. Unglazed pot from inside are very important if the roots have grown sufficiently.

Video of How to Care for a Bonsai Tree: Spot the Right Pot from youtube:

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