The Bonsai News of Houston

Transcription

1 The Bonsai News of Houston A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. Volume 43 Number 3 March 2014 IN THIS ISSUE Upcoming Events Grafting with Alex Leong Showcase of the Month Azaleas March Bonsai Care John Miller The President s Message HBS Board Meeting Minutes February 2014 Convention Raffle Terry Dubois LSBF 2014 Pedro Morales Pedro Morales lecturing about how The East meets the West in the Art of Bonsai, in Houston 2012 HBS Monthly Meeting The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be on Wednesday March 5 th, 2014 at 7:30pm, at The West Gray Multi-Services Center, 1475 W. Gray Street, Houston, TX 77019, between Dunlavy Street and Waugh Drive. Refreshments at 7pm. Wednesday, March 5 th, HBS meeting will feature guest artist Alex Leong and Grafting method demonstration. Bring a tree, your tools and grafting materials so he can assist you in doing a graft or two on your tree. For Show & Tell with Ray Gonzalez this month, show off your collected trees from past digs and your flowering bonsai. Upcoming Events Saturday March 8 th, Saturday Study Group at Maas Nursery, Seabrook, 9am - 12 Noon. Free, refreshments. Saturday, March 15, White Sage as bonsai at Timeless Trees, 9am 1pm, $40 including one tall tree, ceramic pot, soil, wire and instructions. Different from common Purple Sage, these white sages make prolific white blooms. Saturday, March 15, Bonsai Introduction at Timeless Trees, 1 2pm. Free for those interested in the hobby but have not decided to make the plunge. March 20-22, 2014: Lake Charles Bonsai Society s 25th Annual Bonsai Exhibit at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Saturday, March 22, Azalea Study Group with Michael McCluskey at Timeless Trees, 9am 1pm. Bring your own Azalea bonsai for styling, pruning and wiring. Cost: $60. Saturday, March 29, Japanese Boxwood Study Group at Timeless Trees, 9am 12 Noon. Focus: styling, wiring and development. Cost: $20. BYO tree, or purchase some from the nursery stock. Sunday, March 30, Adam Lavigne, a bonsai artist from Orlando, will come to Lake Charles for a workshop. Adam specializes in Shohin and in bonsai carving- 1-4 pm.

2 Blooming azaleas March Bonsai Care The past 6 months illustrate why you cannot just do tasks on a schedule. You need to vary them according to nature. Last year the temp here was well above average all summer, with 100 s into September and 90 s into October. After that, the only two temps above 80 were on October 23 and November 17. So it has been a cold winter. In a way that was good, because the plants stayed dormant. But now I need to be extra vigilant because some species tend to respond to the lengthening daylight but there will probably be more hard freezes. Bonsai will start growing in late February or March in this area, depending on your wintering techniques and on the species. After growth starts, some species can take a couple degrees of frost but unless you know what your particular trees can take, you should keep them from freezing. Also, newly growing roots are more tender. In this area, you should also keep the new foliage out of the strong winds, although they should have some breeze to help harden the new foliage and keep insects and fungal diseases at bay. You may continue repotting on deciduous species until you see a tiny bit of green on the tips of the swelling leaf bud. Be sure to keep the newly repotted trees out of the wind and late morning or afternoon sun. Broadleaf evergreen species will generally be okay to repot later on. Yaupons do better if you wait until it warms up a bit more. Even though its gets quite warm now, we still expect a freeze in March, so you may have to protect trees that have started growth and those that have been repotted this winter. Don t repot tropicals until the night temps stay above 60. There are two different approaches to branch and tree care. The first is the development stage of the tree where you are growing and developing branches, doing root work and generally developing the style of the tree. During this time you will cut and wire, then let it grow for a good period of time while developing taper and interesting bends and twists. Timing of these functions is not as critical. The other approach comes after the development stage and results in the refinement of the bonsai. This gives it the twiginess, small leaves and patina of age, which take it from a commercial bonsai to a piece of art. It is quite time consuming especially in the flush growth period after dormancy breaks. If not done carefully, the new growth will thicken the twigs and cause long internodes, which will ruin all the previous work and may even send you back to the development stage. Now you should get your tweezers and shears ready for the real job ahead. In order to develop the ramification and fine twigs you want, you must be pruning the new growth as it 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. Junipers in development should be trimmed with shears. Styled junipers may be done with fingers. As the new growth develops, grasp the twigs with one hand spreading the foliage in a fan shape. Then with the other hand, grasp the tips between the fleshy part of your thumb and finger and pull it off. Using fingernails or scissors will result in brown tips on the cut foliage. 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 apple cider vinegar per gallon of water weekly to control aphid, mites, caterpillars etc.)

