April 2012 Newsletter

Transcription

1 April 2012 Newsletter President Zack Clayton Tree Curator Dan Binder Director Emeritus José Cueto 1 st Vice President Ken Schultz 2 nd Vice President Denny Sackett 1 year Director Jack Smith 2 year Director Ben William 3 year Directors Tracy Freeland Brian Ireland Past President Mark Passerello Treasurer Richard Gurevitz Secretary Sandy Schoenfeld Librarian John Young Web Master Ed McCracken Newsletter Editor Richard Uhrick Education Tom Holcomb A Pinch of this....collecting we shall go. Term of the Month: MOCHIKOMI MOCHIKOMI: A tree or companion must look like it s been there a while, and that is the age and unity of mochikomi between pot and plant. The Show must go on. Well we finally have a date and location for our show. It will be July at Franklin Park Conservatory. We will be down in the lower level where there is not an admission charge. But in the meantime we have another guest to provide us with his particular area of expertise. Andy Smith will be here on Sunday to give us all something to take our mind off our taxes for a while. See you Sunday! Bonsai=Perseverance Rich Uhrick Inside this issue: Program Info 2 Random Thotz 3 Ponderosa Pines 4 Book Report 6 Volunteers 9 Mihalic in March 10 Librarian 12 Calendar of Events 13 Join us at Franklin Park Conservatory in the Veridian Room on the 15th. We start at 9:30 am See Page 5 for more. 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.

2 2 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL 2012 This Month s Program Andy Smith Slideshow and workshops IN THE VERIDIAN ROOM B ring Your Own Tree- we have 4 spots open. Andy says if he sells it you can bring a similar plant species...so BYOT is NOT limited to Ponderosa. It can be most any hardy Pine, or Juniper, or Spruce that grows out west...so Colorado spruce and Black Hills spruce would be OK - so would Pitch Pine and Scotts pine. He collects Rocky Mountain Junipers - so San Jose' and other types of Junipers are OK...I even saw Larch on his website. NO - TROPICALS OR DECIDUOUS!- There will be a Slide Show on Andy Collecting trees at 9:30 AM - people who sty to watch the B&B (10:30 AM) are asked not to talk to Andy and the students during B&B Workshop. At 1:30 PM we'll start BYOT - Join us when you can even if you're just watching...its a learning experience! UPCOMING PROGRAMS: The Columbus Bonsai Society receives meeting space and other support and assistance from Franklin Park Conservatory and Oakland Nurseries 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. APRIL : ANDY SMITH OF GOLDEN ARROW BONSAI WILL JOIN US FOR A WORKSHOP. MAY 2012: ELMS WITH KELLY ADKINS (YET TO BE CONFIRMED.) JUNE : JUNIPERS WITH JOHN. JOHN HILL THAT IS... JULY: CBS 2012 ANNUAL SHOW AT FPC Rich Uhrick, Editor ruhrick@otterbein.edu

3 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT. Random Thotz - now from the President Y ou have probably heard several of the board members say to pay attention to the region an author lives in before following their tree advice blindly. This came up in my online reading this weekend. Peter Tea is an apprentice from California at Aichi-en under Junichiro Tanaka. In his blog he was talking about working with Trident Maple. In Japan, they do major pruning in the spring, not because the tree is most vigorous at that time, it is not, but because the tree is too vigorous to work in the summer. The new growth would not have time to harden off properly. It is very warm and humid in summer in Japan, and that is very good conditions for growing Tridents. Peter then goes on to ponder if different regions will aid in a particular species development. In the case of Tridents, you can defoliate 2 or maybe 3 times in the Bay area, and in Alabama or Mississippi you can do it 4 times on a healthy tree. Since the ramification is dependent in part on how many times the tree has sprouted new buds, the tree in the south should have better development in the same period. I have observed this in several species. Ficus will develop much faster in tropical conditions. OK, there should be no surprise there; most tropicals develop better in tropical conditions. But what are tropical conditions? Bonus points if you answered south of the Tropic of Cancer and north of the Tropic of Capricorn. That includes the Amazon and Atacama, the Congo and Sahara, Saudi Arabia and India, Indonesia and northern Australia. Hmmm - a little bit of humidity range there. Let us try a different tack. Houseplants do well in houses, Right? Well, they survive in houses. They are usually happier with more light and/or higher humidity. My ficus and schefelera do much better after I get them outside in spring. I get the feeling they are just holding on during winter. My Jade plants bloom for me, but that is more a function of a west window and photo period. They want more light but are fine with the lower humidity in the house because they are a desert tropical. I have a schefelera at work that people comment on all the time. I have it between 4 fluorescent ceiling fixtures and I water it every day. But it does not really like it there, it hangs on. Where was I? Oh, yes, just because you do not have ideal conditions for a particular tree does not mean you should not grow it. It just means it will take longer to reach full development. There is a lot to be said for bonsai from native plants, I like Red and Sugar Maples. Keith Scott thought Red Maple was an ideal tree for Midwest America bonsai. But there is more to the hobby than one great tree for your area. The secret is to find out what your tree likes. Where does it grow naturally? What are the climatic conditions? Soil type? Pamper your tree and it will perform for you. Zack

