FOUR SEASONS BONSAI CLUB

Transcription

1 FOUR SEASONS BONSAI CLUB of MICHIGAN APRIL 26th KOI FISH AND BONSAI APRIL 30TH AT BORDINES NURSERY 12:30 MEETING SET UP (PLEASE COME EARLY AND HELP US START ON TIME) 1:00 CLUB EVENTS DISCUSSION AND BONSAI UPDATES 1:15 RAY ALEXANDER KOI PRESENTATION 2:00 RICK BIENIEK PRESENTATION ON TRIANGLE DESIGN FOR FOREST AND GROVES 2:20 NEW BONSAI "NIBBLERS" CARVING TOOL DEMO (BRING A DREMEL AND TREE) 2:45 RAFFLE AND Q & A If you are interested in Koi fish, you won t want to miss Ray Alexander s presentation. Ray is the president of Michigan Koi and Pond club and also the creator of one of Michigan s most incredible Japanese gardens. He will discuss raising Koi fish, judging Koi for competition and how to develop your own pond. Ray will also share photos of his award winning Japanese garden and bonsai display stands. The second presentation will have Rick Bieniek discussing triangular patterns in bonsai styling. A larch forest and a twin trunk barberry would be the display trees. Understanding the geometry of design in nature and how we can best replicate depth, age and perspective by placement of trees will make for a captivating presentation. This presentation will be for beginners and intermediate level bonsai artist. Be sure to bring a note pad. Part 3 of our meeting will allow club members to try out our new set of "Bonsai Nibblers" carving tools. Bonsai Nibblers are stainless steel and used for carving and shaping wood. They are specifically designed for use on small and medium sized bonsai but can also be used for any kind of general wood carving. Bring in a tree you'd like to try out or dive into custom carving. BRING IN ITEMS FOR THE CLUB RAFFLE! PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: What we know about bonsai is that we don't know enough about bonsai. How can we develop show worthy trees and still maintain a personal life and a job? How can we take in the mountain of books and articles and still have time for our other interests. How can we lose a tree and still be motivated to start another and another? One word. Passion. We live and learn by our mistakes and errors. Overwatering vs underwatering. Moving trees outside before the weather is balanced. Remaining friendships with those who watch our trees we've raised for years only to kill them in a few days? Simple, because bonsai has taught us a new level of patience and keeping our sights on long term goals. Bonsai is as much about developing a tree as it is about self development. It cleanses the mind, builds character and adds a high level of stress and tension when done poorly. What I'm trying to say is simple, if you love bonsai, stay with it. Learn from mistakes and share your stories. Reduce your collection if overwhelmed and focus on a few species, and share your knowledge with the club in person and online. Michael Corbeille / President 4seasonsbonsai@gmail.com

2 BONSAI CIRCUS 2017 The Bonsai Circus is one of Four Seasons signature events. This year we exceeded expectations. We had record attendance and new presenters. We were able to have 8 tables presenting within our 3 hour time limit. Club members were educated on forest plantings, wiring for beginners and experts, PH Balancing your trees, repotting techniques, creating a landscape on a slab and general styling and design. We are proud to have such a great group of artists sharing their knowledge of bonsai at all levels of experience.

3 BONSAI FOR BEGINNERS How do you make a Bonsai tree? First step is to acquire a tree, which can be done by buying a pre Bonsai (rough material to be pruned and wired) or by using one of several possible cultivation techniques. Very important however is to select a tree species that fits your circumstances. Are you keen on keeping the tree indoors (which limits your options to (sub)tropical trees that can survive indoors) or would you like to put your Bonsai outside? In the latter case, most nontropical trees will grow perfectly fine as long as they are protected from either intense sunlight or freezing temperatures. A safe bet is to select a indigenous tree species. With this short introduction you should be able to select a tree that fits your wishes, either an indoor Bonsai or an outdoor.water. The improvements must concern either the buried roots, or those on the surface, and the nebari which should be attended to at each repotting. Repotting conifers is more complicated and carries a slightly higher level of risk than that of broadleaves. It should never be done with bare roots; instead, part of the root ball must be kept intact. The fine roots of conifers generally have more trouble forming. To absorb food, they need mycorrhizas, which therefore need to be retained.old needles to allow more light to penetrate, to activate the dormant buds inside the tree and to sort through the terminal buds at the ends of the branches to leave just two of them. Now that we have selected the kind of tree, let's proceed with ways to actually get one! One way is to buy a ready-made Bonsai tree from an (online) Bonsai store. These stores often have a wide variety of tree species as well as shapes and sizes, but this comes at a price. As mentioned above you could also buy a prebonsai, which is 'rough material' (with potential for Bonsai) to be shaped by yourself, a great way for quick results. Similar to buying prebonsai is collecting trees from nature; but this can be tricky and should only be done with permission. You could also get a Bonsai starterkit, enabling you to create your own tree and learn the basics of Bonsai. A less expensive, but slow method is to cultivate a tree yourself; using seeds or cuttings. It will normally take around 3-5 years before the tree can be trained, so you might want to do this as a side project (and buy a prebonsai to get started with training techniques already now). Shaping and styling techniques Now that we have either bought or cultivated a tree, it's time to get started with shaping and styling it. This is the creative part of growing Bonsai trees, as well as the difficult part. Although it took many decades to refine techniques like pruning and wiring to keep trees miniaturized, some basics can be learned quite easily. Right now we will look at the basics of pruning and wiring, but make sure to read the "styling" section for more detailed information on these subjects. Bonsai is not a race, nor is it a destination. It is a never-ending journey. Let's begin with the single most important technique to Bonsai; pruning. Pruning is crucial in keeping trees miniaturized as well as to shape them. The goal is to create a Bonsai that resembles nature as close as possible. The spring and summer are the seasons to proceed with significant pruning; though this will depend on the type of tree you have. Make sure to buy a good concave cutter when pruning thick branches. The hollow wounds these cutters leave behind heal much better than normal cutters would. Though it is impossible to tell you which branches to prune to form your tree without actually seeing it, it helps to look at some example Bonsai progressions, and start from there. Some examples of instances in which a branch should be removed include: If two branches occur at the same height of the tree, keep one of them and remove the other. Remove branches with unnatural twists and turns. Remove disproportionately thick branches from the top of the tree. Wiring branches down creates the impression of age.

