Annual Picnic and Member Sale

Transcription

1 Columbus Bonsai Society PO Box 1981 Columbus, OH Questions to: Regular Club meetings on 3 rd Sunday of the month Meetings Start at 2:00 pm All are welcome to attend CBS Board meets 1 st Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm Annual Picnic and Member Sale SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR 9/21/14 OAKLAND NURSERY 1:45 PM SOCIAL TIME 2:00 PM FOOD AND BUSINESS APPROX 2:30 PM IRON BONSAI

2 September 2014 Newsletter President Mike Thornhill Tree Curator Rick Wilson Director Emeritus José Cueto 1 st Vice President Ken Schultz 2 nd Vice President Denny Sackett 1 year Director Ben William 2 year Director Jack Smith 3 year Director Mark Passerrello Past President Zack Clayton Treasurer Richard Gurevitz Secretary Sandy Schoenfeld Librarian Beverlee Wilson Web Master Ed McCracken Newsletter Editor Richard Uhrick Education Tom Holcomb Mark Passerrello A Pinch of this. Bonsai=Perseverance Rich Uhrick See you on the 21st at Oakland Nursery Inside this issue: Program Info 3 RABBIT HOLE 4 BARBERRY 6 PETER ADAMS TRIPTYCH FICUS DEFOLIATION THE SCHOLAR TREE Calendar of Events 14 Columbus Bonsai Society PO Box 1981 Columbus OH ColumbusBonsai@hotmail.com Columbus Bonsai is a proud member of the American Bonsai Society and Bonsai Clubs International.

3 3 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER 2014 This Month s Program SEPTEMBER 21 THE ANNUAL PICNIC AND MEMBER SALE OAKLAND NURSERY T he Columbus Bonsai Society has hosted an annual picnic for well over 25 years. In the past the picnic was hosted in a member s yard and provided an opportunity for those who attended to see someone else s bonsai collection. But as the club grew the venue changed, however, the member sale is still a featured portion of the picnic. All members are invited to bring bonsai related items to sell to other club members. This event has always sparked interest and good participation. Another reoccurring activity is the Iron Bonsai competition. The club provides three plants that need styling. Members volunteer to style them within a limited time frame and the spectators judge by applause which tree looks most bonsai like. The plants are sold at the end of the competition. And of course there s the food. Members are asked to bring a dish to share. Oakland does have a gas grill for those who wish to BBQ. If your last name begins with A through G bring a salad or appetizer. If your last name begins with H- N bring a side and if your last name begins with O U bring a desert. V-Z bring something to drink. All who attend should plan their own entrée hopefully with a bit extra to share with a few others, we realize entrée s are expensive and therefore bringing enough for all to share is no longer possible as it was in the early days of the club. For a nostalgic moment, ask one of the old-timers about the dog award competition. The Columbus Bonsai Society receives meeting space and other support and assistance from Franklin Park Conservatory and Oakland Nurseries UPCOMING PROGRAMS: DISCLAIMER The Columbus Bonsai Society Newsletter, is the intellectual property of the Columbus Bonsai Society. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without permission in writing from the Editor. Rich Uhrick, Editor Uhrick.richard@gmail.com SEE PAGE 14 FOR MORE DATES AND LISTINGS

4 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER 2014 AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT. THE RABBIT HOLE H ello, and welcome to the September version of your club newsletter. This message will seem rambling at times, so please bear with me. It is good to be back at my keyboard typing following a 12-week hiatus following hand surgery. I m not quite 100% yet, but at least I am back to working on my trees now. All things considered, most of my trees managed just fine with the intensive neglect they received. Most unusual in my back yard this summer was the weather or rather the variation in the weather. August brought high temperatures in the 90 s and a low temperature in my outside the metro area backyard of 43 degrees. Despite these extremes, my trees thrived this summer, perhaps because I was home to water every day. This summer also brought the news that two long serving board members will be leaving the club for greener pastures. Vice President Ken Schultz will be leaving us soon for the warmth of Tennessee, let the zone envy begin. Ken s departure will leave a pair of very large sandals to fill. Also, webmaster Ed McCracken will be leaving us for the beautiful river views in Cincinnati. Ed s technical expertise has been invaluable to the club for years. The departure of these two talented board members creates an opportunity for other club members who have a desire to contribute to their club. Elections for club officers are quickly approaching, now is the time for club members who want to contribute to stand and be counted. The only way the Society continues to function is through the hard work and contributions of the members. This month s meeting brings us the annual picnic at Oakland Park Nursery. This is one of my favorite meetings of the year. I enjoy the opportunity to socialize with other club members and sharing in the wonderful food everyone brings. This meeting also brings us the opportunity to buy, sell, and trade bonsai and bonsai related items. That is all I have for now, I m sure that the newsletter will go into more depth on some of the topics I touched on. I hope that everyone has a chance to come to this month s meeting. I look forward to sampling the wonderful foods and socializing with old friends. Mike

