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The selection of a container is largely a matter of taste but there are
a few guidelines which might be helpful. To begin with, the container
should blend well with the tree and not be over-decorated to the point
of being more outstanding than the tree. My personal preference is to
use dark brown unglazed or terra cotta pots for evergreen plants that
spend most of their time outside. For airy-looking specimens, such as
the aralia, I prefer white ceramic or porcelain pots that are glazed on
the outside but not on the inside. Dark blue and dark to light green
containers complement blooming bonsai. Black can be a striking contrast
for a white flowering or large rugged plant.
Most of the containers have slim, simple lines and some are footed.
Sometimes it is difficult to get a heavy-looking container that will
complement a large bonsai specimen. In such case, you can always
innovate by using a large terra cotta saucer or construct a planter from
redwood. The thing to consider is that the container and the tree are in
good proportion. An over-sized container will make your specimen look
puny and will also allow the tree to grow freely, rather than in a
dwarfing state. A too small container will cause the plant to look
top-heavy and there will probably not be enough room for roots to
support the tree. You should try to achieve an overall solid, natural
look.
The shapes of bonsai containers run the gamut. There are round, oval,
square, rectangular, and hexagonal ones. All of these shapes are useful
for different types of styles and trunk developments.
The placement of the tree within the container is another point to
consider. A good rule of thumb is that the plant should be placed in the
center of a round or square container and to the right or left of center
in other shapes. This rule can often vary due to the shape of the tree.
The main thing is to achieve overall balance. If the tree has longer
limbs on one side than the other, it stands to reason that it would not
be in balance if it were placed in the center of an oval-shaped
container. Mine never end up in the center of any container.
A bonsai always looks more The formal, upright style plant
illustrated here shows the proportions worked-out by the originators of
bonsai. Notice that the tree is placed nearer to the right side of the
container than the left due to the length of the lower branches. The
tree is also placed nearer to the back than the front and although the
trunk is not centered in the container, the bonsai has total balance.
While the subject of containers is being discussed, I should point
out that good drainage is most important in bonsai culture making it
necessary to have adequate drainage holes in your containers.
Rectangular containers should have two drainage holes in most all
cases. The only exception is when the bottom of the container is not
flat but slopes to a low point in the center. The other shapes usually
have one hole in the center but the bottom of the container again sloped
slightly so that all excess water flows to the lowest point where it
drains. These holes are important for other purposes which will be
discussed further in the book. |
