The Bonsai News of Houston A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society Inc. Volume 46 Number 11 November 2017 Make the Cut, April 6 th -9 th. Sheraton Dallas North Hotel, Demos IN THIS ISSUE Upcoming Events Bonsai Jeopardy Redux Showcase of the Month Fall Colors November Bonsai Care John Miller President s Letter Jonas Dupuich s Lecture Demo Field Grown Bonsai Phillip Drilling Scott Barboza is the father of the first Bonsai Jeopardy in Texas. Here comes the Redux. The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion in Hermann Park, 1500 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77004. Refreshments at 7 PM, meeting starts at 7:30 PM. November 1 HBS Monthly Meeting: Bonsai Jeopardy Redux with Scott Barboza Upcoming Events More details in Calendar of Events November 4 Saturday Study Group at Quality Feed & Garden in the Heights. Free, refreshments provided. November 1-5 40 Year Vlaamse Bonsaivereniging at the National Botanical Garden, Meise, Belgium. Details at http://vlaamsebonsai.be/ November 4-5 Southwest Florida Bonsai Society Annual Show at Berne Davis Gardens in Fort Myers - Lee County, Florida (239) 332-4942 November 5 Shohin Society of Texas meeting at Persimmon Hill Bonsai, 12001 Red Hawk Cove, Austin, TX featuring Saikei Daiza and 2018 Program Selection. We will look at shohin-sized saikei (stones) and create daiza for them. Details from Steven Hendricks at stevenhendricks@sbcglobal.net or 817-239-7210. November 4-7, 2017: BCI 2017 Convention and the 14 th Asia-Pacific Bonsai & Viewing Stone Convention & Exhibition hosted by the Taiwan Bonsai Association at Changhua and Taichung, Taiwan. November 11 Japanese Black Pine Study Group led by Scott Barboza, 9AM 12 Noon. $25 per person, BYOT, focus on needle removal to balance the tree. No walk- in please, must have reservation. Class limited to 8 people. November 18-21 37th Taikan-ten at Miyako Messe, 9-1,Okazaki Seisyoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8343, Japan.
Fall colors November Bonsai Care When you read guidelines, do you read 'can' as 'should'? Most guides I have read use them interchangeably. However, in the plant world you should be more careful and see if you can decipher the correct meaning. Many times, the meaning depends on the readers knowledge and abilities. For example, because of a bad commercial soil mix, I bare rooted and repotted trees in July with no loss. However, I knew what they required and was committed to supplying their needs completely until they fully recovered. So, when you read guidelines be sure to modify them to suit your trees, your backyard, and especially your capabilities. Try to do tasks on a schedule but don t be a slave to a schedule - move the tasks needed as best for the tree, maybe sooner maybe later. Articles like this are always just guidelines. Each tree in your backyard is a special case and you should look at it individually each time you water. Be sure it is not getting stressed. Is it really healthy? Any signs of problems - wilting, color ok, leaves good? Does it need attention immediately? If so place it aside and come back to examine it and take appropriate action. Learn to think in terms related to plant characteristics instead of calendar periods (i.e. use when dormant instead of October, candle growth instead of April, etc.). That will enable you to read bonsai articles correctly whether written in Japan, Florida or wherever. Note that some tree cultivars (like the cork bark black pine) are notably weaker than the standards of the species and require different pruning and care. You should have your winter quarters ready. Select one for deciduous trees that will be out of the sun. Air circulation is good but too much wind will desiccate them especially in freezing temps. Be sure you will be able to check their watering. Clean up all debris. Most important is winter is to keep the soil moisture at a proper level. This sometimes is hard to do because the trees do not use as much water as when they are not growing. However, the cold winds will dry out the tops quickly. I believe