3 Commercial sprays may be used but follow directions closely. Be sure to spray with a fine mist sprayer to cover thoroughly. Fertilizing is necessary once the trees start to grow. Too many trees exhibited do not have good dark green foliage. Since we are using soilless mixes for 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 than given 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 are 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 and create an undesirable surface. Be sure that the material you use has a balanced formula and not high in nitrogen. Hydrogen Peroxide is a fungicide. It is suggested to use a 1% solution sprayed on top and bottom leaves to control fungi (leaf spot, powdery mildew, etc). The normal medical solution as purchased is a 3% solution so dilute that with 2 parts water to 1 part peroxide. One article cited Texas A & M studies which showed that a strength greater than 1.7% produced some leaf burning on tender test foliage. A 0.1% solution aided in rooting cuttings and in controlling Botrytis can be added to drip systems and foliar feeds. The peroxide degenerates into water and oxygen fairly rapidly, so is no threat to the environment. Personally, I have used 1% peroxide on elms and yaupons later on in the season, spraying once a week. It got rid of the black spot with no damage. However, when I sprayed tender new foliage with it, I caused considerable burn. Therefore anytime I use peroxide, it will be on mature foliage and at a 0.5% solution. John Miller John Miller, who writes a monthly column for the Bonsai Society of Dallas and Fort Worth Bonsai Society, has agreed to share his column with us. We need to make adjustments for our warmer and damper climate, with earlier springs, longer summers, late fall and erratic winters. President s Message Friends, Spring is arriving tooooo quick. I sound like a farmer, always complaining about the weather. We have had a week of two of warm weather, and everything is waking up. Tooooo quickly. I still have lots of repotting to do. Oh well, I know we are all glad to have the warmer weather, and the flush of color after the brownness of winter. Besides, there will always be repotting and wiring to do, whether you have two trees or two hundred. So I ll quit the pity party, shut-up, and get back to work. The New Year brings resolutions about work, sleep and exercise that are usually broken by March, but I would challenge you to learn something new about bonsai, and try it. Last month s program on improving the root structure of your trees was a great start. The March meeting will highlight Alex Leong showing us a couple of grafting techniques. We Humans, can read, listen and learn, but the best teacher is actual experience. So try something new this year. I have chosen to learn more about soil components and water chemistry, and my trees are looking better for it. Scott Barboza gave us a great program last year on soil components. Scott will have a lecture /demo at the convention this year to expand on that topic. The soil and water you use, have more effect on the health of your tree than anything else you do. March s meeting will also have the Emerging Talent contest in an adjacent room. The participants should have less than 7 years of bonsai experience. We will have junipers for them to wire and style in a little over an hour. (If you want to participate, bring your tools, and wire.) Then we will choose the winner from our club. Our winner will advance to the State Convention, and the HBS will pay for their registration ($150.00). Not workshops or hotel. The State Emerging Talent Contest will be held on Thursday night, April 10 th. Two winners will be selected, one by the visiting Artists, and one by the Attendees. Each winner will receive a new set of Joshua Roth tools. The East Meets West State Convention is less than 60 days away (April th ). We will have a few new ideas to try, and a lot of old favorites like the raffles. We have registrations coming in daily, workshops filling up quickly; in fact a couple are already sold out. Consider bringing your child or grandchild to the Bonsai for kids on Saturday morning. The kids do not have to be a full registrant of the convention to try this workshop. We have trees, and a great book written by Frank Mihalic specifically for kids. It will be fun and entertaining for them. We are trying to hook the next generation on something that doesn t have a screen, keyboard or remote control. It is open to children, grandchildren, neighborhood kids, etc. from The Bonsai Exhibit will bring together some of the

