Month: March 2010

Using Drainage Mesh for Your Bonsai Tree

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 29, 2010
No Comments on Using Drainage Mesh for Your Bonsai Tree

Authentic bonsai pots have big drainage holes. To prevent soil from falling through a drainage hole, we can cover the drainage hole inside the bonsai pot with a piece of plastic drainage mesh (or drainage screen).

Many online bonsai supply shops sell plastic drainage mesh for bonsai pots, and they sell these drainage meshes in many different sizes. I would suggest one to buy bigger sheets of drainage mesh, at least 6” x 6”, and cut to the size needed.

Some of us like to use a bonsai wire to keep the drainage mesh in place, yet, usually the weight of the potting soil will help keep the drainage mesh in place for us. We can always check the bottom of our bonsai pot after repotting to ensure the drainage mesh hasn’t been moved.

The material of plastic drainage mesh is fairly flexible, yet rigid enough that the drainage mesh won’t sag under the weight of the potting mix and water that are pressing down on it in the bonsai pot. While using the regular plastic or metal window screen wire which we can find in hardware stores is not recommended, if you just have to use one, you must make sure the openings of the drainage mesh are large enough that they won’t be clogged up by your potting mix. In addition, the material must be thick enough so that it won’t sag under the weight of the potting soil and water in the bonsai pot. Since drainage mesh is one of the least expensive bonsai tools we need for our bonsai tree care, we might as well get the proper stuff.

Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pots & Humidity Trays

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 29, 2010
1 Comment on Bonsai Pots & Humidity Trays

Bonsai humidity trays (or drip trays) are important to the health of our bonsai trees for the following reasons.

Since all bonsai pots have drainage holes in the bottom, the humidity tray (or drip tray) can hold the excess water and prevent water from dripping on the surface of our windowsill, table, or wherever we put our bonsai trees.
Humidity tray can help us create a humid environment for our bonsai trees. We just have to leave some water in the humidity tray during the day, and let the water in the tray evaporates. Water evaporating from the humidity tray helps to raise the humidity level around our bonsai trees.
With a humidity tray, we can water our bonsai trees at where they are placed instead of taking the bonsai trees to the sink for watering. When we water, we should pour on the top of the potting mix slowly until it penetrates the soil and excess water comes out from the drainage holes in the bottom of the bonsai pot. This watering method is especially convenient for larger bonsai trees.

There are plastic and clay humidity trays (or drip trays) in multiple sizes and colors available in many online shops that sell bonsai supplies and tools.

Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pots – Made in China vs Made in Japan

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 29, 2010
4 Comments on Bonsai Pots – Made in China vs Made in Japan

Bonsai is tree in small pots, and these bonsai pots are mostly made in Japan or China. Japanese pottery is known for its high quality. They are elegant, natural, often unglazed, and fairly expensive. On the other hand, Chinese pottery is generally cheaper (while their quality is getting better and better) and often brightly glazed. Most of these bonsai pots are made of high-quality clay and are baked in high temperatures; hence these bonsai pots can tolerate very low and high temperatures.

However, what I just mentioned is only in the context of bonsai pots of low and medium quality. For the highest, world-class quality bonsai pots, the picture is different. Many of the top bonsai pots are made in China. In fact, today, many Japanese bonsai enthusiasts still prefer Chinese pots, especially kowatari containers.

Same as the art of bonsai, the origin of bonsai pottery is China. As early as the 12th century, without the knowledge we have in chemistry today, Chinese ceramists were able to make beautiful bonsai pots with amazing quality which modern technology cannot even match with today.

A major different between Chinese and Japanese bonsai pots lies in the production method. Although the Japanese bonsai pots are handmade, they are shaped in a mould. The clay is pressed into a pre-shaped mould and the interior of the pot is shaped manually. On the other hand, the Chinese use an inside mould that only serves as a framework for the clay. The exterior is shaped by hand, and this allows the ceramists to create countless shapes and designs.