5 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER 2014 HOW DO I CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER? HERE S HOW: BOARD MEMBER CONTACT LIST President Mike Thornhill cfdmike@aol.com Director Emeritus José Cueto jrcueto@hotmail.com 1 st Vice President Ken Schultz kasceppsm@aol.com 2 nd Vice President Denny Sackett sackeka@wowway.com 1 year Director Ben William 2 year Director Jack Smith bensonkwilliam@gmail.com jsmith4753@aol.com 3 year Director Mark Passerrello mpasserrello@rocketmail.com Secretary Sandy Schoenfeld columbusbonsai@hotmail.com Librarian Beverlee Wilson Beverlee.wilson@cardinalhealth.com Web Master Ed McCracken ed@edro13.com Newsletter Editor Richard Uhrick ruhrick@otterbein.edu Education Tom Holcomb tholcomb@columbus.rr.com Mark Passerrello mpasserrello@rocketmail.com Tree Curator Rick Wilson rickwilson134@gmail.com Past President Zack Clayton zclayton@yahoo.com Treasurer Richard Gurevitz rgurevitz@aol.com FROM THE CBS CARE GUIDE USDA Hardiness Zones 5-6 (5 Northern Ohio, 6 Southern Ohio) September - Early Autumn - 77/54 This is an ideal time to start root over rock plantings and other root development projects. The tree is starting to concentrate growth in the roots and use less energy on the foliage. Lower the nitrogen content of your fertilizer this month. Switch to a fertilizer. The lack of nitrogen slows foliar growth, which will force the branches to toughen up to deal with winter's wrath. This is the second best time for repotting. Once the leaves turn color, the tree is dormant. You may transplant deciduous after this. This is better done in the beginning of the month. This is a good time to collect wild trees. Bring tropicals back indoors towards the end of the month, or when temperatures consistently drop below 50 F at night. Spray your tropicals with pesticide before you bring them indoors. This may take multiple applications over a few weeks. Watch out for fall pests. Squirrels are especially harmful, as they are digging and foraging for winter.

6 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER 2014 Tree of the Month: Barberry- Berberis thunbergii T here are over 450 species of barberry found all over the world. They typically grow as a shrub with sharp thorns from zone 4 to 8. They have small leaves, craggy bark and small flowers making them an ideal candidate for bonsai. My first experience with barberry was in 1978 when I planted twenty of the Crimson Pygmy cultivar along my driveway. Twenty years later they were still about 18 tall with a light annual trimming that made them very dense. In nature they reach 3 in height. After they leaf out in the spring they have numerous clusters of tiny yellow flowers, which turn into small berries by late summer. Many of the berries hang on into winter after the plants shed their leaves. These are all great features for a deciduous bonsai. I now have three barberry in my collection; two are Crimson Pygmy and the other is Golden Pygmy. Its leaves are even smaller. If you re lucky there may be a great specimen planted in your yard. Mike gave me my third barberry earlier this year salvaged from a barberry hedge that someone decided to replace. Crimson Pygmy s leaves are dark maroon in full sun. New leaves are redder when they first emerge. As bonsai they can be grown in full sun or partial shade. Finding a suitable plant to use as bonsai may be a challenge since they are naturally a shrub with multiple stems. However, eliminating extra trunks should eventually result in a interesting trunk or trunks. Sometimes it s a matter of looking low enough. Nursery stock is usually started from a single twig cutting, so look near the soil level. One unfortunate trait is twig dieback when temperatures are below 20, like this past winter, so some protection is needed. I mulch the pots in and because they are smaller, they are protected by my larger bonsai. The wood becomes brittle after it lignifies so wiring is not practical to move the branches. Clip and grow is the recommended technique. Also deadwood rots quickly so jin and shari are not featured on barberry bonsai. I fertilize every 10 days with half strength This results in constant growth that need pruning to maintain the tree s shape. Pruning is recommended after flowering. Repot your tree in your standard mix every other year. As a side note, they grow in rocky soil in nature. So extra grit or Haydite won t hurt. The roots have a yellow color to them and grow fairly dense. The books mention that aphids and powdery mildew may be a problem, but I haven t had any problems with my standard Orchard Spray treatment regime. I suspect that their thorns keep them from being a more popular choice for bonsai. Ken Schultz

