Why shallow pots?
- Thread starter Mudroot
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Dav4
Drop Branch Murphy
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Shallow pots are less obtrusive visually then heavier, taller pots and tend to highlight the nebari, and the trunk to a lesser extent, of any tree planted in them. Maples, in particular those with well developed nebari, really look great in a shallow pot.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
And for some trees, like maples, it's helpful to use a shallow pot to develop those nice nebari.
Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
My take on it is...a shallower pot gives the appearance of a thicker trunk. Also that it helps develop the lateral root.
jk_lewis
Masterpiece
There's also a good deal of aesthetics involved.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Its the water table conversation for me.
Shallow pots stay moist longer aand dry out even.
Someethimg like that. Its vvvery horticultural.
Lotta V's heh!
Sorce
Shallow pots stay moist longer aand dry out even.
Someethimg like that. Its vvvery horticultural.
Lotta V's heh!
Sorce
Zach Smith
Omono
For bonsai designed to appear to be trees in a normal landscape setting, the shallow pot produces in the brain the impression of a broad expanse of land. This helps create the illusion that the tree is not what it is, namely, just a potted plant. For cascade and semi-cascade bonsai, the impression is one of a mountainside.Sacrilege post of the week!
BUT ...other than conventional practice and cultivated esthetics, why do we want our trees in shallow pots when larger pots would be easier to keep watered and fed and less susceptible to temp changes.
Kick me now.
If you set a properly potted bonsai next to a tree in say a standard deep clay pot, you should be able to see the difference instantly.
Zach
Eric Group
Masterpiece
So, clearly there is no one answer to this question.
There are horticultural reasons- restricting root growth money keeping the tree in a shallow/ smaller pot does help dwarf the tree naturally by stunting its growth a bit. The soil seems to stay wet and dry out more evenly instead of getting the areas of really wet and really dry soil you might encounter in a deep pot, which should help the roots avoid rot and comparable issues... Also, keep in mind that soil in a more shallow pot is by comparison to a deeper one generally more moist. So, trees that like a little more water should go in the more shallow containers (Maples and Azalea..) vs trees that like a little less moisture which will usually do better in deeper cot winters (Pine, Juniper...).
Aesthetically it looks... Better. The more shallow pot reinforces the notion of an image of a larger tree in a landscape vs just a "potted plant", and the pots themselves are more interesting looking than just an average old plastic nursery can... You can also match colors to blooming trees and so forth...
I am surprised nobody has also mentioned the "rules" about pot depth vs trunk width too though. There is a ratio of pot depth to trunk width mentioned as a style "rule" in many published bonsai texts. Personally I don't like restricting art with many rules and I view the "bonsai rules" more as suggestions to help people who are indecisive or new to the hobby... They seem to be most important when dealing with a formal upright style too, as most informal, slanting and Bunjin styled trees have a much more unique design, but that is something I expected to see people mention as a reason why you go with a more shallow pot.
Not a bad question at all though. I don't think people should trash the OP for posting it...
There are horticultural reasons- restricting root growth money keeping the tree in a shallow/ smaller pot does help dwarf the tree naturally by stunting its growth a bit. The soil seems to stay wet and dry out more evenly instead of getting the areas of really wet and really dry soil you might encounter in a deep pot, which should help the roots avoid rot and comparable issues... Also, keep in mind that soil in a more shallow pot is by comparison to a deeper one generally more moist. So, trees that like a little more water should go in the more shallow containers (Maples and Azalea..) vs trees that like a little less moisture which will usually do better in deeper cot winters (Pine, Juniper...).
Aesthetically it looks... Better. The more shallow pot reinforces the notion of an image of a larger tree in a landscape vs just a "potted plant", and the pots themselves are more interesting looking than just an average old plastic nursery can... You can also match colors to blooming trees and so forth...
I am surprised nobody has also mentioned the "rules" about pot depth vs trunk width too though. There is a ratio of pot depth to trunk width mentioned as a style "rule" in many published bonsai texts. Personally I don't like restricting art with many rules and I view the "bonsai rules" more as suggestions to help people who are indecisive or new to the hobby... They seem to be most important when dealing with a formal upright style too, as most informal, slanting and Bunjin styled trees have a much more unique design, but that is something I expected to see people mention as a reason why you go with a more shallow pot.
Not a bad question at all though. I don't think people should trash the OP for posting it...
Skinnygoomba
Shohin
I was watching a video interview where Walter Pall critiqued a pine and he suggested a shallower pot for it. The reason being that if the roots could not grow down they would grow out and those nearer to the surface would become larger, improving the nebari.
He also went on to explain that it would make the tree seem larger.
He also went on to explain that it would make the tree seem larger.
bonsaiBlake
Chumono
tmpgh
Shohin
I've always believed the the smallest pot possible is about root and moustute control.
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