The bonsai pot should enhance the bonsai tree and not be overpowering or a dominant feature. It should harmonize and complement the characteristics of the bonsai tree, showing the bonsai off to its best advantage.

Bonsai How To Bonsai Pots

What Bonsai Pots for What Bonsai Trees?

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 29, 2010
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The type of bonsai pot we should get is based on the species, as well as the bonsai style, of our bonsai tree. For example, conifers blend well with naturally colored, unglazed bonsai pots of browns and grays, whereas deciduous trees look great in either unglazed or glazed bonsai pots of just about any color.

Color

We should also consider how the bonsai pot will blend with the strong autumn colors, as well as how the bonsai pot will match with the flowering season of our bonsai tree. While some bonsai lovers like to plant their flowering bonsai trees in glazed pots of brighter colors, such as whites, creams, blues, and greens, I often prefer a dark, plain bonsai pot to stand out the beautiful, bright colors of my flowering bonsai tree.

If we are unsure what bonsai pot color we should choose, it is always save to select a shade that is similar to the trunk of the bonsai tree.

In addition, for heavily glazed pots, the color of the glaze will age and wear off slightly over its lifetime. Indeed, some people like to wipe the glaze with French polish, wood scratch remover or similar fine oil to speed up the process and give the glazed pot a slightly more natural look and aged feeling.

Shape

While less formal styled bonsai trees suit most shapes of bonsai pot, including rectangular with rounded corners, oval, round, hexagonal, and such, formally shaped bonsai trees look best in angular, straight edged pots with sharp corners. For literati bonsai trees, many bonsai artists like to pot them in round bonsai pots, which can be simple and beautiful indeed. And as for multi-trunk or forest bonsai, the bonsai trees should be potted in large shallow bonsai pots or slabs of rock for the image of a natural landscape. Check this post – Bonsai Pots for Different Bonsai Styles – for more details.

It often takes quite some time to find the right bonsai pots for our trees. Be patient. This is part of the whole bonsai experience, and we should just enjoy the bonsai pot shopping as well.

Here are a few more articles on how to choose bonsai pots for our bonsai trees.
Bonsai Pot – Get the Right Size for Our Tree
Bonsai Pots for Different Bonsai Styles
Bonsai Pots of Different Materials
Bonsai Pots of Different Shapes and Sizes
Is Your Bonsai Tree Ready for a Bonsai Pot?
Choosing Your Bonsai Pots

Bonsai How To Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pot – Get the Right Size for Our Tree

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 29, 2010
2 Comments on Bonsai Pot – Get the Right Size for Our Tree

The size of the bonsai pot is very important for it can affect the overall presentation of the bonsai tree. Small bonsai trees can be potted in large bonsai pots to create a landscape image, and conversely, large bonsai trees can be effectively potted in smaller bonsai pots to appear more dominant and powerful.

If a bonsai tree is mistakenly potted in a bonsai pot too big, the tree may look weaker and less powerful than it potentially can be perceived. And if a bonsai tree is potted in a bonsai pot too small, the growth of the bonsai tree will be hindered, if not stopped. The roots of the bonsai tree will be bounded, leaving no space for the roots to grow and develop. This is especially bad for bonsai trees that are still in their growing period, when the bonsai trees need more branches and leaves for a fuller and more mature look and feel.

In addition, we need to consider how much room the root system of our particular bonsai tree will need. Special attention should be paid for cascade and semi-cascade bonsai trees. Besides for visual balance, these bonsai trees require deep pots with plenty of room for their roots to grow down and hold onto the potting soil for stability.

Some people suggest that the length of a bonsai pot should be approximately 2/3 the height of the bonsai tree, or if it is a wide spreading bonsai, then 2/3 the width of the bonsai tree. I won’t hold on to this as a strict rule, but only a guideline to help us at the beginning of our bonsai pot shopping. There are many exceptions to this 2/3-rule. For example, tall thin bonsai trees usually look better in smaller pot.