4 best trees in the state. There will be awards for many categories such as Best Conifer, Deciduous, Broadleaf Evergreen, Tropical, Texas Native, Shohin Group, Suiseki, Best in Show, and the People s Choice. You have to submit a data sheet (Convention Registration forms) before the convention, so they can assemble a Guide. Also, don t forget the Saturday evening Auction after Dinner. Any LSBF member can enter Bonsai Trees and Bonsai Related items into the Auction. All Items should have a minimum value of $100.00, and the seller can set a reserve price. The Seller will receive 80% and the Convention 20%. Ask the Convention Chairmen for more details. We need lots of volunteers to help with the many areas: registration, move in, set up, raffles, exhibit, auction, and refreshments. We are also looking for items for: 1. The Auction Saturday Night 2. The 5 Raffles we will have from Friday through Sunday 3. Items for the Goodie bags 4. Corporate sponsorships are also available. Don t forget it is time to collect those annual dues. $25.00 for an individual, or $30.00 for a family. You can bring them to the next meeting or send them in to our Treasurer. (Forms are on the website) Thanks for your support, Hurley Houston Bonsai Society Board Meeting Minutes February 5, 2014 I. Call to Order Meeting was called to order by Hurley Johnson at 6:30 p.m. II. Roll Call Present: Hurley Johnson, Jim Stone, Eldon Branham, Alan Raymond, Greg LeBlanc, Brian Gurrola, Ron Ahles, and Barbara Adams. A quorum was present. Also in attendance were Raymond Gonzalez, Peter Parker, Terry Dubois and Donald Green. III. Read and Approve Meeting Minutes Minutes for the meeting of January 8, 2014 were read. Two corrections to the minutes were noted. Page 1: Ray Gonzalez' name was misspelled. Page 2: Planning committee meetings for LSBF activities are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. A motion was made to accept the minutes as amended. Motion was seconded and approved by all. IV. Treasurer's Report As Anthony Cutola was not present and there were questions regarding the Treasurer's Report submitted, there was no vote regarding its acceptance. Expenses incurred for the month include: Guest speakers' Howard and Sylvia Smith estimated total $ (Airfare - $272.00, hotel - $90.00, demo speaker fees - $200.00) C.J. Everson - refreshments estimate $ LSBF- members' travel expenses to attend meetings $ Arthur Joura s Chinese Quince at the NC collection Total expenses $ A motion was made to pay the above expenses. The motion was seconded and approved by all. Hurley Johnson mentioned that the club needs a camera to facilitate demonstrations. He has a camera for the club to try which will be available for the Smiths' demo this date. V. Unfinished Business A.Saturday February 8th Study Group to be held at Timeless Trees from 9:00 a.m. to 12 Noon.

5 As Hurley Johnson will not be there, others will be in attendance to assist. VI. LSBF Activities A. Publicity - Eldon Branham reported that to date, there are 25 full registrations for the April State Convention. All but four are from Texas. Pete Parker reported that the ABS (American Bonsai Society) published a very nice half page ad for the convention in their newsletter - free of charge. There will be one more ad in their upcoming publication. Mention was made that Kathy Huber, the Garden Editor for the Houston Chronicle, will run an article about the convention in the Sunday paper the week prior to the event. It was suggested that she be invited to attend one of the weekend workshops. B. Bonsai Tree Auction - Mention was made that publicity is needed to advertise this auction to be held after dinner Saturday evening of the State Convention. Members are to bring high trees valued at least in the $ range. The owner will split proceeds on a 80/20% basis. C. Pete Parker and Terry DuBois attended the first LSBF meeting of the year held January 11 th in Wimberley, Texas. Their new President, Mark Bynum presided. They haven't published a newsletter in a while in that they're looking for a suitable printer. Their website is also down due to their setting up a new domain. Howard Smith, of their board, will bring a proposal for insurance coverage in April. They are hoping to expand beyond Texas in an effort to be more profitable. Due to the fact that Ft. Worth does not have enough members, there will not be a state convention in As a result, Howard Smith will try and