B onsai Society of Dallas

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1 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 B onsai Society of Dallas Monthly Member Newsletter March 2019 Message from the Vice President In This Issue Message from the Vice President March program February Program Review March Bonsai Tips and Advice Upcoming Events Bonsai on the Bayou Beginner Bulletin Board Tip of the Month March To Do List Board of Directors President, Vacant Emily White, Vice President/Program Chair ewhite82@gmail.com Ben Karlson, Secretary bkarlson@gmail.com Only one month stands between us and the American Bonsai Society National Convention! I am looking forward to seeing you there in Houston. It s going to be a once in a decade event! If you have not registered yet, act now to get your registration in for the convention next month! We had another fun and fruitful club dig at Mr. George Straw s property in Whitesboro. He was gracious enough to give us a tour of his ranch, allow us to dig a variety of trees on his property, and even join us for lunch afterwards. It is always fun to hunt in the forest for bonsai. I know that members dug winged elms, junipers, and beautyberry trees. Many thanks to him for his hospitality. Remember that our normal March meeting is replaced with our BSD Bonsai Exhibition (i.e., club show), so be sure to volunteer to make our club show a success. Invite your friends and family to North Haven Gardens to enjoy our living art. Bill Muto, Treasurer bmuto@aol.com Chandra Vemulapalli, Membership Chair csvemula@gmail Haiying Huang, Newsletter Editor Haiying_huang@yahoo.com Luis Alex Lebron, Webmaster tqhang@gmail.com Luis Alex Lebron, Social Media Chair luislebron78@gmail.com BSD Bonsai Exhibition March 1-3 at North Haven Gardens. To submit your trees for the exhibit, please send a picture of your tree to Sylvia at Sylvia3smith@gmail.com or Brian Myers, Member at Large John Borusheski, Member at Large Howard Smith, LSBF Delegate bonsaismiths@tx.rr.com John Miller, President Emeritus bonsaimiller@aol.com Helpers are needed to set up and man the show. No experience necessary. Please log on to the signup genius and choose a time to help out. Sylvia Smith, Past President sylvia3smith@gmail.com

2 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 March Program Club Show Weekend 9 AM to 5 pm, March 2 nd 9 AM to 4 pm, March 3 rd North Haven Gardens Our club show is almost here! One of the last stages of tree preparation is to apply moss to the trees. The recent rain may have perked our moss up so we may be in luck. After collecting moss break off pieces about half dollar size and remove the excess solid from the bottom so that the pad is flat. Sieve sphagnum moss through a small sized hole sifter and add a fine top layer of sphagnum to the tree. Wet it down before beginning the moss application process. Apply the pieces of moss and use a chopstick to help fit them in place. Try to match the flow of the hairs of moss when using longer moss varieties. Fill in the gaps with very fine lava particles and sweep off the excess. This is the secret to making the moss look like it has been growing on a tree for years. If you are lucky enough to have moss, please harvest and bring it to share. Upcoming Events Saturday, March 2-3, 9am to 5pm Club Show Weekend Saturday, April 6 th 9am to noon Better Bonsai Photos Saturday, April 27 th NHG Spring Clubs & Societies Day Saturday, May 4 th Guest Artist Austin Heitzman Saturday, May 11 th, Visiting Artist Owen Reich We also need to bring other items into a display, including stands, suiseki, and companion plants. Companion plants or kusamono are an essential addition to any show so even if you aren t able to display a tree, you can contribute to the show my creating a companion or two. As a reminder for judging we use a point system and each tree should be evaluated and scored in the following 5 categories: Trunk (1-10 points), Ramification (1 5 points), Nebari (1 5 points), Pot Selection (1 5 points), and Overall Display (1 5 points). There will be a Member s Choice Award, based on your evaluation and we will also have a People s Choice award for our guests to pick a favorite. February Program in Review Study group with the Bonsai Smiths Our second program of the 2019 was another fun and hands-on experience led by Sylvia and Howard. There was plenty of action as members repotted their trees. We even saw the one-seed juniper that was recently won at our club auction come in for fresh soil. For those with many trees, this season can be very busy and good after-care of a repotted tree is essential. Remember to wait at least 4 weeks after repotting before resuming fertilization. Thank you to the Bonsai Smiths for their guidance and help in a fun program! Events Elsewhere March 11-12, 2019 Lodder Bonsai Open Days, Harmelen, Netherlands March 2-10, 2019, Philadelphia Flower Show, Philadelphia, PA Mach 25-31, 2019, Bonsai Week 2019, National Arboretum Canberra, Australia March 23-24, 2019 California Bonsai Society Show, San Marino, California April 11-14, 2019 Bonsai on the Bayou, Houston Texas April 13-14, 2019 Spring Bonsai Show, Salt Lake City, Utah April 26-28, 2019, Arco Bonsai, Arco, Italy May 2-4, 2019, Omiya Bonsai Festival, Kita-ku, Saitama May 17-20, 2019, 32nd AABC National Bonsai Convention, Melbourne June 1, 2019 Las Vegas Bonsai Society Annual Bonsai Show, Las Vegas, Nevada