In addition, when selecting bonsai pot, we should never pick one that requires us to drastically trim the roots of the bonsai tree. If we do want to reduce the size of the bonsai pot or the roots of the bonsai tree, then we need to do this gradually, moving down a pot size at a time before eventually reaching the size we desire.

Here are a few more articles on how to choose bonsai pots for our bonsai trees.
What Bonsai Pots for What Bonsai Trees?
Bonsai Pots for Different Bonsai Styles
Bonsai Pots of Different Materials
Bonsai Pots of Different Shapes and Sizes
Is Your Bonsai Tree Ready for a Bonsai Pot?
Choosing Your Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pots Style

Bonsai Pots for Different Bonsai Styles

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 28, 2010
1 Comment on Bonsai Pots for Different Bonsai Styles

Here is a list of suggested bonsai pot shapes for different style of bonsai trees. These are not strict rules, but good guidelines when choosing a bonsai pot for our bonsai tree.

Bonsai Style – Formal Upright & Informal Upright Bonsai Pot Shape – Square, rectangle, oval, round


Bonsai Style – Slanting Bonsai Pot Shape – Square, rectangle, oval, round, hexagonal, octagonal


Bonsai Style – Semi-cascade Bonsai Pot Shape – Square, hexagonal, octagonal,deep square, deep hexagonal, deep octagonal


Bonsai Style – Cascade Bonsai Pot Shape – Square, hexagonal, octagonal,deep square, deep hexagonal, deep octagonal


Bonsai Style – Twin or Multi-Trunk Bonsai Pot Shape – Rectangle, oval, round


Bonsai Style – Group or Forest Bonsai Pot Shape – Shallow rectangle, shallow oval, shallow round

Here are a few more articles on how to choose bonsai pots for our bonsai trees.
What Bonsai Pots for What Bonsai Trees?
Bonsai Pot – Get the Right Size for Our Tree
Bonsai Pots of Different Materials
Bonsai Pots of Different Shapes and Sizes
Is Your Bonsai Tree Ready for a Bonsai Pot?
Choosing Your Bonsai Pots

Bonsai How To Featured Articles Wiring

Can Bonsai Wire Be Reused?

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 28, 2010
4 Comments on Can Bonsai Wire Be Reused?

As our bonsai trees grow, the branches slowly increase in size. Any wire on the branches of our bonsai trees can become tight, and as it does, mark the bark. In severe cases, the wires may have dug deep into the branches and cause permanent scars. While light markings will grow out in a year or two, heavy markings can be permanent. In order to avoid these ugly wire marks on our bonsai trees, we should check the wires wound on our bonsai trees regularly and remove them before they have a chance to dig into the bark.

While most of the bonsai websites I have visited so far say “no” to reusing bonsai wire and recommend that the wire be removed by cutting each turn with some wire cutters, I don’t hold my ground strongly against the reusing of bonsai wire. I unwind and reuse my bonsai wire, but I only do so when it is safe for my bonsai trees. This means that the wire must not have bitten into the bark, and the branch must be strong and healthy. In addition, it is much easier to unwind wires safely on thick branches than thin ones. Do not try to unwind the wire if the wire has already bitten deep into the branch. In this case, we should use our wire cutters.

Moreover, above suggestions only apply to aluminum bonsai wire. Do not bother to unwind copper wire as it is impossible to remove kinks from it once it is bent and becomes hard. Always remove copper wires with wire cutters.

Either we reuse our bonsai wire or not, checking the bonsai wires wound on our bonsai trees regularly is the best thing we can do for our trees. Like unwinding bonsai wire, using a wire cutter to remove bonsai wire can be dangerous too if the wire has dug very deep into the bark or if we are just not being careful enough.

Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pots of Different Shapes and Sizes

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 28, 2010
1 Comment on Bonsai Pots of Different Shapes and Sizes

Bonsai pots are available in many different shapes, sizes and colors to suit all styles and species of bonsai trees.

Bonsai Pot Size

If the bonsai pot is too small, the bonsai tree will look unbalanced, or even worse, your bonsai tree may be toppled easily. If the bonsai pot is too large, our bonsai tree will look small and insignificant.

