The Bent Twig. American Bonsai Association Sacramento

Transcription

1 February 2010 The Bent Twig Dedicated to the learning, enjoying and promoting of bonsai January Business Meeting President Dolores Rauh thanked club members for the help and time donated last year. Treasurer Ann Harris reported that the club has recovered financial health and has $6,597 in the bank. She reminded everyone that 2010 dues should be paid now. Dues may be mailed to Ann (3681 E Curtis Drive, Sacramento, 95818) or paid at the February meeting. Please pay dues by March to continue receiving the newsletter and an updated member roster. She reported that the emphasis for the coming year will be on bonsai education and said that next month s demonstration will be by Peter Tea (winner of the Joshua Roth new talent competition at the GSBF Convention). Other business issues included: ABAS will participate in repotting workshops with Sacramento Bonsai at Maruyama s Nursery on Sunday, February 14 th and Sunday, March 7 th. Bill Burns will host a Root over Rock workshop at his house on March 6th, so call Bill (at ) or sign up at the February meeting to participate. New members may use the half-off coupon in the new member package. Volunteers are needed for the Garden Center sale on March 27 th and 28 th. Call Ann or sign up at the February meeting if you can help, donate plants or would like to do consignment sales. We need bonsai plants for this sale, but anything garden related would be appreciated. 1

2 Gary Judd informed members that the Capital City Show has donated $14,500 to the collection at Lake Merritt more than any other organization in Northern California during recent years. Doc Ward Demonstration Root Over Rock Doc Ward has been involved in bonsai for over 25 years. Doc told members that he has a passion for propagating and constructing bonsai. Dino and Ann will coordinate the bus trip, but please call Ann if you can help. The trip will be in April, but the date and itinerary have not been set yet. A volunteer to coordinate the Home Tour is still needed, so please call Dolores or Paul if you can take on this activity. The club plans to start a suiseki group because of increased interest in this activity. There will be a sign up sheet at the February meeting. Activities would include group collection trips, carpooling to various shows and stone events and sharing information with other club members. He said that he only has about ten finished bonsai but has 500 plants in nursery pots and thousands in the ground. Doc s larch over rock 2

3 Root Over Rock - Continued When the bottom of the tree can nestle into the rock you re off to a good start. Once you find a good niche for the tree, lay the tree into the rock and tie the top of the tree to the rock. Doc uses a 2-3 year old tree grown from seed with good root system. Doc starts his trees from seeds or cuttings and he has between 60 and 70 root over rock (larch, olive, maple) he loves to build them! He does a continual evaluation process to keep those of interest, and he sells other plants on ebay to keep his inventory manageable. Finding the right rock is an important first step. Doc said that if the rock doesn t have the right hollow for the tree, you can often make one. He gets some of his rock from Hiro, and he also uses bull rock from Cascade Rock. You have to get some pretty big pieces, and Doc s secret is to take it home and drop it onto a hard surface (or use a hammer to chip it) to make smaller rocks. Tie entire room system to the tree After the tree is nestled into the rock and the tree top is tied down, tuck the roots into rock crevices and continue taping the roots and trunk to the rock with green tape. Tie the tape off in several places as you move down the tree and rock. You have to force the tree trunk and roots against the rock because you want the tree to clasp the rock. Doc uses three year old trees because they usually have a well developed root structure. You can use a variety of tapes - Doc has used electrical tape, raffia, packing tape and others; 3

4 Root Over Rock Continued but he finds that using green plant tape works best. If working alone, you have to develop the added skill of doing one had tie downs! Once the tree and roots are securely tied down, you are ready to pot the tree. The roots at the bottom of the tree are cut to only a couple of inches and they are then folded under the rock. The shortened roots will take several years to grow out from under the rock, and they will grow out in all directions. The roots will continue to grow out from under the rock and spread down and out and eventually the roots become flattened and the rock rests on them. The shortening of the roots matches the pruning done at the top of the tree as you cut most of the branches off. Doc doesn t worry about tree styling until the tree s trunk has really grabbed the rock. Wire the rock to the pot to stabilize the design. Lay roots into crevices and finish tie downs. 4

5 Root Over Rock Continued Doc s first step in potting is to tie the rock (not the tree) into the pot. Once that is done, the rock should be buried up to within ½ inch of the top rim of the pot. After a year you can pull the tree out and root prune, re-tape and re-pot because it usually takes two years for the tree to grab the rock securely. Heavy taping secures the trunk tightly to the rock. Doc s wife s (Linda) favorite root over rock - could be affectionately titled rear-end over rock. The next step is to start removing tape (if the tree is grasping the rock) and exposing the roots to the air. This is important because after a couple of years, exposed roots start to crack and get gnarly thus giving an aged look to the composition. Doc uses ¼ inch of crushed granite on the bottom of the pot and then a potting soil mixture. 5

