It is important to select the right kind of pot for your shohin bonsai and mame bonsai. To give our mini bonsai tree the effect of miniaturization, we would need to get an equally small pot for our mini bonsai tree. However, the size of the bonsai pot is important only for shows and exhibitions. During the training period, it is totally acceptable to let the small trees grow in bigger containers. This will give our mini bonsai tree the time to regain strength. Potted in bigger containers, our bonsai trees have more space for root development, as well as more moist and fertilizer retain in the soil for better growth. Hence, it is definitely advisable to use oversized containers in the development stage for our shohin bonsai and mame bonsai.
Before a competition or bonsai exhibition, we can prepare our mini bonsai tree by repotting it from the big container into a smaller bonsai pot. The bonsai pot must have the dimension as specified by the organization of the bonsai exhibition or competition. In addition, we should repot our mini bonsai tree in spring, to secure the bonsai tree from suffering after repotting.
The choice of bonsai pot is often a matter of taste. We want to choose a bonsai pot that is in well balance with the mini bonsai tree. And while we should find a bonsai pot equally as small as our mini bonsai tree, another important feature we need to be aware of is drainage hole. Despite the small size of the bonsai pot, there should be a large drainage hole at the bottom of the bonsai pot.