that most winter damage in Texas is due to lack of water rather than low temperatures. Mulch helps keep the roots warm and retards evaporation but it s difficult to see if the soil is damp or dry. Most soils with enough organic material to keep the tree happy in the summer will be too wet if watered daily in the winter. Wet and cold mean root rot. Before putting the trees into winter storage, treat them for over-wintering insects and eggs. Dormant oil spray is good on trees with no green, foliage or buds. A dilute solution of lime sulfur is an old gardener s dormant spray for insect and fungus control. Use it on very cool days and dilute it 1-part lime sulfur to 20 parts water. Be sure to read the label on your bottle in case there are different strengths available. This solution should also be applied to benches tops, posts and the soil surrounding them (if you have gravel instead of grass) to eliminate hiding eggs and
spores. If you have a greenhouse, treat it also before the weather gets too cold to put your plants outside or move them to one end while you treat the other end. At this time of the year, deciduous plants do not need fertilizer. Evergreens will continue a slow growth and will benefit from a light fertilizer feeding, with a lower nitrogen (first number) like 0-10-10 or 0-8-8 at no more than 1/3 the recommended feeding rate. Watering should be done with care during the cool and/or cold weather. Deciduous trees will use some water to replace what is lost to winds and evaporation. Evergreen trees will need a little more but not as much as in the summer. The easiest way is to sort your pots into groups, those that dry out quickly, those that are slower to dry, and those that seem to stay damp. This will let you water faster and yet not over-water the ones staying damp. Make a note to repot the ones staying too damp. Repotting of hardy trees can be done anytime the trees are dormant. However, it is safer to do that chore in the spring as the buds start swelling. New roots will start forming immediately upon repotting to absorb water. If you do repot in the fall, you should protect the new roots from freezing during the winter. Do you need to change the pot? Making notes at this time while getting the trees ready for winter will give you 3-4 months to find the proper pot. When trees go dormant, which indicates a reduced sap flow, they may be pruned or have major limbs removed. Trimming may also be done while the leaves are off the trees. You can see what you are doing. Evergreen types will probably still be active. Pruning them should be held until later. Foliage can be removed when half has turned color to remove some pathogens and to enjoy their winter silhouette. BIG NOTE: If you have a tree that is weak and unhealthy, you should not attempt to style it in any way. Just get it happy by adjusting its soil, feeding, and getting rid of any parasites. Styling just adds to its stress and problems. By this time any tropical you have should be under cover. Most do not like the temp below 50ºF. All tropicals should be checked and treated for any insect problems since any insects will multiply fast when they get into warmer quarters. Spider mites and scale can be especially damaging if the plant is moved in the house where the humidity is low. The semi-tropical plants like crepe myrtle, pomegranate, pyracantha, and some south Texas natives need to go dormant to stay healthy over a long time but their roots cannot take much cold. They will be killed by temps somewhere between 25º and 30º. I set down on the ground and mulch for light freeze and then bring into a protected area for the colder winter. Sometimes I will let them go dormant for a month and then take into the greenhouse to start early and I can enjoy their new foliage in January. 