storing unused pots

[Eric Group]

Until a person has some trees that have been cared for over a hundred years, and have that "lived in a container for decades" character, I really think pots with heavy patina are a distracting/out of character element to the overall appreciation of a tree.

Since I don't have any of the described trees, I save my efforts to develop patina for stones and keep all unused pots in the garage or house.

Personally, I believe there is a huge amount of marketing surrounding the whole pot patina thing right now! There are a few what appear to be very nice pots being sold but a whole bevy of folks selling dirty old pots from the back of some nursery or warehouse in Japan for a premium $s here in the US.

The same with imported trees, right? We get the "dirty YOUNG" crap from the back of the bench in Japan and pay a premium for it! LOL

I will be honest, until pretty recently I thought "patina" was the hard water stains pots get after being used off a while! I was like why the Hell does someone want that on their pots???

I do understand better now what people mean- the "dulling" of the glazes, the bleached corners and edges that catch the most sun and work that wear the glaze thin... The "wind sanding" Grimmy referred to... But... I don't necessarily see the need for it on my pots. I like good clean, tight lines... I enjoy a well done drippy glaze that looks like a tie-died oil slick of colors... I like them new and old I guess. A well done pot is a well done pot. It may get an older look with age, but the shape doesn't change, the design doesn't change, the colors might dull a bit but they stay the same color... So patina has limited value in my appreciation of a good pot. As John says above- perhaps if a I was working on 300 year old masterpiece trees, I would put more value on having a pot that LOOKS 300 years old. Til that day comes, I am just going to buy the ones I like and hopefully by the time patina has value to me, my pots will have developed their own through holding my trees over the years as they grow and develop!

 

[petegreg]

I don't have too expensive pots. The top is by Yixing. I try to keep them still in use. That's why some of my trees receive a pot maybe too early. And maybe one size bigger. But I do it for myself, consider them to be training pots. Only want to have it nice looking...

 

[Anthony]

Dick,

Khaimraj is trying to help you over on IBC.

The concept of the patina is really from Scholar wares and the tea pots of the 1700's down.
It deals more with the linoleic oil in tea and how it affects the teapot which is usually drunk from
and held frequently.
I will ask him if has the time to write more on the subject.

The original pots for trees back in China and Japan were colourful images and not the plain pots
of stoneware today.
In fact you are often looking at Ancestor Pots, used with sand and incense, taken and skilfully altered
for Bonsai pot use.
In fact glazes once stable cannot really age, nor can stoneware.

The pearskin look of Yi Xing is an advanced version of the Greek Terra Sigillata, a finely cleaned slip
that melts into the body with resisting chips of a different colour showing through at temperatures of
1260 to 1280 deg.C

Moss or other growing on stoneware/glazed ware has to be bonded on.
Probably a drying oil being secretly applied, and peddled for $$$$.

The idea behind buying a pot, is you have a tree in mind. No one would happily purchase a glaring white
glaze or import blue for a tree.
Ask Khaimraj to see his fungus on yucky medium purple pot for his Sageretia theesans [ for Seth ] attempt.

Additionally, before the change to stoneware, pots were earthenware, as job variety was limited and
no minimum wage was present. So you could buy pots for nothing repeatedly.
Why bother about winter and earthenware, if for pennies you could replace.

Additionally, as loam goes clayey [ as soil goes ] porous earthenware wicks away the water.
Keeps the plant healthy.

Plus note all the information in the early books on winter protection.
Stoneware is 3 to 5 % porous, Earthenware 8% to .................... totally porous.
Porcelain is less than 3%.

Good Day
Anthony

Please note - it is illegal to remove anything over 100 years from China.
Carries an arrest and most likely hand chopping off [ see the guy who did the melamine bit in China ]

 

[dick benbow]

it's interesting to read the comments that seem to go all over the board, from thinking it's just another marketing ploy to creation of age with chemical assist. LOL

I find it interesting to note that many nurseries in Japan that prepare clients trees for major shows, RENT out old pots as part of the process. Kinda falls in line with the concept mentioned earlier of taking advantage monetarily....

 

[Potawatomi13]

Would just as soon have nice new pot with no chips or added mark up. Stored outdoors with trees in or indoors when not used. Currently have box of pots cannot find!