3 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 March Bonsai Tips and Advice By John Miller This year has been very unusual in the Dallas-Ft Worth area. I have not watered my outdoor trees at all this year (and that probably goes all the way back to Dec 1 of 2018) while Steven in Ft Worth has been pretty dry. Other areas might also have been weird. You have to adjust your care and not just follow a set pattern or a timetable you read out of a book. Regardless of where you live in Texas, there are probably three things calling for your immediate attention. Repotting is still being needed; new growth is running rampant and needs to be controlled; and you must keep any tree to be exhibited at the spring shows well groomed. Throw on top of that an aphid invasion or some scale and you should be plenty busy. After growth starts, some species can take a couple degrees of frost but unless you know what your particular tree can take you should keep it from freezing. Also, newly growing roots are tenderer. In this area you should keep the new foliage out of the strong winds; however they should have some breeze to help harden the new foliage and to help prevent insects and fungal diseases. By this time most of you have finished repotting the early breaking species. Late starting species like the yaupons and most oaks might still be candidates for repotting this year. In order to develop the ramification and fine twigs you want you must be pruning the new growth as its develops. Waiting until the shoots are three or four inches or longer results in coarse twigs with long internodes. These will have to be cut off and new ones developed if you are to have a good bonsai. Essentially there are two kinds of growing habits, those with leaves growing alternately on the twigs, e.g. elms, oak, and hawthorn, and those with opposite growing leaves, e.g. maple. The alternate growing leaves start out with small leaves and each succeeding leaf will be larger and the internodes longer. Also each leaf will have a latent bud in each leaf axial. If you let the shoot grow to 4 or 5 new leaves and cut it back to 2 or 3, you will be keeping smaller leaves and also getting twice as many growing tips on each branch and each will be a finer twig. Keep this up and you will soon have nice development on the branches of your bonsai. In determining whether to cut to two or three, note the direction that you wish the end of the branch to take and cut to the leaf which has the bud on that side of the branch. Note: If last year s twig has been let grow long it should be cut back to the first 2-3 buds and start over. Tweezers are almost a necessity in refinement working on maples. The opposite growing leaves clasp the new growing tip and will be extending from the old bud but on a lengthening stem. If the new tip is taken off as soon as the leaves separate, the result is that the leaves will be smaller and the stem will stop lengthening. Then two new tips will pop from the new leaf axials and you will repeat the tip plucking. Tweezers work much better for this job. I will sometimes separate the new pair of leaves from the new tip with tweezers but be careful not to bruise them. As the weather warms up the insects will surely make their appearance. Use the foliar spray (1 tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses, and 5% apple cider vinegar per gallon of water) as often as necessary to control aphid, mites, caterpillars, etc. Spring usually means wet weather so weather for fungal problems such as blackspot. I usually only get it on hollys and elms. You can use a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide or baking soda spray for fungal problems. Do not mix baking soda with the foliar spray or any other acid. Fertilizing is necessary once the trees start to grow. Too many trees exhibited do not have a good dark green foliage. Since we are using soilless mixes for