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 Letter This last week or so, it has begun to feel like fall is really here. With the cooler temperatures, it is time to wrap up any summertime effort that you have been doing, and get on with fall work like needle thinning on black pines, and styling of junipers. Also think about how you will deal with any freezes that we may have this winter. When it comes to preparing our bonsai for winter, there is a wide range of what needs to be done. Some bonsaiists can watch the weather report and take any precautions needed in just a few hours once the forecast calls for a freeze. Others, including myself, take a day or more to get ready for a freeze. In my case, I erect temporary greenhouses every fall. Between putting up the green=houses and rearranging trees, it generally takes a couple of days for me to get ready. So, when should this second group act? After getting caught by an early freeze several
years ago, I checked the Internet and found this web site: https://davesgarden.com/guides/freezefrost-dates/index.php?q=77008&submit=go It provides probabilities of first and last freezes by date. To my surprise, if I want only a 10% chance of a freeze before I put up my greenhouses in the fall, I have to have them up by November 6 in Katy and I have to keep them up until March 17 in the spring. As a reminder, please reserve April 20-22 on your calendars for the State Convention in Longview next year. The headline artists are Boon Manakitivipart, Rodney Clemons and Mike Lane from Wigert s nursery. Between Boon s overall knowledge and Japanese training and the experience the other two artists have with growing trees in the South, it promises to be a good convention. Now is also a good time to begin thinking about trees that you might want to exhibit at the convention. I believe the theme for Longview convention is blooming and fruiting bonsai. Get your trees ready for the Spring season aand decide on the appropriate stands, viewing stones and accent plants to go with those trees. I hope everyone can attend the meeting this month for a Bonsai Jeopardy Redux. It was a lot of fun last year and promises to be again this year. Pete Parker Don t forget the Jeopardy Redux! Calendar of Events 2017 OCT 28 Japanese Boxwood Workshop, Timeless Trees, led by Eldon Branham, 9 AM 12 Noon, $25 includes a really large box with trunk over 1 inch in diameter and all supplies needed. We will focus on pruning, finding the Nebari and wiring. No repotting in this workshop but if you want to, bring your own pot or purchase one. NOV 1 HBS Monthly Meeting: Bonsai Jeopardy Redux with Scott Barboza NOV 4 Saturday Study Group at Quality Feed & Garden in the Heights. Free, refreshments provided. NOV 1-5 40 Year Vlaamse Bonsaivereniging at the National Botanical Garden, Meise, Belgium. Details at http://vlaamsebonsai.be/ NOV 4-5 Southwest Florida Bonsai Society Annual Show at Berne Davis Gardens in Fort Myers - Lee County, Florida 2166 Virginia Avenue (off McGregor Blvd), Fort Myers, Florida 33901 - (239) 332-4942 NOV 5 Shohin Society of Texas meeting at Persimmon Hill Bonsai, 12001 Red Hawk Cove, Austin, TX featuring Saikei Daiza and 2018 Program Selection. We will look at shohin-sized saikei (stones) and create daiza for them. You can also bring back daiza that you have previously started for finishing work. Details from Steven Hendricks at stevenhendricks@sbcglobal.net or 817-239-7210. NOV 4-7, 2017: BCI 2017 Convention and the 14 th Asia- Pacific Bonsai & Viewing Stone Convention & Exhibition hosted by the Taiwan Bonsai Association at Changhua and Taichung, Taiwan. Featuring 25 world class headliners from 20 countries, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Czech, France, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Spain, Taiwan, Michael Hagedorn (USA), Venezuela, and Germany. Registration at http://www.bcibonsai2017.com or by email seanschuang@yahoo.com.tw & bci2017aspac14@gmail.com. NOV 11 Japanese Black Pine Study Group led by Scott Barboza, 9AM 12 Noon. $25 per person, BYOT, focus on needle removal to balance the tree. No walk- in please. Class limited to 8 people so everyone can gain a lot of knowledge and attention. You must have a reserved spot before attending the class. NOV 18-21 37th Taikan-ten at Miyako Messe, 9-1,Okazaki Seisyoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8343, Japan.
