HOW TO CHOOSE A BONSAI POT FOR BEGINNERS

Choosing the right pot is not as easy as one would think. You must first ask yourself: “What kind of tree do I have?” All elements are important – is it deciduous or evergreen? Is it a young tree or old? What is the general style of the tree, formal/informal upright, semi-cascade, cascade, slant, windswept, or a group/forest planting? Is it femininely styled, or masculine? Is it a flowering tree? If so, what color are the flowers? Is it fruit –bearing? What color is the foliage? All of these things have some bearing on what color, shape, or texture pot you would choose to show your bonsai in.

A bonsai pot contributes to the composition and completes the overall image of your bonsai tree. If you choose well, it can strengthen the design of your tree. A pot that is unsuitable for the tree that you plant it in can lessen the tree’s impact. Depending on whether you choose a factory made Chinese or Korean pot or one from a potter who creates more diverse designs, a handmade bonsai pot can also be a pricey investment, giving one even more incentive to get it right the first time.

There are so many choices out there, different colors, designs and sizes; it’s hard to choose which combination will work best for your tree. Add that to that the fact that there’s no completely “right” answer, as the choice is subjective and depends a lot on your personal preferences. You may prefer more conservative shapes, textures and glazes while someone else may prefer more unconventional ones.

Your first consideration should be the dimensions of the pot needed. There are some basic rules for choosing the correct dimension according to the dimensions of the tree itself.

1. Generally, the pot depth should be equal to the diameter of the trunk measured just above soil level.

2. If you are using an oval or rectangular pot, the length of that pot should be 2/3 the height of the tree.

3. If you are using a round pot, the diameter of that pot should be 1/3 the height of the tree.

4. If your tree has a wide canopy, a wider pot may be necessary. If that is the case, you can compensate the addition of width with a more shallow pot. 

5. Conversely, a tree with a thick trunk in comparison with the height of the tree, might need a deeper but more narrow width pot.

Next to consider would be the shape of the pot. This is decided by looking to the characteristics of your tree. Since the pot needs to harmonize with your tree, deciding if the tree has more dominant feminine or masculine features is necessary.

A masculine tree will give an overall impression of strength. A heavily tapered trunk, craggy bark, strong angular branching, a straight, powerful trunk or a dense canopy are all characteristics of a masculine tree.

Example of a masculine, rectangular pot. Notice how the panel and the feet add to the masculine appearance.

A feminine tree will have a more delicate appearance – smoother bark, graceful flowing movement in it’s trunk and branches, a slow taper and a lighter canopy are characteristics of a feminine tree.

Some tree species are predisposed to feminine or masculine characteristics. For example, most pines and hawthorns are often considered naturally masculine while delicate Japanese maples will be considered as naturally feminine.

Example of a shallow, feminine pot

You can also have a heavily tapered Japanese Maple with delicate leaves and branching that would be called masculine with feminine features or a tall Hawthorne with rough bark but gentle curves and a gradual taper that would be considered feminine with masculine features. With trees such as these it will be necessary to identify the strongest features – the ones that have the greatest visual impact – and choose a pot that complements them. Fortunately it’s possible to find designs that reflect both masculine and feminine qualities.

Typically, a rectangular pot is masculine, but this pot has a flare to it, and cloud motif feet that make it suitable for a masculine tree with feminine traits.

Pots that are considered masculine have strong angular features, such as chunky, deep, rectangular pots. These are the most masculine of pots and they are best suited for heavy trunked masculine trees, especially conifers. If you have a thick-trunked deciduous tree, the corners of the rectangle can be rounded to compensate for the inherent femininity of deciduous trees. Next in line in the scale of masculinity are deep chunky ovals, and then come drum/round pots that are suitable for both masculine and feminine trees.

Feminine pots are shallower with softer lines. Included here are shallow delicate ovals and very shallow round and literati pots.

An oval pot would usually be classified as feminine, but the lip on this one, the feet, and the line around it give it masculine qualiities.

Basic pot shape guidelines are as follows: 

1. Rectangle pots are good for coniferous species and large deciduous trees with a pronounced taper, wide base, and a heavily thickened nebari. They add to the feeling of strength in the tree. 

2. Oval pots are best for reflecting the femininity of deciduous trees, clump style bonsai, groves and forests. Less taper and sinuous curves dampen the masculinity of a tree. 