put together a Friday through Sunday symposium with one artist to be held somewhere in Texas. Everyone will bring their own tree. Vendors will be included. D. Emerging Talent - The Club will hold an Emerging Talent competition at the March meeting. The winner will be reimbursed his/her registration fees for the state convention and will be our participant in the same competition to be held at the convention. VIII. NEW BUSINESS A. Hurley would like to have a table set up at monthly meetings for bonsai consultation purposes from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. Volunteers are encouraged to be available to participate. B. Hurley asked that anyone with accounting and/or finance backgrounds please volunteer to audit the club's accounts. This individual should be someone other than a board member. C. Hurley handed out a preliminary 2014 Houston Bonsai Society budget draft for board members to study. Hopefully it can be finalized in the April meeting. D. There will be no Spring Show in April this year due to planning and preparations necessary for E. The Annual Bonsai "Dig" will be held this Saturday, February 8 th. Those interested in attending are to meet at the Best Buy parking lot at 7:30 AM. At 8:00 AM they will progress to George Bush Park. Brian Gurrola and Alex Leong will be coordinating. Ken Credeur and Eldon Branham will be available as well. F. Club members are reminded to bring items to donate for the raffle at the State Convention. Items can be of any nature - not just pertaining to the art of bonsai. Terry Dubois is coordinating. VIX. ADJOURNMENT A. A motion was made to adjourn the meeting. Motion was seconded and all agreed. The meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Minutes were prepared by Barbara Adams due to new Pedro Morales Dance of the Spirit buttonwood

6 Pedro Morales at Meets West LSBF 2014 Convention The Lone Star Bonsai Federation 2014 convention date is drawing near, just a little over a month from now. Hope everyone had a chance to take advantage of the early registration rate. It ends on March 15 th. HBS members, make sure you bring your proof of registration to the April meeting to enter in the drawing. HBS will refund full registration fee to 3 lucky members. Those of you who are new to bonsai, don t miss this chance to learn from the best teachers. This is also a rare occasion to introduce your friends and families, especially young children, to the wonderful Art of Bonsai. It is one of the most enjoyable hobbies to fill your green or golden years with a lot of fun and excitement, and de-stress or de-compress from work! Why East Meets West for this LSBF event? From time to time, if we listen well to the living objects of our adoration, we d hear: How did we get this far? The resounding answer would be: You ve come a long way Baby (trees)! As the thousand year old Art of Bonsai is taking off at fast and furious speed across the U.S. and around the world, this convention would be our quick glance at bonsai long journey to fully appreciate where this art form is here today and where it s heading. We are extremely lucky to have three well-known teachers of bonsai help us reminisce about the ancient Eastern teachings of Bonsai Art and elaborate on how this art has evolved over the millennia into the today s Western knowledge. You ve read about the first two teachers, Arthur Joura of the East, curator of the North Carolina Arboretum and David DeGroot of the West, curator of Weyerhaeuser s Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection in previous issues. The third contemporary teacher, perhaps more familiar to Houston due to his involvement with our club in the past few years, is international teacher Pedro Morales from Tropical Bonsai School (Puerto Rico). Pedro founded Futago Bonsai Jyuku (Tropical Bonsai School) in So far it is the most important school for tropical bonsai in the Americas, both Latin America and the South of the U.S. For many years, he brings his Tropical Bonsai School all over the world, closest to us are Ft. Myers, Florida and Houston, Texas. Those who know Pedro admire him not only for his knowledge and experience in bonsai, but most of all, for his warm heart, his great sense of humor, and his no- border camaraderie. The Puerto Rico group 3 rd year At the TBS graduation parties, he even rewards his students with his own cooking. Check HBS Calendar of Events to see the dates of the 3 week-long classes for Tropical Bonsai School Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 