4 4 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL 2012 TREE OF THE MONTH: Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa Pine I have never reported on Ponderosa pines before, though recently, I did a book report on the Pines book, which covered both Japanese White, and Black pines extensively. I have only ever owned one Ponderosa pine, which was doing very well for about 4 years, until a deer knocked its pot over, and broke it. It lay all day until I got home from work and discovered it. But it was too much trauma and it did die. Based on my limited experience with Ponderosa pines I did some research. I read the expert Larry Jeckel, Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society s, article, Andy Smith s DVD and website, Gardening Guides Ponderosa Pine, Pikes Peak Bonsai Society and Walter Pall Bonsai Adventures Growing Ponderosa in Europe and on the East Coast. I will start with some of the interesting facts gleaned from the Garden Guides, which reported on Ponderosa as a commercial tree and its use when planted in the ground. Ponderosa are native to the western United States. Reportedly they can grow to 223 feet tall and have a trunk up to six feet across. They can live for years. They can survive temperatures down to -36 F. (Zone 3 to 7). In landscaping they can be used as windbreaks as they are rapid growing. Native Americans used all parts of the Ponderosa Pine. They were used to treat fevers and coughs, the pitch was used to treat sores and scabs, backaches, rheumatism, earaches, inflamed eyes, and as a sleeping agent. The roots were used to make blue dye. The wood was used to make boards and snow shoes. Single logs were hollowed out for canoes. Wildlife eats the seeds and uses the needles and bark for nesting material. The crown of a Ponderosa is conical to round. It will grow in almost any soil type but dislikes alkaline soils. It prefers ph 6-7. (In a grow box, use 50% grit, 25-30% peat and 25% original soil for natural mycorrhizae. Jeckel recommends 60% grit, 30% Turface and 10% bark. Ponderosa grows in areas with of rain per year. The bluish green needles grow up to 7 long; they occur in bundles of 3; the needles last for 3 years. On older trees the bark is orangish brown with scaly plates; cones are 4-7 and mature in August/September of their second year. Seeds need 8 weeks of cold to germinate and if you are inclined, plant them in late March to early April. Before stratification the seeds need to be soaked for 48 hours. As with most pines it grows best in full sun, 50% shade reduces it growth rate significantly. The Pikes Peak report says that it absolutely requires full sunlight, good air Photo from Andy Smith circulation and low humidity. In their habitat, Pinecone and Western pine beetles can kill a tree. Other less deadly pests are budworms and Bark beetles. Fungi can cause root rot, trunk decay, needle and twig blight. For borers use Lindane. Ponderosa are rare below 350 in elevation but their range extends up to 9,800 feet. Larry Jeckel says that both Ponderosa and White pines are high mountain trees. Though the bark of a Ponderosa looks more like a Black pine its care is more White pine like. Both grow naturally with Jin, Shari and a twist to their trunks. When potting a collected tree the Pike Peaks group says that you should not remove too much root. Pall says to remove all the old soil, but none of the roots. He says old roots cannot be bent without damage. The first container needs to hold the roots, but not be too much larger or deeper. In this case you can use 50% Turface or Haydite and 50% grit. They say no soil particles should be smaller than a grain of rice. Pall uses 85% lava pumice and 15% rough peat. They say that in the summer the roots do need to be kept cool. This gravely mixture promotes evaporation and allows more frequent watering. However, you may need to water in the winter because the soil is fast draining. They recommend using mulch under the pot and on the soil surface. When styling the overall goal is to bring the branches in to make a more compact design. After their initial potting, because Ponderosa are used to growing in a minimal amount of soil, you may be able to wait two to five years before repotting. (Pall says 5 years.) Repotting is best done in April. Larry Jeckel says that the stress on collected trees causes them to need time to stabilize. Therefore it is best to wait three years after collecting to style a Ponderosa. He says, health is everything; styling before it is healthy will slow their recovery and their response to styling. At worse a branch or the tree may die. In the spring, let the candles extend to 1 then break them off at the base. Within a month new candles should appear on a healthy tree. These will produce shorter needles. Follow the candle removal scheme that Doug Hawley recommended to manage stronger and weaker branches. In the fall, after the needles have matured, needles can be cut to allow sunlight in to promote new bud development. Cut only the old needles to 50% of their length. Andy says spraying the needles with cold water after cutting them prevents the (Continued on page 5)

