Select a Pot for Alaskan Yellow Cedar

[Djtommy]

#5

 

[River's Edge]

First I like #1. Love the simplicity and the roundness. Also like #10. All your pots are nice.

Thanks, as the tree evolves towards a more refined image and the deadwood is cleaned and the bark buffed i think the overall size and color will vary from the current picture. The pots are mostly part of a group i brought back from Japan a few years ago, except for two from known North American artists.

 

[River's Edge]

#9

I like the elegant simplicity of this pot as well, I feel the colour will be the closest enhancement of the natural bark when it is prepared properly for display. Handmade pot acquired at Taiken 10 in 2015.

 

[River's Edge]

#5

The Sarah Raynor pot is almost perfect if the bark and deadwood were to be left in the natural rough state! Color and style is unconventional but complements the tree very closely! Less formal perhaps for regular use after refinement and between times for fancier display. Also has the added advantage of better depth for long term health of the tree.
I find this a great feature of Sarah Raynor pots, suited for Bonsai health in typical proportions.

 

[River's Edge]

Well three and a half years later I was able to reduce and improve the root ball for an upgrade in the pot for this tree! It took several hours today for the final positioning. Several stronger key roots required some adjusting to fit the contours of this round pot by Sarah Rayner. The color matches the live vein perfectly when polished. I like the shape and size for this design and amount and shape of deadwood. The texture to the pot evokes a more natural setting but does not comp[ete with the tree. Pot size is 10 1/2 inch diameter at rim with 7 1/2 inch diameter in the bottom inside. Depth overall inside is 3 1/4 inches, matching closely the trunk width in the frontal view. The pot rests on a thin cedar slab.
At this point in time the apex is 14 1/2 inches above the rim and the tree is roughly the same width. It varies with the deadwood shape. This pot was one of the most favoured options, with the biggest drawback being the difficulty of adjusting the root ball to make it work. That was solved by two progressive repotting sessions. Some further compaction each time with time between for strengthening and new additional feeder roots to develop.
Once the tree has recovered from repotting, I will continue to clean and work with the deadwood and rewire, prune and rewire the foliage. At this point the structural wiring is finished and only detail wiring is used with the new foliage after pruning. Basically #20 and #22 gauge copper at this stage.
The tree is still in winter color with the brownish tinge to the tips. Within the next few weeks that will turn darker green and lighter green with new growth at the tips.

 

[penumbra]

Oh Wow!
I'm not the biggest fan of a lot of deadwood, but I may an exception here. What a marvelous tree. It must fill you with pride.
Just Wow!

 

[River's Edge]

Oh Wow!
I'm not the biggest fan of a lot of deadwood, but I may an exception here. What a marvelous tree. It must fill you with pride.
Just Wow!

It has grown on me for sure. One of those examples where you start out with an idea and question yourself often along the way. Then one day you begin to think it might come together. This one was special because it was not expected to make it after collection with barely any healthy feeder roots on the ends of thicker tap roots and very little foliage. The first three or four years after I acquired it were spent trying to improve the health and create a root ball by folding in the tap roots and often wiring them to compact the actual roots until they could be cut back gradually! Collected trees often have interesting challenges. This was one of those.
I am pleased with the progress and feel it will only improve with age and additional work to further reduce the foliage and work with the deadwood.

 

[penumbra]

As fantastic as it is, it is plain to see it has a brighter future still. I hope to be around in 10 years to see where it is. And I hope you will do annual updates so we can share the journey.
Did I say Wow!

 

[River's Edge]

As fantastic as it is, it is plain to see it has a brighter future still. I hope to be around in 10 years to see where it is. And I hope you will do annual updates so we can share the journey.
Did I say Wow!

I am on the lookout for another this spring when collecting. Will tend towards a larger specimen to make the foliage management an easier task. Another advantage will be the wiring and branch positioning! Smaller older branches are very difficult to bend and position in this species!