Caring for Bonsai Trees: When to Change Pots

It was coming into spring and I thought it would be a good opportunity to brighten up things around home. I had seen some of the pots available for bonsai and I thought it would be good to update the plastic pot my bonsai was in. The plastic pot was a bit dull looking and I wanted to display what I had learnt about caring for bonsai trees by getting a brighter pot. 

I wanted to choose a pot that would complement my tree as the pot is considered as much part of the art form as the tree itself. I had read that the tree contributes to one half of the composition; the pot completes the image.  

Although I wanted the colour and texture of a pot to match a characteristic of the tree, I was to find out that choosing the style or look of the pot is not that important in the early stages of caring for bonsai trees when you are simply focusing on keeping it healthy and miniature. 

As we know, bonsai trees are grown in small pots or trays so as to bind the roots and keep the tree small. I found out the plastic pot that my tree came in is also referred to as a “humidity tray”.  When the plant is watered the plastic pot retains the water to create humidity around the plant. They are usually made of plastic or wood and are sometimes called “training pots”. 

A training pot is all that is required in the initial stages of caring for bonsai trees, while you focus on establishing a stable root system, letting the trunk develop some thickness and giving the branches some direction. The root system is the foundation of the tree and until it is established properly there will only be a branch on a trunk. 

If you buy an already-potted bonsai it is likely that it can stay in the same pot for a few years. It is likely that you will be repotting your new tree only if there are any issues with the soil quality. 

When caring for bonsai your tree will benefit from being repotted every three to five years. In the meantime you will need to remove the tree from the pot every year to inspect the root system. If the roots form a ball around the edge of the pot, it’s time to prune or trim the roots and repot the tree. 

We do have to consider whether the pot is stable enough for the tree. If the pot is too small, it will be easily knocked over. It could also make the tree ‘pot bound’ too quickly by not giving the root system room to grow. So at this time I can only continue to dream about the future pot for my bonsai and my focus will be on getting growth and development for my tree. 

When I become competent at caring for bonsai and have kept it healthy and miniature then such things as shape, colour, texture and size of the pot will become much more important in order to complement the beauty I have achieved with my bonsai tree. 

About the Author:
Christine McKinnon. To ensure that you don’t get fooled into doing the wrong thing when caring for bonsai trees, have a look at Bonsai Tree Basics.

Additional Bonsai Resources: 

Bonsai Gardening Secrets.
Discover Over 95 Pages Of Insider Secrets To Creating Stunning Bonsai Trees. 

Bonsai Care Secrets.
Learn The Tips And Secrets On Caring For Your Bonsai. Over 50 Color Photos! 

The Complete Beginners Guide To Bonsai.
By Reading And Applying The Tips And Techniques Covered In This Guide
You Will Go From Complete Bonsai Beginner To Advanced Grower Within A Few Weeks.

Beautiful Bonsai Secrets.
Step-By-Step Guide That Tells You Everything You Need To Know About
Identifying, Finding, Cultivating, Protecting And Maintaining Beautiful Bonsai Trees! 

Bonsai Mastery Secrets.
Learn Secrets About Bonsai Care That Most People Will Never Know About Bonsai.