7 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER 2014 October 19, Presenting Pines are Easy (as Bonsai) Julian R. Adams Many of us are confused by the care needed to create Specimen Pine Bonsai. During our regular meeting time Julian Adams will present Pines are Easy (as Bonsai). Julian has been practicing the art of bonsai since 1970 and has been the proprietor of Adams Bonsa in Lynchburg since Julian founded the Central Virginia Bonsai Society in Julian studied under Valavanis, Oshima, Sasaki, Billet, Peter Adams, Keith Scott, Kathy Shaner, Kimura, Yamagi, and others In the morning, eight lucky participants will have the opportunity to sign up to participate in a 2 -needle pine workshop conducted by Julian Adams. The workshop fee will be $25, plus the cost of the tree. (More on this later.) At our August meeting, Ken Schultz will have a sign up sheet for those who wish to take the workshop. Removing old Azalea blooms from delivery at these events. As scheduling permits, Julian is available for lectures, demonstrations, and workshops. Phone and messages are normally returned promptly. Visitors are welcome by appointment. From ADAMS' BONSAI is a hobby gone berserk. Julian R. Adams, proprietor of Adams' Bonsai, has been active in bonsai since receiving a gift bonsai in Beyond improving his own bonsai skills, Julian's primary interest is to make bonsai plants and supplies conveniently available to bonsai enthusiasts and to spread the word about this great art form. Adams' Bonsai was formed in 1984 to facilitate this interest. Julian writes extensively about bonsai via articles for English language bonsai publications and the Central Virginia Bonsai Society newsletter. In addition to shipped items, he offers bonsai plants, wire, and supplies for sale at periodic bonsai gatherings. Call to arrange for Call for Program Ideas Franklin Park has asked us to reserve our dates for That s the Board s sign to begin planning our meetings for next year. To serve our members we try to give you what you ask for. So what will it be in 2015? Some of this year s meetings were well attended, some were not. The Show looked fabulous, but I always wonder why more people don t show their trees. Which artists shall we invite? What shall we have them do? Please send your ideas to columbusbonsai@hotmail.org We welcome your input. Deadline is 10/5/14.

8 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER BOOK OF THE MONTH: Review For Three Peter D. Adams ' Books With An Introduction. PETER ADAMS ( ) P eter D. Adams was one of two British citizens to add greatly to the state of knowledge in the English speaking Bonsai world of the 1960's-80's. The other being Peter Chang. Adams was born in Porthsmouth, England. He graduated from the Farnham School of Art and did his post graduate degree at the Royal Academy in London finishing in Adams was an accomplish painter. His classic training in art design dovetails into his interest in Bonsai, many of us can relate as his passion for bonsai developed into his life career. Adams first book on Bonsai was published in 1978 named "Successful Bonsai Growing". This was followed by "The Art of Bonsai" in Since then he authored many more specific books on Bonsai. Look him up on Amazon.com. What is also interesting with Adams is later in his life he immigrates from England to coast of the state of Washington here in the United State of America (Sequim to be exact). This move changes his perspective on Bonsai since in moving he had to give up his collection of mature trees. So he is once again grappling with young plants and has more in common with those beginning the art. Below are three books in the Columbus Bonsai Society library that had not been reviewed previously. "The Art of Bonsai" This work was first published in The edition we (CBS library) have is in paperback and from the 2nd edition in This is a classic work to be enjoyed by both beginners and those more advanced. As in all Adams Bonsai books you have his classic drawings clearly showing design that support the most beautiful PETER ADAMS THEN (ABOVE) AND MANY YEARS LATER (LEFT) photographs. Being the 1992 edition you have many updates from the 1981 edition. Please note on between pages is a series of photographs demonstrating the making of fiber glass construction for rock slab Bonsai (color plates 49-60, plates are from earlier time). This fiber glass construction was created at the 1987 International Bonsai Congress Convention in Minneapolis, MN. This book's horticultural knowledge is based on England where winters are milder than Ohio. The section on Scots Pine is greatly detailed and reveals much of about Bonsai techniques. "Bonsai Design: Deciduous and Coniferous Trees" This was published in 1990 and again is a great book for the drawings demonstrating bonsai techniques but mostly (Continued on page 9)

