My personal like is a trunk less than an inch in most cases. Here is the question. I went to a nursery and bought a ficus green island. They have them in these smal almost yougurt size containers and the trunks get to 3/4". If I planted mine in a bonsai pot that is as deep as the pots they use will I get a similar result. The ficus is sprouting green all over the trunk...imean like 10+ new green sprounts. My pot is as deep but much larger since I wanted to do some things with the arial roots. Will the trunk thicken like these small containers or not likely. I'm expecting this to be a five ten year project. I placed one of my plats from a shallow bonsai pot in a small container and the trunk grew very quickly. But its bonsai pot was shallow so I'm not sure if the constraint of the small pot did it or the increased depth.
Thanks.[/quote]
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gbhunter77
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:54 am
- Location: Michigan
gbhunter77,
A yogurt container is what, about three or four inches deep? That's pretty deep as far as bonsai pots go. So I think the answer is yes, a pot that deep with room for the roots to spread horizontally should serve you well for a few years. If you are going to do this make sure you use a decent medium, potting soil is not really appropriate even though it may be potted in that type of material now.
The shallower the pot in relation to its volume the more important it is to use a coarse, free draining medium. Also, you will likely be leaving it undisturbed for a few years so a soil that won't 'collapse' or clog up over time is important.
One more thing, you did not give actual dimensions of the pot you have in mind but it is never wise to greatly over-pot. A large volume of soil that stays constantly wet can be a problem.
Norm
A yogurt container is what, about three or four inches deep? That's pretty deep as far as bonsai pots go. So I think the answer is yes, a pot that deep with room for the roots to spread horizontally should serve you well for a few years. If you are going to do this make sure you use a decent medium, potting soil is not really appropriate even though it may be potted in that type of material now.
The shallower the pot in relation to its volume the more important it is to use a coarse, free draining medium. Also, you will likely be leaving it undisturbed for a few years so a soil that won't 'collapse' or clog up over time is important.
One more thing, you did not give actual dimensions of the pot you have in mind but it is never wise to greatly over-pot. A large volume of soil that stays constantly wet can be a problem.
Norm
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gbhunter77
- Senior Member
- Posts: 184
- Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:54 am
- Location: Michigan
size. it is 7.5" x5.5"x2.75
The pot size is in the subject lol. The pot is the hight of the plant. The spread is just reaching the edges. It sucks I have to bring it in soon. Its doing so well. But in Michigan we alreade have 53 deg nights. If in one more year I'm not happy with whats going on I will move to a smaller pot. The roots of the plant fannes out over most of the pot edge to edge once raked out. For give the spellling and such as I'm typing this from a cell phone
Ok, I am confused. I think.
You want to grow aerial roots across the spread of the container but keep the trunk small, so you are asking if the container is big enough to allow it to fatten up, in which case you want to pot it down?
No matter how small a container I have my ficus in, it always fattens up. Rapidly. Especially if kept outside.
Wouldn't it make sense to start with a smaller trunk to begin with?
Excuse me if I got it all wrong
You want to grow aerial roots across the spread of the container but keep the trunk small, so you are asking if the container is big enough to allow it to fatten up, in which case you want to pot it down?
No matter how small a container I have my ficus in, it always fattens up. Rapidly. Especially if kept outside.
Wouldn't it make sense to start with a smaller trunk to begin with?
Excuse me if I got it all wrong