6 Doc also said that the trunk s shape will actually change as it grows into the rock - going from its natural round shape to becoming more flat and oval. This occurs because the tape is so tight that it doesn t allow the tree to grow outward only towards the rock and to the side. Doc generously donated three trees to the club one to the club and two for the raffle. The lucky winners of the two raffle trees were Marilyn and Renee! March Demonstration Don t miss the March meeting we are very lucky to have Peter Tea providing a demonstration on the black pine shown below. Peter is the winner of the Joshua Roth new talent competition at the GSBF Riverside Convention. Peter started practicing bonsai in 2001 and studied with Boon Manakitivitpart. After graduating from Boon s three-year intensive program, he joined Bay Island Bonsai in Peter started his own bonsai business (Peter Tea Bonsai), and he holds workshops, study groups, demonstrations as well as selling bonsai related items as he says to fund his obsession with bonsai. To learn more about Peter, visit his website at PeterTeaBonsai.com. Thank You Paul for your hard work in securing really great club programs! 6

7 Show and Tell Members brought in some great examples of winter silhouette and root over rock trees. 7

8 Show and Tell - Continued Raffle Prizes February Show and Tell As you may know, the Shohin Convention in Santa Nella took place January 6th and 7th. If you ve never visited the convention put it on your calendar for The vendors alone are worth the trip and the reasonable workshops and great demonstrations add greatly to the experience. If you were in a workshop at the convention, please bring your trees for the February Show and Tell as well as any early flowering plants you may have. Jasmine provides a splash of color among the deciduous trees! 8

9 We are in a prime potting and repotting time. From now until April, try to get all of the trees that need it re-potted. February Tree Care February continues our hectic but enjoyable bonsai work season. Care tips include the following: Deciduous trees should be wired and repotted first because now is the best time to see the branch structure. Study plant designs and trim limbs/twigs to refine the structure on deciduous trees. Basic bonsai principals include removing crossing branches and assessing all branches and their relationship to the trunk s movement. Check each plant s watering needs even when it rains. A thick canopy can repel water and the soil may be dry. Protect bonsai that have been recently wired or re-potted. Keep these trees away from excessive cold and wind. Remove old wire that is cutting into branches. This is the best time to prune and wire azaleas. Spring Sale Garden Center Please remember to clean out your collections and sheds to donate or sell items at the Spring Garden Sale. The sale will be held March 27th and 28th and Renee Seeley, Dolores Rauh and Ann Harris will co-chair the event for the club. ABAS Calendar of Club Events: February 14th Repotting workshop at Maruyama Nursery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring (or purchase) plants, pots, soil, tools, etc. February 23rd Club Meeting, demonstration by Peter Tea, winner of the Joshua Roth new talent competition at the Riverside Convention. March 6th Root over Rock Workshop at Bill Burns. March 7th Repotting workshop at Maruyama Nursery from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring plants, pots, soil, tools, etc. March 23rd Club Meeting Ted Matson Demo. March 27th and 28th ABAS participation in the spring sale at the Garden Center. April 27th Club Meeting Open Workshop. Bring the trees you plan to show for preparation. Bring tools, moss, soil top dressing, etc. May 21st ABAS 51st Annual Show Set Up May 22nd and 23rd American Bonsai s 51st Annual Show. Hours are 10 4:30 p.m. Demonstrations on both days by Ryan Neil. May 25th Club Meeting TBA June 22nd Club Meeting Air Layering demonstration by Vince Owyoung. Air Layering supplies will be provided. Jim Barrett Care Tips Slow release fertilizers such as one of the osmocote formulas, bone meal, blood meal, cottonseed meal or any of the rape seed pellets may be applied now. It takes a while for the organic fertilizers to break down and become available to the plant. Jim suggests waiting another month or so before using liquid chemical fertilizers. Blooming bonsai such as ume, apple, plum and wisteria can be moved to show pots at this time, providing they are already in bonsai pots. All deciduous trees should be pruned, removing heavy overgrown branches and twigs especially in the upper areas of the tree. Upper branches tend to grow unnoticed during the year, and now is a good time to trim or remove them. If you are into making cuttings, these older branches that are removed may take root. Jim uses a rooting medium of 80% perlite and 20% peat moss. Drench the rooting medium with a good fungicide such as benomyl. Deciduous tree branches are fairly flexible now and can be wired. If you are using copper wire, make sure it has been annealed. 9

10 Board of Directors President: Dolores Rauh... (916) Vice President: Paul Holtzen. (916) Treasurer: Ann Harris... (916) Recording Secretary: Don Brown..... (916) Corresponding Secretary: Rene Seeley.. (916) Calendar of General Bonsai Events: February 27 and 28 Mammoth Fundraiser at the Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave, Oakland. April 3rd and 4th Bonsai Sekiyu Kai Annual Show at the Sacramento Betsuin Buddist Church (2401 Riverside Blvd). Saturday 12 5 p.m. and Sunday and 10 3:30 p.m. May 1st and 2nd Sacramento Bonsai Club s 63rd Annual Bonsai and Suiseki Show at the Betsuin Buddist Church. Saturday 12 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 to 4 p.m. May 15th and 16th Satsuki Aikokai of Sacramento s 40th Annual Show. Saturday 10 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 4 p.m. th th Members-at-Large: Marty Bauman..... (916) Bill Burns... (916) Dino Pappademos.. (916) Ken Santucci.. (916) American Bonsai Association 3330 McKinley Blvd. Sacramento, CA

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