Round vs Oval

Grant Hamby

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(Squares/Rectangles will be excluded for simplicity)

When I first became interested in bonsai, I looked at a lot of photos. Because of the angle of the photos and my newbiness, I originally assumed the pots were round. I now know that most of the pots I saw were ovals.

I would think that with a perfectly radial nebari and full canopy, a round pot would be the first choice, but oval pots always seem to look amazing.

Are there any aesthetic or horticultural reasons that favor one or the other? I'd like to hear your thoughts.
 

sorce

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There is a good site on pots.
Everything you need to know.

But I forgot what it is.

Sorce
 

Grant Hamby

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I think I like oval pots in general because it helps clearly define the "front" of a tree. It also seems like most canopies don't extend outward toward the viewer very much, so with a round pot, there would be extra pot space extending beyond the canopy in the front.

Some trees seem to work perfectly in round pots, though. I've got a flat-top style BC in progress that will definitely be suited for a round pot. Weird literati-ish styles seem to work better in rounds as well.

Aesthetics. Interesting stuff.
 
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