Bonsai Pot Shape

There are bonsai pots of many shapes: square, rectangle, round, oval, long oval, octagonal, hexagonal, freehand shapes, shallow trays for forest bonsai, and tall pots for cascade style bonsai trees.

When we choose a bonsai pot for our bonsai tree, we should already have a good idea of the style of our bonsai tree. Is the bonsai tree gentle and flowing? Or is the bonsai tree thick and heavy? A black pine with a thick, strong trunk in the formal upright style would be best suited to a strong angular bonsai pot, such as a square or rectangle bonsai pot with the absolute minimum of decorations or fancy feet. Yet, on the other hand, a soft bonsai tree such as an azalea, would look best in a gentle curvy, glazed bonsai pot, with some fine engravings.

Here are a few more articles on how to choose bonsai pots for our bonsai trees.
What Bonsai Pots for What Bonsai Trees?
Bonsai Pot – Get the Right Size for Our Tree
Bonsai Pots for Different Bonsai Styles
Bonsai Pots of Different Materials
Is Your Bonsai Tree Ready for a Bonsai Pot?
Choosing Your Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pots of Different Materials

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 28, 2010
3 Comments on Bonsai Pots of Different Materials

Mica and Plastic Bonsai Pot

Mica bonsai pots are made of 80% mica, 15% polyethylene, and 5% graphite. Mica is a material with a natural ability to stabilize the temperature of the potting soil in the pot. This protects the roots of our bonsai trees from damages caused by cold temperature, as well as promotes healthy root activity during growing season. Because the polyethylene bonds the raw materials together and makes the bonsai pots tough and durable, the bonsai pots made of mica seldom break. And with 5% graphite, mica pots have the appearance of high quality unglazed ceramic pots.

Due to their lightweight and durable nature, bonsai pots made of both mica and plastic are great for bonsai training, as a step towards a smaller pot.

Clay Bonsai Pot

Clay bonsai pots are good for our bonsai trees because of their ability to retain temperatures and release moisture at a constant rate. Clay bonsai pot also allows oxygen to get to the roots of the bonsai tree which is vital for healthy growth.

Here is an article about Yixing zisha bonsai pot.

Porcelain Bonsai Pot

Porcelain pots are not used very often as they are usually fairly expensive. In addition, porcelain pot holds water as they are nonporous. Hence, bonsai artists pot their bonsai trees in porcelain pots more for show than for grow.

Here are a few more articles on how to choose bonsai pots for our bonsai trees.
What Bonsai Pots for What Bonsai Trees?
Bonsai Pot – Get the Right Size for Our Tree
Bonsai Pots for Different Bonsai Styles
Bonsai Pots of Different Shapes and Sizes
Is Your Bonsai Tree Ready for a Bonsai Pot?
Choosing Your Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pots

Bonsai Pot Drainage – A Must for All Bonsai Trees

Post author By Sandy
Post date March 28, 2010
No Comments on Bonsai Pot Drainage – A Must for All Bonsai Trees

No matter what type of bonsai pot we choose, we should make sure that our bonsai pots have adequate drainage holes. Bonsai pots made in China and Japan usually have large drainage holes, so that excess water can drain away. Cover each drainage hole inside the bonsai pot with a piece of plastic drainage mesh to prevent any soil falling through the holes.

Some bonsai pots may have small holes around the side of the base. There holes can be very handy sometimes. We can use these holes to tie the bonsai tree into the pot, or tie a branch of the bonsai tree to a downward position for training. I also use these holes on my bonsai pots to tie and secure the pots on my bonsai rack.

Pots and containers are often available from garden centers that are massively produced, yet not necessarily for bonsai. Usually these pots and containers only have one small drainage hole, or sometimes, none at all. Do not try to use a pot with only one drainage hole, as drainage hole is a major factor in growing healthy bonsai trees, and one small drainage hole is definitely not enough.

In addition, we should also check if the base of the bonsai pot is flat so to make sure there is no area where water can become trapped and cause root rot.