Bonsai Society of Dallas

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1 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 Bonsai Society of Dallas Monthly Member Newsletter July 2015 Message from the President In This Issue Message from the President July Program Upcoming Events July Bonsai Tips and Advice June Program in Review Pedro s Visit in Review Learning Opportunities July To Do List Member News Beginner Bulletin Board Board of Directors Sylvia Smith, President slysmith@tx.rr.com Greg Brewer, Vice President, Program Chair brewer1959@yahoo.com Diane Lowe, Secretary diane_lowe@live.com Jerry Riley, Treasurer jafa625@gmail.com John Miller, President Emeritus bonsaimiller@aol.com Kyle Downing, Membership Chair flattrack75081@yahoo.com Todd Hang, Newsletter Editor tqhang@gmail.com Mary Polk, Member at Large doggiedigs2@att.net Bill Muto, Member at Large bmuto@aol.com Howard Smith, LSBF Delegate bonsaismiths@tx.rr.com It's officially hot again! What can we say; we all love Dallas but usually not during the summer! So remember to please keep up with your trees. It is vital that they are protected from the sun, watered regularly, and are protected from hot temperatures. It is critical that the roots be kept cooler during this time. There are several ways to keep pot temperatures down. Adding sifted sphagnum as a thin top layer of the soil surface, placing your pots on top of a humidity tray filled with porous stones, placing wet bar towels around the pot's exterior surface, misting your bonsai or even placing them in Styrofoam boxes to keep them cooler. Please feel free to ask other members of the club and they will be happy to share with you how to do these things properly so that you do not over water or create root rot in your trees. This month we will not have a meeting on the first Saturday of the month since it falls on July 4th weekend. Instead we will be meeting the second Saturday of the month and welcoming Owen Reich as the LSBF traveling artist. And don't forget to start preplanning for the August meeting where Michael Ryan Bell, a well known antique pottery specialist will be here to teach us about the value of antique pottery in bonsai. There might even be an opportunity for members to purchase antique pottery so we will keep you posted! Everyone is welcome to bring something they want to have appraised and Michael will have a Q &A at the end of the meeting. Have a great 4th of July! Sylvia Order Your Copy Don t forget that the deadline to order the beautiful book of photos from our recent exhibition is July 31 st. The cost goes down the more we order, but generally it would be in the $65 - $80 price range each. If you want one, please let David G. know by July 31 so he can place a single order. His is david@gouldcreative.com.

2 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 LSBF Guest Artist Owen Reich 9:00 AM to Noon, July 11 th / Workshop 1:30 4:30 North Haven Gardens We have another guest artist lined up for July, thanks to the coordination and sponsorship from our LSBF organization. Owen Reich joins us for our morning program and will give a styling demonstration on a well established Cedar Elm. The afternoon session will be a Bring-Your-Own- Tree Workshop. When Owen was asked to describe himself and his passion for bonsai, he shared the following. Most of my life I ve lived in the Southeastern part of America. I m drawn to the mountains and have spent a great deal of time in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. Deciduous trees and broad leaf evergreens have always held the most interest for me and my mind goes straight to maples, fruit trees, and winter flowering species when it comes to bonsai. The plant nerd in me likes the less commonly used species without a doubt. This area of bonsai is where I hope to have the greatest impact by sharing techniques for their creation and maintenance. My background is in the Green Industry and I have a degree in Horticulture from the University of Georgia. All my internships and summer jobs since I was old enough to work have involved getting my hands dirty. After graduation, I spent 5 years building, managing, and expanding Samara Farms LLC as the Nursery Manager. An interest in Asian species (especially Japanese) and unusual plants kept me busy propagating while also producing crops of species suitable for the nursery trade. I ve always enjoyed the moment when something clicks and new insight is gained by the student. Now, after completing my first two years of a formal apprenticeship at Kouka-en, I m ready to share what I ve learned so far in Japan as well as all the horticultural insight gained from past experience. The best way to describe my teaching style is laid back and practical. There are many gray areas when learning about bonsai, but navigating these murky waters is possible. The most important thing when working with bonsai is that this activity should be fun. While styling and caring for exhibition quality collections is something I m capable of, some people just want to improve their skill sets without all the pomp and circumstance. An ideal end to any workshop I lead involves a room-full of students worn out from information overload; not guessing what the next step is for their bonsai. We will take Owen to lunch after the program so consider joining us to get to know him better. Our workshop begins at 1:30 p.m. and is open to 8 attendees only. The cost is $45. RSVP to Diane Lowe at diane_lowe@live.com if you want a seat. Bring your own tools, wire, and of course a tree. Upcoming Events July 4 th Holiday No program July 11 th LSBF Guest Artist Owen Reich, morning program, followed by afternoon Workshop August 1 st Guest Artist - Michael Ryan Bell, Bonsai Pottery September 5 th Exhibition Judging & Display Events Elsewhere July 18 th 19 th Columbus Bonsai Society Show Columbus, OH August 1 st 2 nd Prairie State Bonsai Society Show Lisle, IL September 18 th 21 st BCI 2015 Convention Guangzhou, China September 23 rd 27 th BonsaiFest at Bowers Museum Santa Ana, CA September 26 th - 28 th Artisans Cup of Portland Portland, Oregon October 9 th -10 th LSBF Educational Seminar Houston, TX October 10 th 11 th Bonsai Europa Manchester, UK October 23 rd 25 th The National Bonsai Convention Christchurch, New Zealand October 29 th - November 1 st GSBF Convention Riverside, CA