4 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 the most part, a different technique is required than used for most potted plants. Water soluble chemical fertilizers should be used at half strength and more often since they will wash out with the next watering. The same is more or less true with liquid organic fertilizers. The best technique is to use solid organic fertilizers. Fertilizer cakes on the surface is the best way. They break down slowly and a small amount is carried into the root zone each time you water. Pelletized organic material can be spread on the surface also but they tend to crumble to create an undesirable surface and fill the open space in the soil. Be sure that the material you use has a balanced formula and not high in nitrogen. Feburary Program in Photos by Chris S.

5 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 BSD 2019 Club Dig by Ben K. and Sylvia S. The annual BSD club dig took place on February 16 this year and we were back in Whitesboro. We had a strong turnout of members this year with almost 20 people showing up to dig trees. The weather held nicely and we had plenty of cloud cover to keep us cool as we dug and cut away at tap roots. Members went home with winged elms, red cedars, and American beautyberries to name a few. Remember that now you've dug your tree and put it in better growing soil, leave it alone and let it grow. Club digs are a great way to meet and get to know other members, get in a good workout and go home with an awesome new tree. Here are some pictures of last month s dig. Hope you ll join us next year. Who knows, you might even get to pet a camel! A big thank you to George Straw for his generosity!!

6 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 6 Bonsai on the Bayou April 11-14, 2019 Marriott Westchase 2900 Briarpark Dr., Houston, TX Seminars These are topical lectures given by experts in the subject matter. Seminars are free for convention participants but seating is limited. Click here to read the full seminar descriptions. Click here to see the seminar schedule. Seminar #1: Care and Maintenance of Bonsai Tools with Bill Boytim Seminar #2: Going All Organic in Bonsai with Harris County Master Gardener Angela Chandler Seminar #3: Elements of Shohin Display with Boonyarat Manakitivipart Seminar #4: Texas Natives in Bonsai Culture by Joey McCoy, President of The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit Seminar #5: The Spirit of Bonsai with Danny Coffey Seminar #6: The Future of American Bonsai with Ryan Neil Seminar #7: Virtual Tour of Chinese Bonsai with National Bonsai Champion Dr. Hoe Chuah Seminar #8: Botany for Bonsai with Enrique Castaño Seminar #9: Stand Design and Construction with Mark Rhynes Seminar #10: Viewing Stones with Racie Rhynes Seminar #11: Texas Ashe Juniper with Howard & Sylvia Smith Seminar #12: Automatic Irrigation Systems with Mark Bynum Artists Spotlights These programs are a limited attendance demo in the round, featuring Bonsai Artists Boon Manakitivipart and Ryan Neil. During these two, three-hour lecture/demos, Boon and Ryan will work with two demo-quality trees. While they work, they will lecture on styling, care and maintenance, focusing on specific considerations of their selected species. Everyone at the Artist Spotlight will have a great seat close enough to really see how these artists undertake their work. Participants will be allowed lots of interaction opportunities. Please act quickly to reserve your spot as space is limited and spots are going quickly (these programs are free for convention participants, but you must reserve a spot when you go through the registration website). For more detailed information on these programs click here. Critiques These programs are a great opportunity to learn from a professional as they study trees in the exhibit and identify improvements that can make them better bonsai. There are three critiques scheduled with a maximum participation of 20 people. Click here for full registration information. Click here to download the full registration brochure.