coming up at Timeless Trees Bonsai Nursery in the next months. The Mexico group 3 rd year In his newly published book, Tropical Bonsai, volume 1, Pedro spoke lovingly of his special relationship with Mexico and Latin American countries, and how his decade long efforts helped them develop their regional groups. No doubt he has become the primary force in the flourishing bonsai movement there. Pedro s popularity is spreading far and wide as he travels to the tropical world of Australia, China, Japan, Korea, India, Spain, Germany and Slovakia to share his vast knowledge to the world bonsai communities. A true Bonsai Ambassador to the tropical world who joins forces with numerous bonsai teachers to spread the Joy of Bonsai around the world! The Costa Rica group 3 rd year Pedro was Chairman of the WBFF Convention in Puerto Rico and a headliner at numerous World Bonsai Friendship Federation Conventions in Florida, Munich

7 and Washington DC and will be soon at the International Bonsai Art & Culture Biennale in Indonesia (October 2014). He has also won countless prestigious global bonsai prizes for his great masterpieces. Pedro s list of accomplishments is endless but when one comes face to face with this grand maestro, he is just a sweet, humble and down to earth buddy. Here is part of a note he sent me: be missed by avid art lovers. Come witness the marriage of the conventional, the contemporary and the innovative to other art forms in the most creative bonsai displays and demos. Sign up for workshops with the masters and learn how to create living objets d art for your own enjoyment at home at our website: houstonbonsai.com. See you and your loved ones at the convention! Shawn Nguyen Convention Raffle Our next LSBF convention held in Houston is coming up in the next month. This is always a time of great fellowship, fun, and most importantly, learning more about the art of bonsai. As you most likely already know, the net proceeds of the convention are split between the host club and the LSBF. This is the major way for LSBF raises money for its functions in the state. The U.S. Florida group - 3 rd year Bonsai as an art form that helps us be more in touch with nature. We feel the spirit of the tree and at the same time it helps us develop our love for nature. I love nature so my tropical styled trees totally disguise the hand of the creator. My goal is to make them look completely natural. I hope my friends (I don t call them students) develop the same passion I have for bonsai and nature. I also enjoy sharing what I learn. I want people to see me as a friend, not a professional bonsai teacher. My wish is that others feel the same peace I feel when I m working on my trees. The Houston club is looking for donations for THE fund raising event at convention, the Raffle. Please consider donating Bonsai related items like pots, books, magazines, turntables, tools, tool bags and lots of trees and plants! However we will raffle just about anything you will donate: Asian decorations, non-plant related books, alarm clocks, cars, boats, well... Bring those items to the next meetings or give me a call if they are live plants or items that are too big. In those cases, do let me know in advance what you will be bringing so we can plan on spreading those items evenly in all raffles. Thanks in advance for anything you are able to bring to donate. Terry Dubois Tdubois1@comcast.net It s repotting time! Come see the manager Evan Cardenas for a lot of the needed bonsai supplies, fertilizers and pesticides. Don t forget to ask for the HBS 10% discount. The US Houston group coming up on the 3 rd year East Meets West Convention and Exhibit are the collaborative efforts of the Lone Star Bonsai Federation clubs and the gifted headliners, teachers and artists, not to

8 Searching for exotic flowering, fruiting and rare tropical bonsai trees? Visit JRN Nursery II, only 4 miles from the LSBF 2014 site (the Marriott WestChase). Orchids, house plants and Japanese garden accessories can also be found there. Ask Thuy Doan for a nursery tour and the seasonal specials for bonsai club members. Shipping is available. Plan to stop by Houston s finest Bonsai Studio and Nursery located in Rosenberg and visit with Hurley Johnson and his expert bonsai staff. Books, supplies, tools, soils and thousands of bonsai trees. HBS very own bonsai potter, Andy Sankowski has built quite a collection of small to large uniquely artistic bonsai and accent plant pots. Custom pots can be