3. Round post are suitable for feminine trees, particularly for literati or bunjin style trees. Tall and straight or sinuously curved trees with very little taper are the most feminine and look best in very shallow, round pots.

Other parts of the pot can help to add to the feminine or masculine qualities of the tree. A lip on the upper rim of the pot gives additional strength to a masculine tree, whereas a straight rim is softer or more androgynous trees and a bowl or convex side is more suited to feminine trees.

Sharp, right-angled corners are suitable for masculine trees while indented corners on a rectangular pot can soften the masculinity of that pot. Rounded corners soften the pot even more, making it look more like an oval more suitable for masculine-traited deciduous trees. Chunky panels pressed into the pot make it more masculine.

The main purpose for the feet of a bonsai pot is for drainage and airflow, but depending on the style of the feet, they can also be used to change the appearance of the pot. They can be soft and subtle and decorative, or strong and robust. If the feet are big and chunky, it adds to the strength of the design, whereas delicate feet will have the opposite effect. For the most part feet with the cloud motif are considered feminine and smooth plain feet are masculine in appearance.

Color and texture are also very important when choosing a pot. Although there are generalizations made about a particular species, each tree will have something different to pick up on, something unique that lends to the design. Those differences can be brought out with color and texture.

You can use color to complement the bark or the fall color of the leaves, or color of the flowers or berries.

This pot below would work for an old, white-flowering azalea. The lip would show off the strong nebari, and the flowers will fit well with the old looking green glaze. The colors mean freshness and purity, and the cloud feet emphasize the feminine character.

It will take some experimentation to see what you find works best for you, but these are basic guidelines when choosing a pot for your tree. There are exceptions to every rule so don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things to find what you like. After all Bonsai is an art form to be appreciated and if it makes you happy, then that’s what really matters. There are so many facets and aspects to Bonsai Pottery that I would say this is the first of many articles to come pertaining to this subject matter.

"TURTLE" REPOT - A PHOTO ESSAY

Bonsai need to be repotted periodically if their health is to be maintained. Mike Ramina's "Turtle", a 1500 + year old Ponderosa Pine needed repotting in the spring of 2011, and Senpai George Wrede and I lent a hand in putting some new soil under the old pine roots. It was an honor and a privilege to work on such a mighty, old specimen bonsai. Here are a few photos of our endeavor.

The "Turtle" pulled from the pot.

Trimming the roots

Preparing the new soil.

Placing the pine back into it's Tokoname container.

Wiring the tree into the pot.

Working in the new soil medium with chopsticks.

The finished, repotted tree before wiring.

Ryan Neil Interview from 5/9/2011

Ryan Neil grew up in the rocky mountains of Colorado. He spent 6 years studying in Japan under the guidance of the Magician Masahiko Kimura. Ryan has returned to the States and now resides in Oregon. I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan at Nature’s Way Bonsai on May 9, 2011. The following is a brief interview with the new master.

SM: So how do you like being back in the US and traveling around the country doing demos and workshops?

RN: How do I like it? I like it. I love it! I love being home. It was a tough adjustment at first, to come back to the United States because after 6 years, a lot had changed…but ultimately I’m an American at hears, so being back in the United States is a good thing for me.

SM: So do you miss being in Japan?

RN: No.

SM: No?

RN: No, I don’t miss being in Japan.

SM: Would you like to go back to visit?

RN: I would like to go back to be reminded of the things that were valuable about my apprenticeship, but the thing that people don’ understand about being an apprentice is it’s not fun, and my time in Japan wasn’t enjoyable. I was there to learn bonsai; every day was dedicated towards that, and now I’m trying to take that and apply it to my life here, so…My time in Japan wasn’t fun time and my feelings about that are more or less associated with what I went through and not the good times that I had.

SM: Gotcha. So what was the greatest lesson you learned while you were studying there?

RN: Greatest lesson – how to think.

SM: How to think.

RN: Mr. Kimura used to always tell us that you can do anything that you want if you learn how to think, and so more than teach us how to do bonsai he taught us why we were doing what we were doing. He taught us to use our heads, to figure problems out before  we ever encountered them, taught us how to think about the fundamental reasons behind the techniques and the things that we were doing through to the trees.

SM: So the whys and the hows?

RN: The why.

SM: Gotcha.

RN: The why. If you know the why, you can figure out the when, where, what and how.

SM: Gotcha. Any cool tricks of the trade that you would like to share?