7 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 7 STORY OF THE FOREST by Mike Smoller This Cedar elm forest was assembled on a 40 long man-made slab in May 1995 by nationally known bonsai artist Warren Hill as the demonstration at the Saturday night banquet of the American Bonsai Society convention in Dallas, Texas, using trees collected in central Texas between 1992 and 1994 by Vito Megna. The forest as originally styled consisted of seven (7) trees. However, in July, 2000 two (2) trees died during a heat wave. When they were replaced the size of the forest was increased to nine (9) trees. Then in 2013 all but three (3) of the trees died (again due to excessive heat). In March, 2015 new trees were added to bring the total back to the original seven (7) trees. The forest is now in a constructed wood tray/box and is 39 tall, 28 long, 18 wide and 3 deep. In 2019 the forest was again restyled and two (2) trees were added bringing the total up to nine (9). Including the soil and trees, it weighs just about 70 lbs. The largest tree (original from 1995) is the oldest, based upon a ring count of the tap. Mike Smoller was a member of the Club from approximately 1979 until he left in 2006 to move to Austin, TX. This year marks his 40th year in bonsai as a hobby. Tip of the Month Reuse cat-food cans as fertilizer holders If you have cats, you probably have to recycle cat-food cans. Instead of tossing them in the recycling bin, you can use them as the fertilizer holders for your bonsai trees. Simply punch holes at the bottom of the cans using a nail, fill them with fertilizer, and place them on top of the bonsai soil. If you are using chemical fertilizer, you can mix it with garden soil. This way, the chemical fertilizer will release to the garden soil and gets leached to the bonsai soil every time your water. You can easily adjust the fertilization by adding/removing the cans or move the cans around. You can also use a nail to stake the can to the soil so that animals cannot take it away.

8 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 8 Beginner s Bulletin Board There are no dumb questions when you are a beginner at any new endeavor. However sometimes beginners are reluctant to ask a question in a monthly meeting. Got a question? Send it to Haiying at haiying_huang@yahoo. com for an individual response. Your question may also appear anonymously here in a future issue so that others can learn. Question: When should we start to fertilize in spring and should the fertilizer be different for spring feeding, as compared to routine fertilizing? Answer by Diane: The answer depends on what stage of development your tree is in and also whether you have recently repotted. Let's get the repotting part out of the way first. Always wait 4-6 weeks after repotting to begin fertilization. That's because the tree has been 'traumatized' by the repotting process and needs to settle in and begin to regrow roots. Any external stimulant, particularly a chemical fertilizer, may actually damage the new root growth. When fertilizing, it is important to consider what you are trying to accomplish before selecting the type of fertilizer to use. In our newsletter from September 2018, we reviewed the universally used N-P-K ratio. Please refer to that as a refresher if unclear on those numbers. Spring is the time when plants emerge from their winter dormant state and all those sugars and starches that are stored in their vascular tissue will push new growth. If your tree is in the early stages of development and you want to thicken the trunk, adding a fertilizer high in nitrogen (N) will encourage heavy growth. Heavy growth means a thicker trunk. It also means bigger leaves and longer internodes, something you probably don't want on a refined tree. So be sure to determine the stage of development each of your trees is in before determining what fertilizer and how much to use. If your tree is in a refined stage, use a more balanced ratio with all three numbers about the same. The other thing to think about is organic versus chemical fertilizers. A few things to consider when making the choice is that chemical fertilizers provide immediate availability of the nutrient upon application but it is expended quickly as well. Additionally, they don't encourage microbial activity which is highly desired when growing a tree in a confined pot. Organic fertilizers break down slowly and gradually provide availability of the nutrient. They also support healthy microbial activity, which for some species, is needed for the nutrient to be absorbed. This occurs slowly but in a positive way that allows the tree to use it as it needs it, rather than all at once. Most bonsai professionals prefer an organic approach for the long term health of the tree but that is a decision you can make. However most conifers in particular thrive on the microbial activity that produces healthy fungi like mycorrhiza. With all that said, when should you start to fertilize, how often, and how much? The time to start (assuming you have not repotted) to when you see the tree pushing new growth in late winter/early spring. Again it depends on what stage of development your tree is in and what type of fertilization you use. Consider three different stages; 1- trunk/structure development [heavy], 2- branch development [medium], and 3- refinement of secondary or tertiary branches [light]. My preference is pelletized or cakes of organic fertilizer. The application will be in small piles or into small tea bags which are applied to the soil surface and held in place with toothpicks. The amount per pile is in a volume of about 1 1/2 Tbsp. for heavy, 1 Tbsp., for moderate, and 1/2 Tbsp. for light feeding. Piles of fertilizer should be evenly distributed around the pot for a balanced application. A 12" pot would typically start with 3 piles. Additional piles should be added in between the first piles as the growing season progresses. If 'heavy' add another application every 4 weeks, if 'moderate' every 6 weeks, and if 'light' add every 8 weeks. We begin to slow down application of fertilizer in Texas as the summer heat sets in, usually around July - September (except on tropicals). By fall we reapply fertilizer, but this time we switch to a fertilizer that is low in nitrogen such as a ratio. Fall may actually be the most important time to fertilize as it sets up the healthy emergence of new growth in the spring. So we primarily have two seasons for fertilizing; spring and fall. Both are important for the overall health of your trees. Having said all this, there are nuances of some species of how and when to fertilize. Development techniques like candle pruning, leaf defoliation, etc. may alter your strategy for when and how much or fertilize. Check with a knowledgeable club member if you are unsure of what your specific tree might need. A few things we don't want to do. Never start with a heavy fertilizer on a tree recently repotted; always start with a moderate or light application, again 4-6 weeks after repotting. Also never use fertilizer on a tree in a weaken or unhealthy state. Fertilizer is not a food or a cure for a diseased tree. In fact it may hasten its demise rather than help it. Many of us tend to under fertilize our bonsai. If that's you, make a plan now and use your calendar as well as our monthly To Do List from this newsletter to remind you when to add and/or adjust your fertilizer applications.

