Well, I'm certainly not a dog that' bites the hand that feeds it, but I can communicate.
Having already mentioned the pot may be too big on my own account, the pot is the 1st pot.
It is indeed going to be down sized in the future.
I hope to find a pot that will house the roots without much pruning.
The roots will be worked out laterally in a comfort zone
not too deep, but certainly not shallow. Once I begin this task, hopefully, one of the pots
I have or buy here soon, will be a comfortable boot. I like boots.
As to wanting a pot the tree will call home for years to come, I certainly wish I knew right now
what size pot the roots need. I don't. Was hoping the one in the OP would work. It is tooled very nicely.
It's a very GOOD opinion,
I think Japonicus is seeing the tree's foliage and not the tree.
All the info in your post is very VERY good indeed
However I am not seeing either the tree nor the foliage when looking at pot dimensions. Style, yes, I am.
I am being kind to the roots (in my mind) for the 1st potting.
The roots are used to about a 12" depth, 10 for all practical purposes.
I'm planning on reducing that to near what Adairs edited image looks like
and 3-3.5" sounds safe to me for the 1st depth measurement of the outside of the pot.
Your feedback is necessary and appreciated. Please keep it coming, I treasure such great helps.
I can't get into theoretics they will be shot down.
Eh, what the heck, here goes,
I want 3/4-1" inch of growing out space around the circumference.
That's + 2" to the pots dimensions.
If the roots splay out 5" from the trunk after trimming the growth tips that's 10" + trunk.
Now I'm at, at least 12.5" (I.D.) if the trunk were only 1" and I leave 3/4" growth room.
That 3/4-1" space will also be the most hot area of the soil on exposed sides and for longer duration
than the soil elsewhere in the pot. Most 14" pots are 12" or less inside, so I will have a 14'er on hand
should this theory prove correct. If not, I move onto the next pot that does fit, maybe trim a little more roots.
Will find out in April or late August depending on vacation time.
I will clean underside of all branches after a good rebound post potting
but will not reduce so much, the foliage, save for some crowding (I know there's a lot but have to start somewhere)
and keep the foliage until the next growing season, after the tree has sufficiently rebounded.
I've kept the foliage on for this reason.
I can say I've lost more bonsai to drying out in shallow pots
than I have in deeper pots. Having adjusted the volume of soil, edging on the heavy side
I've lost one tree in the last 6 years to needle cast last year, and one collected spruce in a nursery can
for unknown reasons.
I do not have a display area, shade or wind break. I dare say many of my pots rest
on a porch that is 110ºF or higher much of the day throughout the Summer.
I am familiar with trying to keep a balance between what enthusiasts call deeper than necessary
but acceptable, and my own personal environment where my trees are kept.
Heavy pots also are more wind resistant. Adair mentioned to "tie" the pot down to a cinder block
but I can't have 20 cinder blocks about my porch to untie and move all my trees before a hail storm
or high wind advisory. One day, if I play my cards right, I will have a home where I can keep bonsai trees
better. I may or may not add a pergola to my porch. That would help immensely, but I need to re-reck it 1st.
The PT 2x4's I used for decking in '95 is Sun rotted. It's shot, several years going now.
