Pot Recommendation Ponderosa Pine

[Guy Smiley]

This year is the 20th anniversary of when I collected this tree. It has survived 5 moves to 3 different states. It has spent a lot of it time in different wooden grow boxes, planted in the ground, or in Mica training pots. It has never had a nice ceramic pot. Over the next year I would like to start looking for a nice pot and wanted to get recommendations on the appropriate size and shape of pot. I am leaning towards an oval shaped pot but wanted to get recommendations.

The tree has a 2” base 34” tall, 20” wide. The pot is currently 20”x14”x5”

 

[Potawatomi13]

Wait until tree actually in refinement before blowing money on pretty pot. Final style, foliage mass, planting angle, even trees survival that long not even known yet so would be a waste.

 

[Srt8madness]

Wait until tree actually in refinement before blowing money on pretty pot. Final style, foliage mass, planting angle, even trees survival that long not even known yet so would be a waste.

They've had it for 20 years...

 

[August44]

Hey Guy. I really like your tree and see great things happening to it down the road. I want to say something here but do not want to insult you along the way. I don't know where you are in regard to what you want the tree to look like finished. If what you have is great with you, then buy a pot that you like for it. If you are not satisfied with how it looks, then I would get next to someone that could help you with styling, needle reduction, wiring and the likes to get your tree in top shape. If you are someplace with no club and no hands-on help then I would recommend getting in touch with someone like Mach5, Sergio that is on this site and is very knowledgeable and very good at helping people like you and I that might not have bonsai people available to help them. He can do a zoom call with you and has other options also. He is under "MEMBERS"

MACH5​

Imperial Masterpiece · From Northern New Jersey
Joined May 1, 2011

 

[rockm]

To the point of a new pot--esthetically this tree could probably use a much smaller, less angular pot for its final home. A literati-ish drum pot (or something similar) would work better for the trunk's character and size. The tree currently has a top that is far too heavy visually for the trunk under it. To maximize the tree's potential you might want to think about reducing the foliage mass on the canopy to give it a lighter feeling. That can take some doing, a can reducing needle size and increasing backbudding. Ponderosa can be iffy on both, but there are ways to get that done.

There are more than a few folks who have the process down, If you do a search here, you can probably find some. Larry Jackel, the curator of the Denver Botanical Garden's bonsai collection, has been driving newer techniques. He's written a book on the species as bonsai. Ryan Neal also has some good things on Ponderosa at Mirai.

And stop by Mach 5's website. He's got awesome stuff

 

[PonderingSage:]

I would say that getting a tree in a pot right now, would help with refining and most likely needle reduction on a Ponderosa.(Although I’m not sure about your timing, my window for Pine seems to be closing).
Yeah, I agree with a more feminine pot like rockm mentioned, as that is not hulking Ponderosa that needs a formal rectangle.

 

[rockm]

I would say that getting a tree in a pot right now, would help with refining and most likely needle reduction on a Ponderosa.(Although I’m not sure about your timing, my window for Pine seems to be closing).
Yeah, I agree with a more feminine pot like rockm mentioned, as that is not hulking Ponderosa that needs a formal rectangle.

A drum pot or even a nanban (Which would be more in line for this tree's trunk) aren't really feminine as much as they are more stark, rugged and funky. Less angular and formal. Nanbans and drums do that trick, sometimes in combination. The pot below is one of Bryan Albright's ( a UK potter who makes very nice nanbans). This one is from this site, but similar can be found by other Western potters, as well as Japanese.

Something like this would work pretty well IMO:

 

[Guy Smiley]

Thank you for the suggestions. My feelings wont be hurt with if there are criticisms with the design. Despite having had this tree a long time I still have a lot to learn. MACH5's trees are very inspirational and I have read through many on his multi year development posts. I have a copy of Larry Jackel's book and have often turn to it as a reference.

I have added some notes to the photo to show the direction that I have been taking with the design. I have had it in growth mode the last few years and the needles are very long but could work on reducing the needle size or move in a different direction with the design. We are past the window for repotting this spring and I would not make any significant design changes until this fall. I feel like the most interesting part of this tree is in the center where the trunk folds back and forth and is still a little hard to see.