Jonas Dupuich 2017 LSBF visiting artist On Friday September 29 th evening, Jonas Dupuich artist did a lecture-demo on a large Japanese Black Pine at the West Gray Community Center. He was scheduled for HBS Fall Show at Mercer Botanic Gardens but the venue was severely damaged in the Harvey flood so it was cancelled. Luckily, we found some space at West Gray Multi-Service Center. So happy to work with trees (Photo: Shawn Nguyen) I walked in the meeting to see Jonas hugging a large black pine. He was all smile and showed an uncommon affection for trees. Unlike most artists who went directly to styling, he took the time to elaborate on the cultivation of the pines. Jonas grew up in his family nursery business in Alameda, CA. He was surrounded by bonsai in his parents garden but did not know at the time what they were. His father had gifted a Japanese plum tree to his mom decades ago. Today it s the only survivor of that group. In 1993, a stranger who just moved to the area, visited his nursery, offered pruning advices and took a Black pine home to demonstrate what he meant. It was brought back the following week, completely restyled. Jonas was so intrigued by the transformation, he followed this man around to bonsai clubs and a few years later, to Japan. That mystery man happened to be a familiar bonsai teacher to HBS: That s Boon Manakitivipart of Northern California. Boon had visited Houston many times and held workshops at Timeless Trees and at our Fall show. Jonas wrote in his blog bonsaitonight.com: I am fortunate to have grown up in a nursery family and to have learned so much from my father. I am lucky and grateful, to have received guidance from Boon, Morten and Kathy from the very beginning. Without these starting points, I wouldn t be writing this (blog) And then there are the pines. I owe much to planting them when I did. From them, I ve learned to appreciate the subtle growth characteristics that vary from tree to tree. I ve learned how present actions affect future growth and I ve enjoyed seeing the trees develop over time. I ve been able to experiment with different approaches to common problems, and I ve learned from seeing friends work on similar trees they developed themselves. How did the pines get their names? The most popular pines used in bonsai worldwide are no doubt the Japanese Black Pines, Red Pines and White Pines. Black pines are called black because their bluish black bark. They are native of islands in Japan, so they can tolerate salt mist and high heat well. Red pines also get their name from the dark red trunk and mature branches. The White Pines, however, are named after the white spots in their needles, not their bark. They naturally grow very tall, at high altitude in the cold mountains of Japan. This is the reason they don t do well in hot climates. Never prune or work on a weak tree. Besides the obvious color and needle length, Jonas pointed out how he detected the difference in growth produced in the past 3 years. Each batch s strength or weakness is the result of right or wrong timing for repotting, the care it received (enough or no fertilizer, drought or too much rain) and the type of soil used (right or wrong mix for that area). If the tree is not healthy, let it recover for at least a year. Right soil for the location and climate Jonas usually chips away the top soil to observe the surface roots before deciding on a specific
Jonas usually chips away the top soil to observe the surface roots before deciding on a specific style or which branches to keep. Most of the teachers he had learned from remove half of the trees original soil, regardless of the mix, just to make sure they give them the right mix for their location and climate. The easiest way to find out which mix is best for your region and trees, Jonas recommends, is to ask those in the club who have the healthiest trees. His guess for Houston with excessive rainfall this year, is a mix with larger inorganic particles. Ken C. reported he got very good results using pumice with Kanuma in his black pine mix. Jonas first batch of pine seedlings in early 1990s. Jonas started black pines from seeds, back in 1994 with Boon and closely monitors them through all developmental stages. He uses 8 to 9 different mixes. The organic part of Michael Hagedorn s mix, he found out, is chicken manure. In some regions of Japan, black pines grow well in mostly river sand or non-porous decomposed granite are fed a lot of fertilizers. Containers for growth In order to accelerate Black Pine growth Japanese growers use colanders. The open containers allow for maximum air circulation between large inorganic particles, fostering very rapid root growth and trunk growth. For the last 3 years, Brian Gurrola and Dr. Hoe in our club have been experimenting with similar hyper black pine cultivation in colanders, giving them maximum sunlight, fertilizer and water. In the hottest months, they even need a good soaking 3 times a day. Different soil mixes require very different feeding and watering, but within one year, they have seen as much growth in seedlings as 3 to 4 ft. Guided by Bonsai Today s articles, Jonas started using small colanders first, then put them into larger colanders, then eventually put them in big pots, and finally in big wooden boxes. Here is what his seedlings look like within a decade. Wiring Before doing the demo, Jonas checked to see if the tree is secured to the pot. If not, wiring may rock the tree back and forth and the root system may be damaged. Many of these had won Jonas innumerable awards at every exhibition he had participated in. Since pine stock with interesting angles or and twist and turns are valued at multiple times those with straight trunk, Jonas starts wiring his seedlings at the end of the first year. He takes great care not to twist young tender branches while wiring, for that may crush and kill them. One of his reminders is to keep the branch proportion in mind when pruning. He often removes branches too large for the trunk, as well