9 (Continued from page 8) COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER more beginner level. Great photographs as usual. On page 74, is another fiber glass rock slab and its planting on the opposing page with a juniper forest. The Art of Flowering Bonsai" This was published in Again the photographs and drawings are great. Of interest is Adams clear demonstration of a technique to fatten up a tree. Page 39 in this book has a graphic of a Bonsai in a container buried into the ground. If you just looked at the drawing, you would assume the specimen was being protected for winter. But actually, this addresses soil temperature issues for the plant in the summer. Woody plants on the average grow faster and healthier if the soil temperature is lower than air temperature like a plant in the ground in nature. On page 50, is a technique for creating a trunk hollow that does not look contrived. Also looking at this book of flowering Bonsai reminds me of the origins of Bonsai. In the Sung dynasty in China, supposedly Bonsai developed out of the need during the Lunar New Years for flowering plants as well as evergreens. The forced flowering plant in the winter months evolved into the aesthetic of a plant that looked like a tree in miniature. Before then they used branches forced to bloom such as cherry, quince, and apricot. In Japan, the Lunar New Year's celebrations still put emphasis in forcing flowering bonsai to bloom during this time period. Again, this is a book we should be checking out of the Columbus Bonsai Society library. Athanasios Thomas Stama Bonsai Demystified C BS members Tom Holcomb, Dan Binder and I had the privilege and pleasure to be the teaching for Franklin Park Conservatory's series of beginners classes last month. The Conservatory had a great title for their classes-bonsai Demystified-and as teachers I hope we pruned away some of the confusing parts of the hobby and gave some useful information. Total enrollment was a whopping 18 students. Are people interested in bonsai? I'd say the answer is a big yes when they commit to three class sessions on consecutive Saturday mornings. In fact two students, who could not make one of the sessions sent along a 'substitute' student (their spouse) to take notes and absorb the knowledge. Students seemed to appreciate the more leisurely and in depth approach that having three class sessions afforded. Topics such as choosing plant stock, design fundamentals and basic care and maintenance drew plenty of questions from the student body, and where the starting point for some interesting discussion. Dan lead a tour of both the outdoor and indoor collections, and the first session was actually held on the lawn under the shade of a venerable oak tree. High point of the class was the creation of a bonsai using stock grown from a Ficus philpinesis in the FPC collection. Some great looking bonsai were the result. As part of their tuition, all students in the class are members of CBS through Please extend a hearty welcome as you meet them at club meetings and functions. Conservatory management was very impressed with the level of interest this class generated, so if you hear of anyone who did not get to participate, never fear-there will be a Bonsai Demystified 2015 Edition. Mark Passerrello