4 Another important technique to shape Bonsai trees is wiring. By wrapping anodized aluminum (or annealed copper) carefully around branches it is possible to bend and shape them, at least to a certain extent. Wiring can be applied all year, but make sure to remove the wire before it starts scarring branches that grow thicker. Make sure to read the wiring page in the training section for a detailed explanation. Care and maintenance A crucial part of information about how to grow a Bonsai tree is its maintenance and care. Though each tree species has specific care guidelines (make sure to check these for your Bonsai!), in this part I will discuss some of the basics, starting with watering. How often Bonsai trees need to be watered depends on a wide range of factors, including species of tree, pot-size, soil and climate. Over-watering can result in root-rot, one of the most common causes of death. However, as Bonsai are planted in such small pots they also tend to dry up very easily. Choosing the right soil mixture and re-potting regularly (on average every two years, to make sure the trees don't become pot-bound, making it hard to soak up and store water) is crucial to keep your tree healthy. An important rule for watering is to check frequently on your tree (instead of simply watering it once per day), and when watering to do this thoroughly (to make sure the soil absorbs the water properly). Besides watering and repotting, fertilization is another important thing to keep in mind. Since the trees are put in small pots, with few space and nutrients available, fertilizing regularly in the tree's growth season is key to keep it healthy. Again, it depends on the tree species when, how much and how often it needs to be fertilized. The brand or type of fertilizer (fluid or solid) doesn't matter all that much, as long as you make sure to apply smaller quantities than normal plants would require. Finally, placing an outdoor tree inside (or vice versa) is a sure way to kill it. Before buying (or cultivating) a Bonsai, think where you like to place it! Sub-tropical trees generally need much light and relatively high temperatures and can only live outside if you live in a warm enough climate; these trees will do perfectly fine indoors though. In case you prefer an outdoor tree, a safe bet is to choose a tree that is indigenous to your environment. In case winters get very cold some additional protection from frost is required, since a Bonsai is put in a small pot. BONSAI INSPIRATION - By SUTHIN SUKOSOLVISIT

5 2017 OFFICERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS President...Michael Corbeille Vice-President...Vance Hanna Secretary...David Muzzarelli (586) Treasurers...Beth Rubinstein (248) Guy Vitale (734) Newsletter...Michael Corbeille Library...Kandy Wiley (248) Website...Cate Horn (248) Social Director...Postition is Open Director, 2-Yr. Term...John Stevens (248) Director, 2-Yr. Term...Troy Rider (585) Director, 2-Yr. Term... Ray Alexander (734) Director, 1-Yr. Term...Rick Bieniek Catering, 1-Yr. Term..Judy Muensch