as secondary branches that appear too large for the primary ones. By the same token, he doesn t like skinny secondary twigs growing on big branches. In that case, we may have to let those skinny ones fatten up as sacrificial branches, and shorten up next year. Normally, he never cut the branches flushed with the trunk. A stump is left for future jin. Plan to ramify the secondary and tertiary branches for not only good health but also for aesthetic reasons. to do the refining with major pruning and tedious wiring in the subsequent years. After listening to Jonas point out all the strong and weak features on the demo tree, I walked away with much higher appreciation of good habits in bonsai care. The pro growers like Jonas can see drought or too much rain in the previous years can show up on the trees, even extreme high or low temperatures. Every factor leaves mark in the growth, health, and ultimately the overall beauty of the bonsai. Jonas also shared in his blog: I took a writing class with Maxine Hong Kingston in college. After suffering great loss in a fire, she noted that all she had left were the items she d given away. The sentiment has stuck with me, and to this day, I really enjoy seeing trees I helped start in friends collections. I like that I don t know exactly how the trees have taken their present shape, and I like that I don t know what s going to happen next. With Yosuke Omizu at the Green Club, Tokyo, 1999 Jonas recommends repotting in the fall, when Black Pines slow their growth. They don t have true dormancy in the South. Fall is also the best time to pluck needles and replace long branches with shorter ones for the next year. For the younger and smaller pines, wait to do so in January or February. On the demo tree, Jonas pointed out how to distinguish which growth came from the last 3- year batch, which is 2-year old and which was from this year s growth. After decades of submerging himself in the bonsai culture, Jonas close observation of how his seedlings develop, has turned him into one of the most educated horticulturists on Japanese black pines. Yet, that knowledge did not stop him from respecting the opinions of the audience. He frequently asked for suggestions, new ideas and feedback. He was even brave enough to invite a newbie up and handed him a concave cutter. The purpose of his first demo was to just outline a skeleton for the tree. The lucky winner will need Always a smile on his face (Photo: Shawn Nguyen) While his hands were busy cutting and wiring, Jonas retold his bonsai adventures in the beginning years with Boon, Kathy Shaner even with Dan Robinson (whose Elandan Garden he just visited 3 days before coming to Texas). Bonsai also took him to Belgium, where he had to translate for a Japanese master with his minimal Japanese skills. Overall, he beamed with bonsai love, and apologized for not completing the demo tree as expected, with some quick shaping and wiring.
The truth was he would never do that instant treatment to his own trees. He normally has a long-term plan for each tree, thus only executing small steps and allowing the tree to recuperate at its own speed, before attempting more pruning. Rushing the tree, to him, is a great unfairness to the tree. For this demo, he did reluctantly prune some major branches and wired others for a rough silhouette. I can see his point and definitely agree with his humane plan to alternate pruning years and recovery years. Drastic pruning advocated by some famous masters had killed a few of my prized junipers. Pine for close to a year, for which he received ample compliments from Jonas, ended up being the one taking it home as his own. Most were glad to see Hurley keep this pine and not put it back in the raffle, as he had done before. The following day, Jonas held two workshops at Timeless Trees, then went on to work on private collections for a few. The happy smile never left his face. He is truly blessed doing what he is most passionate about. Following his family s nursery business, Jonas has acquired a lot of trade secrets from his dad but also learned a lifetime of knowledge from the Japanese teachers and American teachers trained in Japan. A big advantage he has is his young age. He certainly can afford the wait. Most of us don t start our bonsai from seeds simply because we don t have the luxury of time to watch our seedlings grow into mature bonsai. Out of all the artists I ve watched, Jonas seemed very comfortable wherever he was and enjoyed every minute of the demo. He hugged the tree, caressed its needles and handled all tasks with reverence. He took his time to answer questions and explain every detail of the practice, not only eloquently in words but also with his hands. Jonas analyzing a beautiful bonsai.(photo: Hurley) Vern Maddox and Clyde Holt were Jonas last hosts in Houston. The gentlemen were kind enough to drive Jonas half way his next destination, the Lake Charles club in Louisiana. Alan Walker of Lake Charles met them by the Texas border. Thanks Jonas for a wonderful visit, a very comforting yet informative lecture-demo and for sharing your blog to all of us at HBS, at LSBF and all the bonsai lovers of the world. May your passion for bonsai takes you on many exciting adventures to near and faraway lands, so you can share your experience and appreciation of bonsai art with all of those you meet. Hurley won the raffled tree. (Photo: Shawn Nguyen) Jonas picked the winning raffle ticket for the tree, the crowd cheered. Hurley Johnson who had been doing an excellent job caring for this Black Shawn Nguyen All photos without credit are provided by Jonas Dupuich in his blog. Do check out his beautiful and most informative 800+ articles at bonsaitonight.com.