5 (Continued from page 4) COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL ends from browning. The old needles will brown and fall out in October and November. To promote bud growth the tree should be fertilized to late fall with a solution of weakly acidic fertilizer every week. Jeckel says that Ponderosa do not respond well to candle removal and are frequently to short to pinch. Interesting that there is always conflicting advice. Ponderosa produce a resinous sap that will run down the bark when you prune, so the recommendation is to leave a stub or use cut paste. Pruning can be done at any time of the year, but do not prune more than once a year. Wiring can also be done any time of the year. Because in a pot they grow slowly, wire can sometimes be left on for several years. Andy Smith s DVD shows a twisting technique used to break the stiffness in a larger branch to allow bending. The area will need to be wrapped with raffia afterward. Also, soaking the bark in a wet wrap before wiring will help. If you want to remove bark from a dead branch this wet towel soaking will help peel it more easily. Major styling manipulations and branch removal are best done in winter. Jeckel says that spring wiring can damage the cambium. Needle length is NOT controlled by withholding water and fertilizer. But excessive water and fertilizer does lengthen the needles. When wiring a branch turning the tips up does improve their strength; but wiring straight out promotes more back budding. But Pall says they don t back bud on old wood. When fertilizing use a fertilizer that provides iron. Pall uses both organic and inorganic fertilizers. Fertilizing in spring grows long needles, fertilizing from mid-summer to fall produces buds. Walter Pall says a finished bonsai needs less water and fertilizer, but this takes a decade to reach. He also says long needles produce more energy, which leads to back budding. So again we have conflicting guidance. However, the photos of his Ponderosas looked good to me. Ponderosa need at least 6 weeks of cold dormancy. While some of my sources say they need no protection others say protect them from freezing and drying winds. Pall says that too much rain and too dry can both cause winter problems. Ken Schultz SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY APRIL 15TH: IN THE VERIDIAN ROOM 9:30 AM SLIDESHOW OF ANDY COLLECTING TREES 10:30 AM BALLED & BURLAP WORKSHOP LUNCH 1:30 PM BRING YOUR OWN TREE WORKSHOP

