Tilting pots at an angle

[QuintinBonsai]

Why is this done to trees? Could it be to create a slant-ward growth in the trunk? Then it had me wondering, "maybe it is to provide some kind of unique movement to the trunk's next bend"? And if so, why not just plant the tree at an angle?

 

[nathanbs]

Your imagination is running wild with complicated ideas of who, what, when, where its solely for the purpose of drainage. By tilting the pot gravity will pull more water out of the pot. It's the whole wet sponge analogy that was given to me a couple weeks earlier. Leave a wet sponge flat on your counter and it will hold a certain capacity of water without leaking it all over the counter now stand it upright and watch how much water oozes down and out if the sponge. So a pot is tilted when you want a tree to stay less wet. Often times in places like Japan there is so much rain it's necessary for the health of the trees

 

[PaulH]

Also.
Sometimes a tree is styled or restyled at a new orientation. The pot is then angled to let the tree develop in its new position until it is ready to be re-potted.

 

[nathanbs]

Agreed, funny I didn't mention it as I have a tree set on angle for the reason Paul mentioned

 

[Dav4]

Along with improved drainage, tilted pots can bring the lowest, weaker branches on old, collected juniper stock upwards so they receive more light.

 

[QuintinBonsai]

Hmm, well I don't mean to sound ignorant, but tilting pots for drainage seems somewhat useless as water could pool in the corners of most bonsai pots. And seeing as most bonsai pots have sloped edges, is this even necessary? Do you any of you guys tilt your pots for the purpose of better drainage? For all other reasons listed by PaulH and Dav4, I can agree with that.

 

[Dav4]

Hmm, well I don't mean to sound ignorant, but tilting pots for drainage seems somewhat useless as water could pool in the corners of most bonsai pots. And seeing as most bonsai pots have sloped edges, is this even necessary? Do you any of you guys tilt your pots for the purpose of better drainage? For all other reasons listed by PaulH and Dav4, I can agree with that.

Do a search here for "perched water table". Also, go water your trees, wait for the water to stop flowing from the drainage holes, then tilt the pot. I know I was surprised at how much more water drained from the pot when I did this.

 

[davetree]

The spring is very wet here and we always tilt pots, especially pines, to keep them from getting too wet. Try it and see for yourself.