RN: Cool tricks of the trade…

SM: Other than the callusmate? Which I am definitely going to check into.

RN: Cool tricks of the trade? You know, as far as I’m concerned, there aren’t a whole lot of tricks in bonsai. Bonsai is a very fundamental thing. It’s a matter of understanding what you’re doing and why you’re doing it that allows you to develop tricks. The only trick that I would have to show somebody is how to fundamentally style a branch, how to fundamentally wire a tree, how to fundamentally water, how to fundamentally re pot. Those are the only tricks I’d have to show anyone.

SM: Excellent. Where do you see yourself in, let’s say, 10 years from now?

RN: Ten years? You know, when I came back from Japan, I really debated whether or not I should consider where I’m going to be in 10 years, or what I’m striving to achieve in 10 years, and I've sort of realized that regardless how much I think about that it’s hard to really grasp what’s really going to happen with bonsai in the United States in that period of time. I hope – I hope in 10 years that bonsai has grown to the point where professionals can comfortably make a living and pursue creating excellent art. I hope that people develop and appreciation for the skill that others have really gone out of their way to learn and become proficient at, and I hope that at some point it’s something that people value. I hope that Americans take it upon themselves to dedicate their attention towards learning and improving their technique and ability to care for trees, but where it’s going to go, I really don’t have a clear vision of that in the future.

SM: One last question. What are your thoughts on grafting Shimpaku branches onto say like a Hollywood or a California Juniper?

RN: I don’t have any qualms with trying to improve the quality of a tree, so as opposed to saying ‘this tree is a natural tree, and I’m not going to graft on it’, I would never take that stance because if we’re trying to create the best tree, the best art, the best product possible, sometimes we have to expedite the process or improve the quality and characteristics of the material that we’re working on. However, I think that our native species, western species, collected from the mountains, the Rocky Mountain, the California, the Utah, the Sierra Juniper? I think that there are techniques  and I think there are methods of cultivating trees that will enable us to maximize the potential and quality of the foliage that they DO possess. So as opposed to just simply referring to and depending on Japanese cultivars of foliage to create good trees, I hope that people in the future are willing to dedicate more time and attention, and have a bit more patience when learning how to manage our western species.

SM: I agree. I agree.

RN: So, that’s one thing that I’m really spending a lot of time trying to do.

SM: Well thank you very much.

SADDLE BACK CATERPILLAR

It was a beautiful day for working outside on bonsai trees. The summer breeze was just right, so with pruners in hand I began my work. I was putting a hornbeam I had just pruned back on the bench when I felt a sting on my arm. On the leaf of a Japanese Maple I had just brushed past was a creature that looked like a “B” movie alien. It was the saddle back caterpillar.

The saddle back caterpillar, Acharia stimulea (formerly Sibene stimulea) is the larva of a species of moth native to eastern North America. The species belongs to the family of slug caterpillars, Limacodidae. The caterpillar is primarily green with brown at either end, and a pronounced white-ringed brown dot in the center which resembles a saddle. It was a pair of fleshy horns at either end.

As you see circled above, these horns and most of the rest of the body bear urticating hairs that secrete irritating venom. 

 





Contact with the hairs causes a painful, swollen rash, and sometimes nausea in humans.                     

Rash from caterpillar hairs.

The hairs should be removed from the skin immediately to prevent the venom spreading. The cocoon may also have irritating hairs, and hairs from the larva can fall onto surrounding objects.

Cocoon of Saddleback Caterpillar

The larva feeds on a large variety of plants. 

The adult is a dark brown, stout-bodied moth as seen below.

The white discs seen on the caterpillar pictured below are cocoons from braconid wasps. They laid eggs on the unfortunate caterpillar in late August, consumed part of his insides and have now emerged to pupate.

In all, the stinging sensation lasted about four hours, and felt similar to a jellyfish sting. 

For general treatment of a sting, follow these steps:

1. Remove caterpillar (or hairs) from your skin.

2. Wash affected area with soap and water.

3. Apply an ice pack or a wet cloth to the stinging area.

4. You can use a topical anesthetic for pain.

5. Monitor the sting for swelling or changes in coloration. If symptoms don’t improve, seek medical attention.

Saddleback caterpillars can be found on most deciduous trees (e.g., chestnut, cherry, basswood, oak, plum and maples) and sometimes on corn.