6 6 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL 2012 BOOK REPORT: Indoor Bonsai for Beginners By Werner M. Busch O ver the years I have reviewed more than forty bonsai themed books. At least three others featured indoor bonsai; the first was the Brooklyn Botanical Garden book. This book was originally published in 1995 in Germany and has been reprinted six times du to continued demand. It is a small book 9 X6, with 110 pages. The trees that appear in this book are not spectacular specimen bonsai but are ones that you or I could have in our collections. One of the older trees was reported to be 40. The first part of the book consists of four chapters; Why indoor bonsai, Buying an indoor bonsai tree, Training an indoor bonsai tree and Caring for your bonsai. Pages consists of The A-Z of indoor bonsai species. Why indoor bonsai? This one page chapter says simply because it offers the indoor gardener an opportunity to extend their knowledge of botany of plants with exotic origin and to apply bonsai s artistic side. Buying indoor bonsai trees: Busch says most indoor trees come from China with small clay figures and rocks stuck on. They are planted in loamy soil that is unsuitable because it will suffocate the roots and the tree will die. He says they also suffer from improper severe pruning to keep them small. So if you want to create your own style, buy a tree that is not too old. He recommends that bonsai lovers with little experience stick to flexible (easy) species; Ficus, Myrtus communis and Chinese podocarpus. If you have an unheated room subtropical plant such as pistacias, olive and myrtle are god choices. Training an indoor bonsai tree: This is a meaty chapter having 22 pages that include the topics of bonsai styles and propagation. Pages 26&27 have a chart showing a variety of tropical species and whether seed, cuttings or a small plant can start them. Only three had dots in all columns. Busch says pruning the trunk severely several times while the tree is young creates that taper. The branch closest to the cut becomes the new apex. The greater the interval between cuttings the larger the scar, smaller invisible scars are the goal. A well-developed bonsai has the thickest branches at the bottom and the thickest part of the branch is closest to the trunk. Busch says cutting off the leaves but retaining the petiole can encourage ramification. This can only be done on a healthy tree, as it is very debilitating. Flowers only compliment the design, they do not improve it. So during development, don t worry about the flowers. This chapter also contains an interesting comparison on shaping a tree without wire and shaping a tree with wire. Pruning does shaping a tree without wire. The first trunk pruning is done when the tree is twice as high as the distance from the soil to where you want the first branch. Cut it. The top two buds will create the new apex and the first branch. Let it grow again to 3 times it height then cut it back to the length equal to or less than the height to the first branch. Make sure the top bud points back over the base of the tree. Again this bud will become the new apex. In the illustration he uses a plant with alternate leaves and allows it to grow about ten new leaves and cuts were above 4 of these new leaves. With flexible plant material it is possible to achieve taper by bending the plant where you would have cut it. The bud next to the bend should erupt, producing a new apex. When it grows on you bend it again and again. The illustrations show that cutting produces a more angular tree and bending creates a sinuous tree. There is a section on creating bonsai from potted plants that gives good basic instructions. The mechanics of bonsai explains pruning branches and roots. Busch lists five guidelines for wiring, starting with a tree should never be repotted while it is being wired. (I know, I ve done this, but didn t know I was breaking a rule.) Caring for your bonsai: Busch says the tree will do best when we (Continued on page 7)

7 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL (Continued from page 6) duplicate its native habitat: light, temperature, humidity, airflow, soil and water. Examples were Schefflera does not need direct sunlight and subtropical plants do better at lower temperatures. Run a fan for a few hours a day to provide airflow. Soil structure is given a thorough discussion. Loam, sand, lava, peat, compost and azalea granulates as ingredients for your soil mix are presented. He says the soil must be replaced every year or two due to salt build up from ordinary tap water. He says immersing the pot when you water helps prevent this buildup. He says of all the choices, tap, well, distilled, de-ionized and rain Rain is the Best! Busch also lists six guidelines to follow when fertilizing. The first is never add fertilizer to dry soil. There is a chart of nutrients on page 44 that lists typical deficiency symptoms. For example a lack of Calcium results in older leaves yellow while the veins remain green. Lack of copper causes irregular brown spots on leaves. Ken Schultz

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9 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY Ken Schultz Jose' Cueto Dan Binder Zack Clayton DAWES ARBORETUM Ben William Brian Ireland Zack Clayton Dan Binder Jack Smith Mike Thornhill John Hill John Porterfield Ken Schultz KEN S WORLD OF BONSAI Mike Thornhill, Brian Ireland, Zack Clayton, Jack Smith, Ben William, Ken Schultz, Keith Stevens The Oakland "Spring Fling" - in order of dates: (no one took pix!!) 3/10 John Porterfield, Mike Thornhill 3/11 Dan Binder, Mark Passerrello 3/17 Doc Gurevitz, Ken Schultz 3/18 Tracy Freeland, John Young