FIELD Grown Tropicals with Phillip Drilling Phil s bonsai experience started with this $5 Nerifolia in a 6 pot, in 1999. Since then, this mother tree has given birth to hundreds of big and little ones. Finally the day we all have been waiting to hear about Phil s secret has come. At the October meeting, HBS welcome an old member, Bonsai Phil (as he is known now at the Farmers Market) who brought a lot of his prized ficus, a lot of his field grown tropicals and his jolly entourage of bonsai students. Many shoppers have come to Phil s stall for a year or longer to learn from Phil s mentor and best bonsai buddy, Mr. Buddy Allen and practice on Phil s stock bonsai. Among the most dedicated students, Robert and his lovely wife, attend class almost every Saturday. To set the tone for the evening, Phil talked about his Bonsai Bible, Bonsai Techniques by the father of American bonsai, John Naka. Besides Buddy s guidance, most of what Phil has learned about growing and styling bonsai over the years came from that book. This master was fascinated by the shapes and styles of trees in nature and use them in his visualization of bonsai shapes. Educated mostly in Japan on the art of bonsai, this American born visionary returned to the US to teach Americans what he had learned, using mostly native trees. Robert, also known as Bonsai Bob, read a few paragraphs from another book, Timeless Trees - The US National Bonsai Collection by Peter and Mary Holmes Bloomer. This is a very important book about a very important bonsai collection, in fact the first bonsai collection in the US. Bonsai symbolises beauty and good things. And good things take time to turn into beauty, Phil believes. On that poetic note, Phil began his shop talk. His favorite are the kinds he has the most success growing over the 30 years. They are mostly Nerifolia (or Willow tree), Green Island, few Benjamina and Burt Davyi. The others are Natal Plum (Carissa), Brazilian Raintree and Pixie Bougainvillea. At first, he grew them mainly in the hot house with many types of orchids. In the summer, he moved them outside, on benches to get the most sunlight. It wasn t until 7 or 8 years ago that he experimented with putting them in the field in front of the sale area. A lot of the wildlife left in Sugar Land came to eat some at night. The plants they did not acquire a taste for ended up crushed under their hooves. Phil had to put up a lot of fences and since, they do very well. Which cuttings make the cut? Since each cutting grown to become a bonsai requires a lot of investment of time and attention, Phil is quite selective of which branch to harvest from the mother trees. His decisiion is made based on 2 criteria, both dictate the value of a bonsai at the point of purchase: A good taper on a large trunk and movement. After selecting a branch for its curvature, he cuts it off the mother tree with a concave or knob cutter. The rounded heel has a lot more surface for roots to sprout from. When that base form as a small nebari, a lot of suckers can draw up a lot of sap, which makes the nebari thicken at high speed. Bonsai Bob, his better half and Bonsai Phil at the market
Once the base width is achieved, these suckers are cut off. Only a few are kept as main trunk or trunks. have quadrupled in size. Phil brought that tree to show us how much it has grown in such a short time. Since bougainvilleas bloom on new wood, the explosion of growth will yield an abundance of color as well. Hurley s successful experiment left Phil no choice but to search for some way to grow his starter trees faster, so they can go to market sooner. Where there is a will, there s a way. While visiting a nursery show for the trade, Phil saw a new and clever invention: Felt soft pots. They come in 9, 12 and 24 diameters. They are invented specifically for growing trees but Phil used them in the field. Flipping the photos of American beloved bonsai in Timeless Trees book Which soil produces maximum growth For cutting incubated at the misting table, Phil uses mostly peat moss (Premier mix), which is strictly organic matter. Once they have thickened enough, they go into his usual Half & Half (half organic such as pine bark - and half inorganic - usually Haydite). The organic bark provides moisture for the hungry and thirsty growing plants but organic matters quickly deteriorate. Repotting is required every year. At least 15% of the first year s roots are cut away to permit finer roots to develop in their place. New soil is added to the pot at the bottom and all around the reduced rootball, but never over the roots. At this stage, the plants don t consume as much