3 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 July Bonsai Tips and Advice By John Miller July and August are usually the two most stressful months for bonsai in our neck of the woods but this year has been different, so far. Keep an eye on the weather forecasts and be ready to change your habits. Going into July and August and usually later you will need to keep your bonsai as cool as possible. That means no sun on the pot and soil where the roots are. Without going into a lot of detail some considerations you will be looking at. 1. Shade cloth. 40% for pines, junipers, tridents. 50% for less tough plants. 60% on the west side. 2. Water schedule. At 2pm to cool the soil, at sundown to cool soil and refresh overnight, morning as necessary. This is optimum. You must adjust that schedule and soil mix to work with your schedule. 3. Soil covering. Chopped long fiber sphagnum to retain moisture also helps keep soil cooler. 4. Protect from late afternoon sun. Low humidity lets the full force of the heat come thru. 5. Consider foliage misting especially on junipers. Many species in the wild open stoma at night to take in dew. Some broadleaf plants do foliage feeding, usually for localized needs in the area of the leaf. 6. Keep insects under control especially the sucking ones - mites and scale. 7. Pot protection. Shade sides of pot. Use old cloth, shop towels, make boxes to fit. Some air circulation around the pot should be allowed. We usually do not fertilize our bonsai enough. However during these hot days you need to exercise care. Slow release organics are best. Chemical fertilizers may burn roots if the soil temperature (remember the sun factor) gets too warm, probably like upper 90s or more, be sure to read the label for guidance. Most recommendations are to feed the trees with organic fertilizer balls. Many are available commercially or you can make your own, depends on how many bonsai you have. Even with the fertilizer balls I like to give a feeding with a liquid fertilizer every other week also. Also watch for signs of insect problems. The spider mite will always be near. Others to look for are scale of various forms, aphids, bagworms, and mealy bugs. Preventative medicine is best, spray on a regular schedule. By the time you see signs of bugs, the damage is already done, especially from spider mites. I use the organic foliar feed (1 Tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses and 5% apple cider vinegar per gallon water) applied weekly to control all these. You can use some of the other organic controls or a chemical according to label directions. Read the label directions carefully. Do not apply oil based chemicals to buttonwoods. A hose end sprayer does not work very well, its droplets are too large and you have little control over where it goes. Use a pump sprayer with a fine spray and cover both top and bottom of leaves, trunks and all twigs. Most controls, whether chemical or organic, must be done on a regular schedule for good control. If you wait until you see damage it is usually too late. When checking the results on your plants after spraying, remember that the spray usually will not remove the evidence of problems. The webs will still be there after the mites are killed and the shells of the scale will be attached to the leaf or stem. These will have to be removed by hand, by a jet of water, or some other way. A soft toothbrush works well on the scale shells. There is no damage from this leftover evidence but it prevents you from seeing any new infestation that may occur. Be careful when pruning the spring flowering species. They will set buds for next year s flowers in the fall. The Kurume azaleas set their buds in July and the Satsuki a little later in August. You need to find out if your particular flowering tree blooms on new or old wood and when it sets buds so you can keep it in shape and yet will not prune next year s flowers off. Tropicals, buttonwoods, fukien tea, serissa, fig, etc., should be repotted during the summer while they are growing strong. When the humidity is low I mist my junipers in the evening. I believe the story is that in the wild junipers open their stomata in the cool of the Continued on next page.

4 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 July Bonsai Continued evening absorbing any dew that may occur and close in the heat of the day to conserve moisture. The other species may get a foliage spray in the morning. The humidity in summer varies quite a bit but when it sticks around for a few days so look for fungal problems to appear, mildew being the most prevalent. Black spot will show up if the foliage stays wet very long. Foliage watering in the morning will usually not be a problem because it dries pretty quickly. Treat with potassium carbonate which you can find at any nursery with a decent organic section. There are several chemical sprays available too. If you use the Boon technique for growing pines, now is the time for removing the candles, earlier on bigger trees, later on smaller ones. Tip of the Month How Hot are your Pots? Want to check how hot your pots are getting this summer? A hot pot can mean dead or damaged roots. Try an Infrared thermometer gun. You can get these at most home improvement stores. Use them to gauge how hot your pots are or even how hot your benches get. Did you know that wood gets hotter than concrete?! Checking helps you minimize the chance of summer heat damage. Try it!

5 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 Bonsai Smiths Upcoming Classes Full Day Workshops - $75 February 8, 2015 Japanese Black Pine Session 1 (Spring Work) February 14, 2015 Deciduous/Maple Workshop Session 1 (Root Refinement & Grafting) February 21, 2015 Juniper Workshop Session 1 (Healthy Root Systems on Collected & Nursery Stock Junipers) May 16, 2015 Maple/Deciduous Workshop Session 2 (Ramification & Defoliation) June 27, 2015 Japanese Black Pine Workshop Session 2 (Summer Decandling) July 18, 2015 Juniper Workshop Session 2 (Wiring & Styling) October 17, 2015 Juniper Workshop Session 3 (Branch & Deadwood Refinement) November 21, 2015 Japanese Black Pine Workshop Session 3 (Winter Work) We also offer soil mixes. Our APL mix is now available! Soil Prices (tax not included) APL Mix - 5 gal. - $59, 1 gal. - $15 Akadama - $35 per 20 liter bag, Pumice - $4 per gal., Lava - $3 per gal 2015 Kathy Shaner Seminar October 16 th 18 th Buda, TX * Seminar * * Home-cooked Dinner * * Bring-your-own-tree Workshop * Registration available in July. To be notified when registration is open, Colin at ckmurphy2000@gmail.com. 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: Jerry Riley jafa625@gmail.com

6 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 6 Pedro Morales Visit in Review In the global bonsai community, Pedro Morales is very well known. We were so lucky to have him visit us in Dallas last month. The stage was set..or should we say the table was set, with all the tools and wire he could possibly need for his morning demonstration of the initial styling of a honeysuckle. This tree was originally collected by our friend Ray Hernandez about five years ago and since that time it has been getting thick and healthy again under his care. Before the work started the tree was about 4 tall and had an 8 base at the soil line. As Pedro evaluated the tree he reinforced what we know; that good bonsai must have taper in the trunk and branches. He believes each bonsai should have its own uniqueness and all trees of the same species should not look the same. He encouraged us not to make our bonsai look "perfect" since they don't look that way in nature. He begins to reduce the height of the multiple trunks in small sections rather than drastic cuts. Before making the final cuts, he marks all of them at the desired angle with a black marker before cutting with a fine tooth saw. This keeps him aligned properly throughout the sawing effort. He cuts at a slope, rather than straight across, and leaves a little growth outside the cut to allow for some dieback. Cut paste is always applied to speed the healing process. As the tree was taking on its new shape, Pedro drew for us his view of the styled tree in the future. He emphasized the importance of keeping good records, to include photos as well as notes. Photos courtesy of Lance Williamson

7 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 7 Pedro s Workshop Photos courtesy of Sylvia Smith

8 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 8 June Program in Review Bonsai Smiths Study Group It was another fun morning of work with the Smiths. We had lots of interesting material brought in and, as you can see from the pictures, we had a big crowd. After a few announcements, we quickly got to work. The pictures tell the story. Thanks Howard and Sylvia! Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box , Photos courtesy Richardson, of Lance TX Williamson

9 BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 9 July s To-Do List Link of the Month 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 Begin to reduce fertilization regimen except on Tropical and Subtropical Continue to protect from extreme heat which may include increasing your watering times Treat for insects as needed; avoid using insecticides or chemicals during the hottest time of the day. Deciduous Cut back shoots and rewire branching as needed Feed lightly; do not let shoots become too strong unless you are thickening a branch. Light defoliation on trees in tertiary ramification. Evergreen/Conifer JB Pine decandling can be done on medium to large trees through July 4 th ; Shohin JB Pine can be decandled from July 7-10; wiring can be done within one week after decandling. Junipers can be thinned and wired as needed; "pinching" to maintain shape only. Flowering/Fruit Cut back if desired to maintain shape and structure Azaleas can be worked on through early July Tropical Fertilize 4-6 weeks after repotting Leaf prune for ramification (if not recently repotted) How about a link closer to home this month? Check out the LSBF website and find out more about the upcoming educational seminar in Houston in October. This is a new event; an alternative to a full convention. It is a day and a half packed with good information, workshops and vendors. It features guest artist Matt Reel, along with David Kreutz our go to guy for all things azalea (and more, of course). You can find registration forms there too under Convention. THE LONE STAR BONSAI FEDERATION Member News Got news to share? Let us know.. A warm welcome to our newest members who have joined since April. They are: Clint N., Elisa G., Michael A., Sheryl S., and Gustavo R. We are glad to have you as members of the club and hope you enjoy learning with us. Welcome! We currently have 67 members. 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 Diane at diane_lowe@live.com for an individual response. Your question may also appear anonymously here in a future issue so that others can learn. Question: I have a couple of Japanese Maples and the leaves are starting to turn brown at the edges? What would cause this and what should I do? Answer: What you are probably seeing is the effect of our hot, dry winds in Texas. Japanese Maples typically like a semi shaded, moist environment with cool breezes, That does not describe the typical back yard in North Texas. Although we have had a wet spring, one or two days of warm winds on tender new leaves can cause this to happen. We often see this several weeks after the damage is done. No need to worry; your trees are likely still in good health and will continue to grow well. Just try to keep them protected from the wind and the hot direct sun. Morning sun and afternoon shade would be good.

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