10 10 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL 2012 FRANK MIHALIC HELPS FURTHER THE VISION OF THE CLUB TAXUS IN MARCH

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12 12 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL 2012 From the Circulation Desk of the C.B.S. Library New items in the library: Books: Vision of My Soul, Robert Steven Mission of Transformation, Robert Steven Magazines: Bonsai: Journal of the American Bonsai Society - Volume 46, Number Bonsai & Stone Appreciation - Volume 51, Number 1 - January/February/March, 2012 Bonsai & Stone Appreciation - Volume 51, Number 2 - April/May/June, 2012 Bonsai Focus - No. 137, 1/2012 January/February Bonsai Focus - No. 138, 2/2012 March/April DVD: Finding the Bonsai Within: Ponderosa Pine Wiring Techniques - Working with Difficult Trees, Andrew Smith HELP! The following two books loaned out of our library on September 18, 2011 and are now overdue: The Art of Bonsai Design, Colin Lewis (hardback) The Complete Practical Encyclopedia of Bonsai, Ken Norman (paperback) I do not have a record of which club member(s) borrowed these books from our library; so I am asking each of you to please check your bonsai books and let me know if you have either or both of these C.B.S. library books in your possession and when you will be able to return them to me. You may send me an (jyoungjfy@sbcglobal.net) or give me a call at (614) I would like to put these books back in the C.B.S. library cabinet so that other members may borrow them. Thank you for your help. John Young, Librarian (614) jyoungjfy@sbcglobal.net Renewal Memberships may be paid for more than one year at a time.

13 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY APRIL Bonsai Here and Beyond the Outer belt Unless otherwise noted, The Columbus Bonsai Society meets the third Sunday of every month at 1:45 pm. Board Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. The board meetings are open to members. 15 APR 2012 ANDY SMITH WORKSHOP FPC 20 MAY 2012 KELLY ADKINS ELMS FPC 5,12,19 MAY 2012 BEGINNER S CLASSES AVAILABLE OAKLAND 26-8 MAY 2012 BRUSSELS RENDEVOUS MISSISSIPPI 9-10 JUN 2012 US NATIONAL SHOW ROCHESTER, NY 17 JUN 2012 JUNIPERS WITH JOHN OAKLAND 21-4 JUN 2012 ABS/BCI DENVER JUL 2012 CBS 2012 ANNUAL SHOW -FPC 17-8 AUG 2012 MID-AMERICA CHICAGO 19 AUG 2012 PICNIC/ MEMBER SALES OAKLAND 16 SEP 2012 TBD 7-8 OCT 2012 BONSAI EXPO ASHEVILLE, NC 21 OCT 2012 PINES (WIRING) FPC 18 NOV 2012 ELECTIONS/ TROPICALS OAKLAND DEC 2012 CBS HOLIDAY DINNER FPC= FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY OAKLAND= OAKLAND NURSERY, COLUMBUS LOCATION Care Notes from the Columbus Bonsai Society Website April - Mid Spring - 62/40 This month, most deciduous will have buds swelling and leaves emerging. Be ready to repot if needed. Repot pines and juniper this month, after the candles (pine buds) begin to swell. Start balanced fertilization as new growth begins. Continue fertilization until mid summer. Spray to control pests that feed on fresh, early growth. This is a good month to take pine and juniper cuttings. Allow new deciduous growth to extend to 3 leaves or leaf pairs, and then cut back to 1-2 leaves or leaf pairs. Continue through summer. Most non-tropical trees should be outdoors by the end of April. BEWARE: There always seems to be a late frost from April-May. Watch for frost advisories and protect your trees by bringing them into a garage, basement, or by using a cloth netting. All new growth is susceptible to frost damage.

14 Columbus Bonsai Society PO Box 1981 Columbus, OH Questions to: Regular Club meetings on 3 rd Sunday of the month Meetings Start at 1:45 pm All are welcome to attend CBS Board meets 1 st Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm ANDY SMITH FPC