water, so the excess water log may cause fungus. They are fed liquid fertilizer like Hasta-Gro and slow released pellets like Osmocote. How ingenius are these soft bags? When trees grown in plastic pots are not watered for a day or two, their roots dry out and they risk imminent death. Growing in permeable felt pots which are buried in the ground, when the plants lack water, their roots can grow through the porous felt in their quest for water. They also benefit from the stored solar energy radiating back up from the ground. When the time comes for these trees to go in the greenhouse, all Phil has to do is to gently pull them out of the soil. No digging, no tap root cutting or any hard labor needed. If the stray roots have wandered too far from the home base, he can trim around the bag, but the majority of the feeder roots remain intact. The trees can take a cozy nap in the hot house during the winter months, and by Spring, they can be put back in the soil again, in the same pots. Until they are graduate to become bonsai in bonsai pots, their growth is never disturbed or interrupted. After that stage, Phil prepares them to go into bonsai pots to be sold as Shohin or transfer them into bigger pots in the winter to continue growing in the hot house. A few however are destined for a new life in the ground, so they will go in the plowed field before the last frost, around March 15 th. How fast can a tree develop in the ground? To illustrate his point, Hurley purchased a Pixie Bougainvillea from Phillip a few years ago for $5. He brought it home and put it in his flower bed for 3 years. One summer, he dug it up and brought it back as a gift to Phil. The girth of the trunk as well as the heigth Bonsai Bob reading an excerpt of Mary Holmes Bloomer s love for bonsai
Since this method of progation is so convenient and advantageous in many ways, Phil currently has 170 trees in felt pots and in the field. To summarize the efficiency of this new hyper culture Phil wrapped it all up with one simple but clever statement: Propagators don t grow trees. They just grow roots, but by default, they get strong trees. Dear Phillip, These tropical with vibrant growth were just transferred to bonsai pots from the field. What are these growth friendly felt bags made of? Although only recently re-purposed as excellent water and air permeable plant growing bags, this synthetic textile has been used for decades under road bed to prevent corrosion, as pond liner to prevent bottom rocks from puncturing the rubber liner and various other industrial functions. Marketed as Root Pouch plant pots, they are made of PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) derived from old plastic bottles spun into fibers, then mixed with recycled cotton fibers. This lightweight and eco friendly geotextile degrades harmlessly over time. Depending on their purpose, they can be chosen from 4 different degradation schedules, from 6 months to 6 years. If Phil choses the longest grade, the same bags can be used for many seasons. When not in use, they can be collapsed and stored in very little space. If Phil wants to stretch the tropicals growing season till late fall or get a head start before the last frost, these felt bags can also provide superior insulation, protecting plants against winter cold. On chilly nights, he may need to cover the rows in the fields with a tarp to trap the heat and keep it from escaping. According to Phil, these soft pots made of water efficient and breathable fabric encourages 80% of the fine, dense and fibrous root structure yet prevents those roots from circling around the pots, like they usually do in plastic pots. The other 20% of the roots owe their exuberance to Haydite, which allows for efficient air circulation, which can pass through the felt fibers. Phil no longer has to worry about poor drainage or fungal problems. On behalf of HBS, I would like to thank you for a very fascinating lecture on growing tropical bonsai in the field with felt soft bags. Few or none of us in the club grow our own stock any more. We appreciate all the tips you shared, especially the very generous gifts of plants and pots to over three dozen members. Farmer Phil in his zinnia and tropical bonsai field May your newfound cultivation method reward you with a lot of beautiful bonsai for club members to choose from for the next tropical workshops. Keep up the good work promoting the art of bonsai to thousands of farmers market shoppers and delighting them with your little creations. Shawn Nguyen All photographs by Shawn Nguyen, for the exception of the farmers market photo that was taken by a shopper.