6 2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ALL MEETINGS ARE HELD AT BORDINES NURSERY IN ROCHESTER AT 1:00-3:00. SUNDAY FEBRUARY 26th CLUB PRESIDENT MICHAEL CORBEILLE WILL DISCUSS THIS YEARS AGENDA + RICK BIENIEK S PLANT BOTANY LECTURE + CATE THOMSON WILL GIVE US A TOUR OF THE CLUB S NEW WEBSITE. The board is excited to share this years calendar of events. We will have more guest presenters and club member presentations than years past. Michael Corbeille will share photos and stories from last years North American Bonsai show in NYC. We will also hear from club member Rick Bieniek. His detailed presentation on the science behind bonsai and understanding the chemical makeup of leaves, bark and roots should not be missed. Also, we are excited to launch our new website and hear from the person behind it s design, Cate Thomson. This was a massive undertaking! We will have a raffle at every meeting and time for club members to bring in their bonsai for discussion. Be sure to bring new members and items for the raffle. SUNDAY MARCH 26th BONSAI CIRCUS - SIMULTANEOUS WORKSHOPS FOR EXPERTS AND BEGINNERS. New to bonsai or just looking to hone your skills, don t miss this meeting! Members will hold simultaneous workshops and demos on a variety bonsai related topics geared toward beginners through expert level bonsai artists. Lamont Jackson will show how to create a Forest arrangement, Guy Vitale will share his knowledge on repotting, Vance Hanna will discuss Pines. Michael Corbeille talks wiring and branch bending and Judy Muench will show us how to create dynamic landscapes with massive rock slabs. More presenters on hand. SUNDAY APRIL 30th RAY ALEXANDER KOI AND JAPANESE GARDENS + JIN AND SHARI WITH MICHAEL CORBEILLE If you are interested in Koi fish, you won t want to miss Ray Alexander s presentation. Ray is the president of Michigan Koi and Pond club mkpc-se.com. Ray is also the creator of one of Michigan s most incredible Japanese gardens. He will discuss raising Koi fish and how to develop your own Japanese garden. Michael Corbeille will be bringing in trees to show how to use Jin and Shari on your bonsai trees. Club members should bring in trees to create their own Jin/Shari. SUNDAY MAY 21st AARON WILEY FERTILIZING PRESENTATION + TROY RIDER PROPAGATION AND CUTTING WORKSHOP. Club member, Aaron Wiley s incredible presentation on fertilizing and understanding the science of developing strong bonsai is back and better than ever. Understanding bonsai beyond design is essential information for all levels of bonsai artists. We also have Troy RIder s presentation on propagating and developing bonsai from cuttings and from seed. We suggest getting here early, this meeting will be starting immediately to give these two engaging presentations time for questions. SUNDAY JUNE 25th KURT SMITH DEMONSTRATION + DAN BENNETT STANDS PRESENTATION The owner of Michigan's largest bonsai nursery, Kurt Smith, will conduct a live demonstration. Trees, pots and rare bonsai related items will be on sale to club members. Club members are advised to bring in their own bonsai for styling and design advice from Kurt Smith and fellow club members. Kurt Smith presentations will fill every seat in the house, arrive early and be prepared to leave with a new bonsai at an exceptional price. SUNDAY JULY 23rd BONSAI SHOW PREPARATION Senior level bonsai artists will advise club members on how to prepare your bonsai trees for our annual show. Choosing the right pot, displaying scrolls, finding and building stands, designing accents plants and cultivating moss will all be discussed. Club members are advised to bring in their trees for a final evaluation before entering them into our annual show. SATURDAY AUGUST 12th - SUNDAY AUGUST 13th 44th FOUR SEASONS ANNUAL BONSAI SHOW!!! Show is held at Bordines Nursery in Rochester Hills Saturday 9-7, Sunday ( Show prep is Friday Aug ) Come see our best bonsai trees on display, live demos, workshops and bonsai trees for sale. A must see for all bonsai fans. We are excited to have Bonsai Master JOHN WALL as our judge and special guest. Live demos and beginner workshops, raffles and more. Check our website for more details. John Wall will be conducting a special workshop and Q & A for members. Be sure to help the club share times and dates with the public. SUNDAY SEPT 24th BONSAI AUCTION A massive collection of bonsai trees and bonsai related items will be auctioned off to club members. A must attend for all levels of bonsai artists. Members are asked to come early and check in their sale items and register for the auction. Last years auction set a record for sales and attendance, be sure to arrive early and bring items to sell. We will be sending entry forms and sales information prior to the auction. Sellers must be club members. SUNDAY OCT 22nd SPECIAL GUEST PRESENTER TBD ( WALTER PALL WORKSHOP IS BEING NEGOTIATED THIS MONTH! ) SUNDAY NOV 12th VANCE WOOD STYLING DEMO - CLUB ELECTIONS FOR 2018 ra- Nationally recognized Mugo Pine expert and author, Vance Wood, will be demonstrating expert level styling on a massive pine. Large branch bending, fia and jin formation will be conducted. We will also finalize the new board member list. Be sure to attend and cast your vote. SATURDAY DEC 9th HOLIDAY DINNER at CAFE 6:00-8:00 Open to all club members. A great opportunity for everyone to share stories and plan for 2018.

7 THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLUB MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT BORDINES NURSERY IN ROCHESTER HILLS. PLEASE CHECK THE NEWSLETTER AND FACEBOOK PAGE FOR ANY LOCATION CHANGES AND TO CONFIRM OUR MEETING TIMES.

8 SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BONSAI VENDORS ADVERTISING