made in any size, shape and colors to complement your trees and delivered to you at the State convention. Andrew Sankowski Oak Ridge Drive Direct (281) The Woodlands, TX Fax (281) info@mossrockstudio.com Contact Greg Leblanc of Black Bayou Bonsai for a private viewing or stop by his booth for collected cypresses and native southern trees. Calendar of Events 2014 MAR 5 HBS meeting - Grafting methods with Alex Leong. BYO tree, tools and grafting material. MAR 8 Saturday Study Group at Maas Nursery in Seabrook, 9am 12 Noon. Free, refreshments MAR 15 White Sage workshop at Timeless Trees, 9am 1pm, $40 including tree, pot, soil & wire and Bonsai Introduction, 1 2pm Free for those interested in the hobby MAR 22 Azalea workshop with Michael McCluskey at Timeless Trees, 9am 1pm, $60. BYO Azalea tree to style, prune and wire. MAR 22 Bonsai Selection & Display Design for LSBF 2014 with the Shohin Society of Texas at Persimmon Hill, Austin - 10:30am 2pm MAR 29 Japanese Boxwood workshop at Timeless Trees, 9am 12 Noon, $ 20. BYO tree or choose one from TT for styling, wiring and development. MAR 30 Adam Lavigne, a bonsai artist from Orlando, will come to Lake Charles for a workshop. Adam specializes in shohin and in bonsai carving pm APR 2 APR 5 HBS meeting Saturday Study Group APR East Meets West LSBF 2014 convention hosted by LSBF and HBS at Marriott Westchase Houston. Exhibit, workshops, demos, vendors, raffles, auction, and much more. APR 19 Shohin Study Group with Ray Gonzalez at Timeless Trees APR 26 Japanese Black Pine Study Group with Ken Credeur at Timeless Trees MAY 6 MAY10 HBS meeting Saturday Study Group MAY 23 26, Brussels s Rendezvous, Olive Branch, Mississippi, see their website for registration. MAY 27 nd JUN 2 nd, Tropical Bonsai School, Year 1 with Pedro Morales at Timeless Trees. $500 includes all educational and workshop materials, snacks, refreshments, 3 lunches, 3 evening classes Tuesday to Thursday 6 9pm & 3 day workshops Friday to Sunday 9am 5pm. JUN 24 29, Tropical Bonsai School Year 2, Pedro Morales, Timeless Trees. $500. JUL 11 13, Tropical Bonsai School Year 3, Pedro Morales, Timeless Trees. $

9 Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. P. O. Box , Houston, Texas HBS Board Members President Hurley Johnson 1 st Vice President Scott Barboza in charge of Education 2 nd Vice President Jim Stone bnsaijim@yahoo.com Secretary Barbara Adams adams.barbara1@embarqmail.com in charge of Membership Publicity Eldon Braham elmo4635@aol.com Treasurer Anthony Cutola acutola@gmail.com Member at Large - O John Edmonson bonsai@edmonsonphoto.com Member at Large - O John Williams kappijon3@gmail.com Member at Large - E Greg LeBlanc blackbayoubonsai@yahoo.com Member at Large - E Brian Gurrola bgurrola@gurrolareprographics.com Member at Large - E Ron Ahles carolahles@sbcglobal.net Delegates Past President Alan Raymond amraymond@suddenlink.net LSBF Delegate Peter Parker peteparkerbonsai@yahoo.com LSBF Alternate Terry Dubois tdubois1@comcast.net BCI Ambassador Donald Green donald.green12@att.net TTSBE Representative Alan Raymond amraymond@suddenlink.net Refreshments C.J. Everson c.j.everson@comcast.net Website/ Gary Teeter houstonbonsai@gmail.com Newsletter editor Shawn Nguyen hbs.news@yahoo.com The Bonsai News of Houston is a monthly publication of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. Copyright The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the editor or a member of the Board of Directors. Exceptions exist, however, for certain not-for-profit and non-profit bonsai organizations or associated bonsai and bonsai nursery newsletters, including without limitation the American Bonsai Society. HBS participates fully with reciprocation of contents and material between other LSBF member organizations and others. Authors who submit articles for this newsletter thereby give permission to such organizations to reprint, unless they expressly state otherwise. Space for advertising in The Bonsai News of Houston can be requested by contacting the newsletter editor or a member of the HBS Board. The rates for a business-card-size ad (approximately 3 1/2" x 2") are $6 per month, $30 for 6 months and $50 per year (12 issues). A full-page ad is $25 per month. Rates are subject to change without notice. 3½" x 2" classified ads are run free of charge for one month once per 12-month period for non-commercial members. For special requests or questions related to The Bonsai News of Houston, contact the newsletter editor or a member of the HBS Board.