Make sure you go to Timeless Trees website and subscribe to weekly Current Events. You can find all bonsai supplies, tools and books there as well as classes and workshops with local and out of town bonsai instructors. Fall has arrived and so Fall colored plants and flowers. JRN II is now stocked with cool weather plants, citrus trees, house or landscape plants, and rare tropical bonsai in all sizes for beginners and the most serious bonsai lovers. Quality Feed & Garden and Ken stand ready to help you with bonsai selection, bonsai care, pots and supplies. Ken also personally holds free classes for HBS every 3-month to help you start with your first bonsai. Check the Calendar of Events for dates. Ask for 10% HBS discount. Visit artist Andrew Sankowski at the Mossrock Studio & Fine Art Gallery for the finest gifts and most uniquely beautiful bonsai pots in every shape, form and color. Personalized pots or gifts can be commissioned year round. Weekly pottery classes are also available. Andrew Sankowski 26002 Oak Ridge Drive Direct (281) 684-4411 The Woodlands, TX 77380 Fax (281) 363-9032 andy@mossrockstudio.com Come stock up on bonsai soils, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers and other supplies. The plant doctor is always on duty, so bring your unhappy or unhealthy bonsai for a free check-up. Don t forget to ask for a 10% HBS discount. For high quality daizas for viewing stones, Suiseki, bonsai stands and Shoji screens in any shape, form, style, wood, dimensions and colors, please visit artist Jerry Braswell. Send him your designs and specifications for custom wood work. For more info: www.artofthedaiza.wordpress.com
Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. P. O. Box 540727, Houston, Texas 77254-0727 www.houstonbonsai.com HBS Board Members President Pete Parker peteparkerbonsai@yahoo.com 1 st Vice President Scott Barboza markyscott@me.com in charge of Education 2 nd Vice President Hoe Chuah hoe.chuah@gmaill.com Secretary Barbara Adams BarbAdams222@gmail.com Publicity Ken Cousino krcousino@yahoo.com Treasurer Eldon Branham elmo4635@aol.com in charge of Membership Webmaster Anthony Cutola acutola@gmail.com Member at Large - O Nandita D Souza ndas27@gmail.com Member at Large - O Vern Maddox vmaddox1@comcast.net Member at Large - O Clyde Holt cmholt11@comcast.net Member at Large E Sharon Barker barkersharonr48@gmail.com Member at Large - E Ray González raygonzalez47@yahoo.com Member at Large E Brian Gurrola bgurrola@gurrolareprographics.com Delegates Past President Hurley Johnson hurley@all-tex.net LSBF Delegate Terry Dubois tdubois1@comcast.net LSBF Alternate Pete Parker peteparkerbonsai@yahoo.com BCI Ambassador TTSBE Representative Alan Raymond amraymond@suddenlink.net Refreshments Website/email 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 2011. 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.