Wood pots, Are they only valid for prebonsai? Your opinion

[Crazy Diamond]

Hi guys I have been interested in bonsai pots made of wood for a while now (I am totally inept in pottery). Normally, wooden pots are used in prebonsais, very rudimentary containers just funcional, but I think they also could have potential as pots for more developed trees, and if they are wood-treated for exterior well I suppose they can last for many years (also depends on the type of wood). Some of you guys have experience making wooden pots? or some advice, do you think it is a "valid" way to make pots? or just for prebonsai and not really developed trees

Also I think this technique of "encasting" the wood in epoxy could be interesting for making a long-lived wood pot

 

[atlarsenal]

I have only done grow boxes out of pine.

This one only stayed in the box for 2 years and it was showing signs of being done. I think 3, maybe 4 years tops would be the life span of white pine.

I am about to try something like this out of cypress.

I’ll post pics and follow up with results in this thread.

 

[Cruiser]

That pine looks pretty good in that pot.
An organism residing in the bones of its brethren.
Trees growing within “wooden containers” can be found in nature. Many trees and plants out here grow in/on old stumps and decaying logs (nurse logs).

 

[penumbra]

A pot does not need validation. It could be made of cow dung but if it serves its purpose, its still a pot.
Of course I understand what you mean, but unless you are exhibiting with guidelines, the pot is up to you. There are some beautiful wood pots and some hideous ceramic pots. Once you cross the threshold of what defines a pot, it is in the I of the eye of the beholder.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I am about to try something like this out of cypress.

I’ll post pics and follow up with results in this thread.

I will love to see it!!

That pine looks pretty good in that pot.
An organism residing in the bones of its brethren.
Trees growing within “wooden containers” can be found in nature. Many trees and plants out here grow in/on old stumps and decaying logs (nurse logs).

Yeah! in the pacific northwest are amazing examples. I wonder if a nice root stump could became a pot, or those root carving stands

 

[Fort Maple]

Long time reader 1st time posting. I have been making wood pots for my trees and am yet to have one fail after 5 years. I had a monster elm fall on my deck during derecho, lost a ton of clay pots but not a single wood pot. Pics of a few.

 

[atlarsenal]

Here is the pine prototype minus some copper banding. This one is 15.5" x 10.5" inside at the top. The cypress one is going to be considerably bigger. I wanted to check that I liked my angles with this one. I may end up trying this one later with some kind of waterproof coating.

 

[atlarsenal]

Long time reader 1st time posting. I have been making wood pots for my trees and am yet to have one fail after 5 years. I had a monster elm fall on my deck during derecho, lost a ton of clay pots but not a single wood pot. Pics of a few.

Those are sweet!!!

 

[Fort Maple]

Here is the pine prototype minus some copper banding. This one is 15.5" x 10.5" inside at the top. The cypress one is going to be considerably bigger. I wanted to check that I liked my angles with this one. I may end up trying this one later with some kind of waterproof coating.
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Nice looking pots One thing i will say when using multiple pieces of wood for a pot...wood glue is your friend and i would definitely seal them. Poly works great but epoxy is better

 

[penumbra]

Long time reader 1st time posting. I have been making wood pots for my trees and am yet to have one fail after 5 years. I had a monster elm fall on my deck during derecho, lost a ton of clay pots but not a single wood pot. Pics of a few.

If you can find the time, you could be selling those here. They are exquisite.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Another thing a bit off-topic, you guys know the fractal wood burning I discovered the other day and its freaking cool, a wood pot with that also could be nice

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Love it! Two concerns though are the weights of wood pots. In training wood boxes are generally large. Mine are at least 2' x 3' x 4" and the soil inside makes for some serious weight. In bonsai pot size it may be too top heavy. The other thing is about the chemicals in the finishes. I would love to have certainty that it was safe for trees and then I would love to use it on grow boxes.

 

[thomas22]

I made a wood pot just a few months ago. I decided to make one because x-large pots are hard to find and expensive. I had some extra IPE lumber from a job so it just cost me 2 days of labor.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Wow looks really nice Thomas!! I like the style, what treatment or stain you gave to the wood?

 

[Carol 83]

It turned out really well.

 

[thomas22]

Wow looks really nice Thomas!! I like the style, what treatment or stain you gave to the wood?

Thanks, I think the stain was called "Penofin for hardwood".

I consider this a nice training pot and not really a finish pot but better to look at this for the next 3-4 years than just a 2x10 box.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Validation of a pot. A pot is what completes a bonsai. If an artists believes this is the best pot to pair the tree then that should be enough. Bonsai is a constantly evolving art. I'm sure there were nay sayers when concrete was introduced or when organic form pots were. I am not the one to say It can't or shouldn't be done. Maybe wooden pots are the next new thing. Maybe we can see super elaborately carved pots, stained, painted, and decorated.

 

[sorce]

Though I like them, I don't think you can escape the symbolism that is a clay pot. Earth.

If you leave a clay pot and tree on the ground, it can be dug in a million years with the foreverness that is this transformed earth. Ceramic.

I'm afraid it is this future we can't see for ourselves, that is the depth of the symbolism.

Sorce

 

[19Mateo83]

I made a wood pot just a few months ago. I decided to make one because x-large pots are hard to find and expensive. I had some extra IPE lumber from a job so it just cost me 2 days of labor.



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That ipe will outlast you nice looking pot too!

 

[rockm]

That ipe will outlast you nice looking pot too!

So will a good ceramic pot...Nakawatari and Kowatari pots in Japan have outlived three or four generations of owners.

To be honest--wood pots can be nice--for a while-- if you're not going to enter the tree in an exhibition...

Wood pots are temporary (sorry, but they are) and send a different "message" to people looking at your tree. They don't offer the "permanence" of a ceramic pot for a composition. The permanance thing is a subtle part of bonsai. It underlies every tree.

Ceramic doesn't give in to the elements like wood-- wood will rot, might take a while, but it will, particularly the interior exposed to constant moisture. Additionally, wood pots will not retain, much less increase, their value over time.