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Choosing Your Bonsai Containers
by: leedobbins
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The elements contained in a work of art need to have a certain harmony and cohesiveness. Since a bonsai tree is a work of art the bonsai containers chosen to house your trees must be purchased with the thought of coordinating with the type and style of tree.
when selecting a bonsai container you should consider the color and the material as well as the shape and size. The pot should be selected to match with the particular tree that will be in it. There is no hard and fast rule to this but go with a sense of symmetry and also consider bonsai tradition when selecting your container. Be sure to take into consideration will the tree will look like when pruned and make sure that the container gives a sense of balance to the overall design.
In addition to aesthetics you must think about the practical side of bonsai containers:
In addition to balancing your work of art to be pleasing to the eye, the container must also physically balance the weight of the tree in the soil. One size can be easily tipped over if the pot is too small for the tree so be sure that you get a pot that is having enough to withstand a little tippiness or you might find your tree laying on the ground.
The style of your container also needs to be managed with the style of your bonsai. A cascading bonsai design like a kengi or han-kengi has a trunk and branch is that the below the rim of the container. This is to look like a tree that is growing off the side of a cliff or hanging over under heavy snowfall. Therefore, you want a pot that is wide and can hold a lot of soil to offset the hanging of the treaty so it does not tip over.
In addition to sell considerations, of course, make sure that your container is large enough for your bonsai roots to spread out and grow. A bonsai should be transplanted every two years so you want to make sure that when you put it in its new container is enough room for two years of growth.
It's also important that your bonsai container have the right drainage so sure that the plot as a whole the bottom along with a mesh screen to allow water to escape. Also make sure the screen is not too small as it can become clogged or not too big as then it can allow soil to leak out.
It's important that your container have a tray underneath to catch the overflow of water. Over watering or under watering your bonsai can easily kill it and in fact is attributed to most bonsai deaths. Therefore, having appropriate drainage and a tray to catch the extra water will allow water to drain out and then some to be soaked back if the soil is too dry. It's important, however, to make sure that the tray is not always in a puddle of water as this may contribute to root rot of your bonsai.
The size of container you need is affected by the species of bonsai tree. Trees that flower and bear fruit need more water and can tolerate wet conditions better but conifers like the White Pine prefer to have the soil dry out between watering.
It may take a little experience and a good design eye to pick out the best bonsai container, but luckily there are many good examples out there to help guide you. Remember, some bonsai trees can live as long as 200 years so you should be able to find many examples of beautiful trees and their containers to stimulate your imagination.
About the Author
Lee Dobbins writes for http://bonsai.garden-corner.com where you can learn more about the art of bonsai.
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