9 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 9 March s To-Do List This is a simple monthly checklist for those enthusiasts who have the knowledge and skill required to perform the tasks listed. It is intended to tell you what to do, not how and why to do it. Want to know more? Send in any questions you might have or come to any monthly program to discuss further. All Species Protect from late freezes after repotting Wait four to six weeks after repotting to fertilize or when you see your tree begin to push new growth Heavy pruning can be done at this time s Review Deciduous Repotting is best begun when leaf buds are beginning to swell. It is too late to repot when leaves have opened completely Grafting and layering can be done at this time Evergreen/Conifer Repotting can be done anytime between now and when the new leaves/needles begin to emerge from the candles, and on junipers throughout the spring season Grafting and layering can be done at this time Member News Got news to share? Let us know.. If you have not already done so, please mail, or better yet, bring your membership dues to the next meeting. Please use the form at the end of the newsletter to ensure we have your information up to date. Thanks! Link of the Month North Haven Gardens has set up a nice advertisement for our club Bonsai show at evenbrite. Please considering broadcasting the following link or forwarding it to your friends and coworkers. Flowering/Fruit These will usually be repotted now prior to flowering Flower buds can be carefully removed every other year when ramification is being done Do not repot when leaves are out Grafting and layering can be done at this time Tropical Review of Last Club Show s Winners People s Choice Award Yupon Holly by Dave S. 1 st Price (Tied) Japanese Black Pine by Howard S. 1 st Price (Tied) Korean Hornbeam Forest by Dave S.

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12 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 12 Place Your Ad Here! Business card size is $5.00 per month Half page size is $20.00 per month Full page size is $35.00 per month For more details contact: Bill Muto

13 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 13 Bonsai Society of Dallas Membership Form Please mail to: Bonsai Society of Dallas P.O. Box Richardson, TX Or bring to any club meeting Bonsai Society of Dallas meets on the first (1 st ) Saturday of each month. Time: 9:00 AM Place: North Haven Garden Center 7700 Northaven Road Dallas, TX Name(s): Address: City: State: Zip: Telephone: Date: New Membership Individual Membership: $30.00 Renewal Membership Joint Membership: $35.00 For the convenience of our membership a roster is published for members only in March of each year. Please check the appropriate box if you do not wish to be included Include me in the membership roster Exclude me from the membership roster Do Not Cut: For Treasurer Use Member Receipt Name: Membership Year Amount Paid: Date: Received By: