Bonsai Society of Dallas

Transcription

1 Upcoming Programs & Events Saturday, July 7, 2012 Monthly Meeting & Program Work Stations/Rotation Saturday, August 4, 2012 Monthly Meeting & Program TBA - Donʼt miss it Saturday, September 1, 2012 Monthly Meeting & Program Letʼs Go Native Saturday, October 6, 2012 Monthly Meeting & Annual Club Auction Saturday, November 3, 2012 Monthly Meeting & Bonsai Study Group with the Smiths Saturday, December 1, 2012 Monthly Meeting/Holiday Party & Program TBA Bonsai Society of Dallas Monthly Member Newsletter July 2012 Message from the President There is no doubt that summer has arrived in Texas. It looks like triple digit heat for the foreseeable future. Thank goodness we have John Millerʼs monthly tips to help us do our best to keep our trees alive during this stressful time. Follow his advice, as he has seen it all through the years. I seem to have missed a tip or two as I have recently lost two of my black pines. I must have been too aggressive during Februaryʼs repotting, removing too much soil. Both trees looked great in color and candle March through May. Then by the first week of June they stopped taking up water, went brown, and I have declared them dead. Iʼve often said that a great part of our club is we are always learning new things; a painful lesson in this case but I sure wonʼt do that again. I hope everyone enjoyed the most recent installment of our quarterly study group with Howard and Sylvia Smith at our June program. Weʼve had good feedback and I hope you learned something to make your skills and your trees better. There is a lot to be learned just following them around and listening to the advice they provide to others. Their next session is scheduled for our November meeting so be sure to put that on your calendar. Finally, I hope everyone can make our July program. We will be working on four different skills relevant to work done at this time of year. We will be in small groups, rotating every 20 minutes to the next topic. If it is anything like last time, it should be informative, hands-on, fun, and very loud. Donʼt forget to bring trees in for ʻShow and Tellʼ beforehand or just general advice if you would like it. Hope to see you next meeting Saturday, July 7, and have a safe and happy 4th of July - Chuck In this newsletter... June Program Recap...page 2 Putting Bonsai in its Context...page 3 Bonsai Novice...page 5 July Bonsai...page 6-7 July Program/Pictures...page 4 page 1

2 Chaos can be a great thing - June meeting by Mary Polk, BSD member Sorry, folks, itʼs me again, Mary Polk. Hiram asked that I write up an article on last monthʼs meeting as neither he nor Bronson was present to do the follow-up report on the workshop. Bronson, your job is safe I am just helping out THIS time. Hiram may be sorry he asked me to do this report as I was NOT taking notes but here it goes. Okay, now, several of our regular members were missing in action for our last meeting yes, YOU know who you are, including Chuck (where were you, dear oh, work sometimes pulls your fingers away from the bonsai tools.) I think the meeting was called to order and various announcements may have been made. I was late and missed the beginning formalities. Howard and Sylvia led the workshop in their organized and calm fashion (or, at least, thatʼs the way it began.) Lots of people brought plants to work on for the workshop led by the Smiths. Several stations were set up in order for a rotation to take place and everyone would be nicely guided on what to do next to their trees. I vaguely remember hearing the Smiths start the workshop stations and then I, I, well, I heard nothing. The activity and conversation in that room was ENORMOUS and the entire compound was probably SHAKING like the recent Cleburne earthquake As hard as I tried to lean in and learn a tidbit or two, I could hear absolutely nothing because of the deafening noise in the room. Now, had I actually brought a tree to work on, I am sure I would have garnered knowledge on the next phase of development of my special tree. BUT, NO, I DID NOT DO AS I SHOULD HAVE instead, my plan was to quietly learn from the whole experience As hard as I tried to hear SOMETHING, I left with deafened ears and feeling rather numb (and, folks, I can usually hear a pin drop.) I wish I could report on suggestions made to various participants by the Smiths, but I canʼt because all I saw were mouths moving, some hand movements, wires twisting, tools flying, and tons of leaves and branches being trimmed like crazy. You know what they say, Busy Hands Are Happy Hands. Trees that came in the door, went out the door looking so much better (or at least headed in the right direction.) So, in other words, the workshop was SUCCESSFUL for the participants. There were novices and there were those who have lots of experience. Let that be a lesson, bring those trees folks I have to admit (without shame) that I, too, was part of the noise it is just so much fun to interact with all the great personalities that make up our club as well as talk to visitors at our meetings. Like, for instance, that nice lady, Latha Rao, who, I believe is a past President of a bonsai group in India. She had been visiting for a couple of months here in the United States/DFW area, discovered our club and came to not one, but two, of our club meetings (as well as the Convention) during her stay here. How great is that?? So, there you have it, CHAOS can be a good thing. This proves to me (again) this club of fellow bonsai lovers are, to say the least, ENTHUSIASTIC and REALLY LOVE THE INTERACTION and APPRECIATE all this club offers to its membership. The members of this club really ENJOY each other and everyone seems to get good vibrations at every meeting, every month, every year. Join us for a special workshop by Visiting guest artist - Mike Feduccia - - Coming October Find details in the August BSD newsletter page 2

3 Putting bonsai in its context and visiting with the master By Bronson Havard If you are interested in bonsai, one of the exciting things you could do is take a trip to the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, CA. You couldnʼt find bonsai in a much better place. And, nearby in California, you can visit a bonsai master, too. At Huntington you get to see what a Japanese AND a Chinese garden look like, side-by-side. Why is this important? I think it puts some bonsai ideas in the context of their heritage. Recently, I made that trip for the re-opening -- after closure for a year to restore structures -- of the 9-acre, Japanese garden. This time I was also able to see -- for the first time -- the expansive new 12-acre Chinese garden nearby. The former garden at 99 years is one of the oldest in the United States and the latter might be the largest Chinese garden in North America. If a trip to Japan or China is not in your future, then maybe this trip could be a substitute. The gardens include many bonsais. The context for bonsai means seeing the natural surroundings from which the trees came. It also means understanding why Asiansʼ great love for nature meant that they had to put trees in small pots for viewing at home year round. It is the opposite point of view held by most Westerners who minimize nature in their lives. I mean, if you look at a Japanese woodblock print, you see that nature looms large in comparison with the people in a scene. When you look at Western paintings, you generally see that people loom larger than nature in a scene. The well-pruned Japanese garden is the backdrop for bonsai trees, a version of which you can walk through at the Huntington or you can visit several other Japanese gardens that we are lucky to have in some American cities. I would put Fort Worthʼs Japanese garden as a local, must place, to visit at least once in the spring and fall. However, the Japanese garden at the Huntington has a beautiful traditional Japanese house, now fully restored, a teahouse like in Kyoto, and a moon bridge that is picturesque for sure. The bonsai exhibit area at the Huntington Japanese garden features more than 70 trees in a courtyard and pathways leading out. There is a good variety of tree species and styling against a bamboo and grey wood plank fence in the exhibit area. The bonsai are a special treat after you have gotten your mind around all the rest. The Chinese garden is called the Garden of Flowering Fragrance (Liu Fan g Yuan). Like the Japanese garden, care is taken to have plants native to the countries that inspired these garden designs. The foreign species adapt well in Californiaʼs climate and, of course, many can be seen around the Dallas area. The curious thing is, of course, that few Dallasites know the origin of the plants they have in their landscapes. The trip to Pasadena to see the bonsai and the gardens affords a special opportunity to check out the best Chinese dim sum at Hop Kee Restaurant in nearby Arcadia. There is a wide selection at very affordable prices. Fortunately, my wife and I had the help of a Chinese-American friend along with us to read the menu, which is only in Chinese. Otherwise, it is pick-what-looks-best from the steam carts continuously rolling in a circle around the large dinner room. A trip to California must include, for some Bonsai Society of Dallas members, a trip to Fuji Bonsai Nursery in Sylmar, not far from Los Angeles and Pasadena. That is where you meet the master in his environment. Roy Nagatoshi, who taught a workshop in Dallas in 2010 and is known everywhere else, lives in his modest house/ nursery with beautiful bonsai trees from the front yard, down the side to the back fence. The land apparently was an old olive grove and the massive trunks of the trees still exit amongst the potted plants. He has a huge endangered California coastal oak that is quite a bonsai specimen. Mr. Nagatoshi was pleased to see a couple Dallasites again. He mentioned that Howard Smith had been by to visit a few weeks back. I assured him that the collected Winged Cedar Elm that I had worked on in his Dallas workshop was still alive, but needing more of his help. Royʼs helper, Alex, gave me my most amusing sight while visiting Fuji nursery. Alex had a cart of Trident Maple saplings, which he proceed defoliate on a large turntable with both hands moving rapidly like plucking feathers from a chicken. Leaves were flying everywhere. I was so surprised that I forgot to take a photo of the scene or ask why he was plucking away and not carefully pruning like weʼre taught in Dallas. Can anybody tell me at the next BSD meeting? page 3

4 BSD July 2012 July Program Work Station Rotations Attend our July 7 meeting and participate in our highly interactive workstation rotations. For new members this meeting allows you to spend 20 minutes learning a technique from one of our club members. This meeting we will offer the following workstations: basics of fertilization (after all, we just donʼt fertilize enough), decandling black pines (this technique is the same as what is used to decandle other pines), wiring using rafia (always a favorite) and developing jin & shari. Work station rotations have become a favorite of our club where novice and experts get to learn in small groups. Be prepared to take notes, ask questions and have fun. Additionally feel free to bring your trees for show and tell or for general advice. Putting bonsai in its context and visiting with the master article page 2 - Photos by Bronson Havard Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box , Richardson, TX page 4

5 Happy Bonsai everyone Bonsai novice here sharing my thoughts and limited knowledge with those of you new to the art of bonsai. (For you experienced ones in the group... hey... I deserve a voice on here too) In this July column I wanted to share 5 tips on getting started in Bonsai. With so many new members this year I felt it was important to maybe start at the beginning and share a few things I have learned over the past 3 years. Bonsai Novice Advice to beginners from a beginner by Hiram Quinones have. An artist's appreciation and styling is equally important. However, I feel that you must also have soul and Zen to create the perfect recipe for quality worthy of any convention or exhibition. If after reading this and wondering when your trees are going to die you are up to the challenge then the next most important thing to do is to try. A man or woman with a hammer, saw and a morningʼs training does not become a cabinetmaker that an expertly turn some wood into a Chippendale chair. During my first BSD meeting I was told several times by experienced members that when we start we all kill trees. I was a little shocked by the statement and thought to myself... Hiram, you are a smart, educated and plant-knowledgeable guy, surely they donʼt mean you. Oh little did I know that yes indeed over the past 3 years I have bought and killed quite a few trees. I was under the impression that since I can grow most any plant and I have since the tender age of 2, when my grandmother had me repotting mother-in-law tongue plants, that the statement did not apply to me. Well... I was wrong Killing my first tree was a disappointment since it was not the first bonsai tree I purchased (which is still alive.) The poor little trident maple never stood a chance. It was in poor draining soil, a pot that was too small (roots had never been trimmed) and was in a black plastic bonsai pot. A recipe for disaster I was also told, you will buy a ton of trash trees. Surely, not I? But in the attempt to build a collection very quickly I now realize that I bought loads of rubbish trees. However, Bonsai is not only about buying trees you need to learn the craft of keeping, styling, and maintaining your trees. That is where membership to this club, reading books, magazines, and blogs as well, as attending conventions (yes travel to conventions - can be fun) will prove beneficial as you become more knowledgeable and sophisticated in the art. Horticultural techniques of plant management, soil characteristics, feeding, and insect control is good to Ok so here are my top 5 for giving bonsai the true old college try Begin by selecting 1-3 trees with taper, movement and low branches. It is best to buy one good tree from a reputable bonsai grower than 10 cheap trees from a big box store Decide on the style to be created or maintained (Formal upright, informal upright, wind-swept, cascade, semi-cascade, literati or any of the other styles you will learn about from attending club meetings.) When in doubt donʼt cut it off - you can always do that later. Better yet bring your tree to a club meeting and get the opinion of one of our experts. Remember that our club is fortunate to be working with Bonsai Smith who are offering quarterly workshops. Donʼt be shy bring your tree Wire everything Yup wire it, practice makes better. Soon you will understand that skill better and realize when you should remove wire, why you should not cross wires and other things that sound silly at first The right soil is very important, pay attention and your trees will flourish. Repotting is much more important for bonsai than houseplants. 6. Alright well remember to ask questions, listen attentively during club meetings, attend conventions or other gatherings. Now repeat after me, serenity now) page 5

6 July Bonsai Tips and advice by John Miller What happens to bonsai in July? I guess that depends more on the people taking care of them than on the weather. When the temperature gets to 100 degrees trees need to be looked after since they cannot get up and move to the shade or go get a drink of water. You need to take care of three things for your bonsai: (1) the ambient temperature, (2) water in the soil, and (3) the sun load on pots as well as trees. How you do this will depend on your back yard and your schedule. I cannot give you a precise to-do list since your backyard is different from mine. The ambient temperature around you bonsai can be different than the general air temperature in the yard. Evaporation requires energy so a humidity tray or wetting the shelves will lower the ambient temp in that specific location. Air movement will evaporate a bit of moisture from the leaves, soil, and surroundings reducing the temperature some. Less moisture on the leaves means less likelihood to have fungal problems and a healthier bonsai can stand stress better. Watering can be hard to do right. There are some fixed items such as your work schedule and maybe family obligations that affect your plans. The APL soil recommended works for most. The akadama keeps more moisture than the beginner realizes. However, since it is clay, if it dries it will need at least two waterings to get rehydrated. Your schedule may require the addition of some organic moisture holding component. An automatic drip system can help until you can hand water. When I worked, I foliage sprayed each morning (took less than 15 minutes.) The sun is a much bigger problem. It will not stay in one place. When you think your shade cloth is working nicely, the sun moves over and shines thru the open end heating the pots. The late afternoon sun is the worst. It is also when the ambient temperature is the hottest so a shade cloth or awning on the west is imperative. Your job is to keep the pot and soil from being heated. A loose cover, preferably fabric, should be used. Timing of watering helps. My ideal for the hot days is to water at 2 p.m. to cool the pots and soil before the hottest part of the day and then again after sundown to cool the roots so the plant can recuperate at night. Not only is the water cool but the resulting evaporation does a lot too. Watch for signs of insect problems. The spider mite will always be near. Other insects to look for are scale of various forms, aphids, and mealy bugs. Preventative medicine is best. By the time you see signs, the damage is already done, especially 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) 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 the spray goes. Use a pump sprayer with a fine spray and cover both top and bottom of leaves and get down into the small cracks and joints. The humidity in summer varies quite a bit but when it sticks around for a few days look for fungal problems to appear, mildew being the most prevalent. Foliage spraying 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. In the garden section of the June 21 Dallas paper, they recommended using 3% hydrogen peroxide to control a viral disease on roses. I have used a % diluted spray of it to control fungal (specifically black spot on elm and yaupon). However it will burn very tender new growth so I hesitate to mention it. As a rule we do not feed our trees enough. Since the mix we use has very little nutrient value, we must make up with our fertilizer practice. Some kind of solid organic must be used since water soluble types wash right on thru. The best rule I have heard was given by Matt Ouwinga who for his trident maples. A. Apply organic fertilizer balls each 6 weeks. Discard old balls. B. Apply fish emulsion every two weeks. C. Apply liquid plant food on alternate weeks. page 6

7 July Bonsai Tips and advice by John Miller continued from page xx Many spring flowering plants will be setting buds for next years flowers. Azaleas will set their but toward the end of July. If you prune tips after that you remove the new buds. Summer night temperatures stay above 70 degrees. The warm night temperatures are essential to repotting some of your tropicals. Most tropicals do well with an annual repotting. I would emphasize to check the wires on your trees and also see that the drains are not blocked in any way. Especially check them after a rain to be sure that your pots have drained properly. Keep the tropicals trimmed as they will be growing like crazy. However, if you want flowers on those that produce on the end of the twigs, like bougainvillea, pomegranate crape myrtle, you will have to forgo the bonsai shape to let them flower. These species should be pruned more drastically before the growing season starts so they can still be in a pretty good shape. Remember, help your trees keep their roots cool. In nature trees and plants have a vast heat sink of the earth to maintain a reasonably cool temperature around their roots. In pots, trees are subject to being as hot as the air around them and they get very hot from being in the sun. Dark pots get much hotter. Things you can do to help keep pots cool will be appreciated by your trees. Personally, I do not like using foil, it is applied too close to the pot and there is no air flow. If you have a bunch of old cloth (known at my place as rags) that is best. You can use them in lieu of the foil, hold rags in place with small rocks. To me they are less noticeable than the foil. A light covering of mulch (e.g. long spaghnum moss) on the soil will also help block the hot rays of the sun, increase humidity and conserve moisture in the pots. Pick the solution best suits your budget, needs and aesthetics. BSD Board of Directors President - Chuck Talley co-program Chair chuck_talley@tandybrands.com Vice-President Vacant Diane Lowe Treasurer diane_lowe@live.com Bronson Havard Secretary bhavard@flash.net Jerry Riley Member Relations jafa625@gmail.com Hiram Quinones Newsletter Editor hiramaquinones@yahoo.com John Miller President Emeritus bonsaimiller@aol.com Sylvia Smith President Emeritus slysmith@earthlink.net Has your address changed? Comments? Hiram at hiramaquinones@yahoo.com page 7

8 BSD July 2012 Howard and Sylvia Smith Tel# (972) Fax# (972) """#$%&'()"(*+#,%- Cultivators of fine trees Collection maintenance Private instruction Classes, lectures & demos "#$%&'(&)(*+&"%,* "#$%&'##"($)*+,-./01/ 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: Diane Lowe Timeless Trees (832) Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box , Richardson, TX page 8