10 FICUS DEFOLIATION COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER E very bonsai hobbyist who has tropical bonsai is likely to have a Ficus or several. They are one of the trees recommended for both the beginner and the advanced hobbyist, that and Schefflera. Early this year Mike Thornhill and I visited Ben William who has a good number of Ficus. One of Ben s dogs had chewed off the tips of a Ficus and it was responding by back budding in many places. Later in June we has Adam Lavigne as our guest artist. Those of you who took his Ficus workshop were worried when we removed nearly all the foliage on the Ficus as we worked on them. Mine had darn few leaves left. By late July it had recovered nicely and has a good number of leaves. Today, September 12, I went to Ed McCracken s house; his Ficus and Schefflera all had nice thick foliage. He told me that he defoliates them every August. On September 12, Zack Clayton was the docent at Franklin Park Conservatory. He told me that one of the trees he had worked on was a Ficus, which he had defoliated. He told me he usually tries to defoliate them earlier in the year, but he didn t think this was too late. He said sometimes he defoliates them more than once a year. But here in the north you may be limited to once a year since you should wait six months to allow the tree to fully recover. Defoliation is best done when the tree is actively growing. Prior to defoliation the tree should be well fed and healthy. So why did they defoliate? First it causes the tree s leaves to be reduced in size and the new leaves look fresh and spring like. It opens up the tree to the sun and causes those latent buds to sprout, improving ramification. Without defoliation or cutting back the growth tips; a thing that I do whenever the canopy starts to look out of shape, your tree will take on a pom-pom like appearance with leaves only at the tips of its branches. The smaller leaves produced by defoliation also lets you use a tree as a smaller sized bonsai since the leaves will be proportionally smaller and look in scale. Jerry Meislik says that he allows his mature trees to grow unchecked for the best health, but that at least once a year wiring and trimming are needed to keep the new growth looking tidy. He recommends trimming the canopy every three or four months to minimize the shock. He specifically says that once or twice a year he defoliates. Sometimes he defoliates only the apex or a branch. Partial defoliation produces less back budding, but is less stressful to the tree. He notes that defoliation three to four weeks prior to a show is a common practice. In some countries showing off the ramification of a defoliated Ficus tree is also done. Defoliation involves cutting off the leaves, leaving the petiole. The petioles will yellow and fall off within a week. The new smaller leaves may be one quarter of the size as the ones you cut off. As the new stem extends the leaves that emerge will begin to gain in size and if left unchecked they will eventually return to their original size. So begin pinching when three leaves have emerged. You will notice that the new branches from defoliation will be thinner than branches which were not defoliated; an added bonus. Jerry says that you should defoliate your tree every year or two as the inner dormant buds may die if they aren t exposed to sunlight for a long time. To encourage back budding remove the large terminal bud; sometimes it s necessary to remove the secondary and tertiary bud also on a strong branch. Don t remove them on a weak branch or braches that you want to be longer and thicker. If you haven t read Jerry Meislik s book, Ficus - the Exotic Bonsai I encourage you to do so. Ken Schultz

11 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER WATCH THIS SPACE NEXT MONTH FOR THE SLATE OF POTENTIAL OFFICERS WE HAVE SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL AND NEED VOLUNTEERS TO STEP UP AND HELP FILL THEM.

12 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER

13 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER From the Circulation Desk of the C.B.S. Library The CBS Library Materials List is now available in spreadsheet format on our CBS website's Library Tab. Users can Sort, Filter and Search the list. There are a few little buttons at the bottom of the embedded spreadsheet that allow you to download the spreadsheet, or open a full page version in a new window. Users can then the librarian at CBSLibrary@hotmail.com to request materials. Another new feature is a column indicating if the Book has been reviewed and the information to access the review. For instance NL Feb (Schultz) would indicate that the review is in the Newsletter, Feb 2011 issue, and Ken Schultz authored the review. We hope this will make the collection more available to the membership. Let us know your thoughts. We have completed the Accession Process for all the Books in the Club s Collection. All have a Card and Pocket for ease of Check Out. Beverlee Wilson, Librarian John Young, Asst. Librarian CBSLibrary@hotmail.com Memberships may be paid for more than one year at a time.

14 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY SEPTEMBER Bonsai Here and Beyond the Outer belt Unless otherwise noted, The Columbus Bonsai Society meets the third Sunday of every month at 2:00 pm. Board Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. The board meetings are open to members. SEP 21 OCT 19 NOV 16 DEC PICNIC OAKLAND PINE WORKSHOP WITH JULIAN ADAMS FPC BRANCH STRUCTURE AND ELECTIONS FPC HOLIDAY DINNER JAN 18 FEB 15 MAR 15 APR 19 MAY 17 JUN JUL AUG 16 SEP 20 OCT 18 NOV 15 DEC 2015 ANNUAL BONSAI SHOW CBS 2015 FPC ANNUAL PICNIC AND MEMBER SALE ANNUAL HOLIDAY DINNER FPC= FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY OAKLAND= OAKLAND NURSERY, COLUMBUS LOCATION