BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 Bonsai Society of Dallas Monthly Member Newsletter March 2014 Message from the President In This Issue Message from the President March Program Upcoming Events Club Dig in Review March Bonsai Tips and Advice LSBF Convention Update February Program in Review February s To-Do List Link of the Month Board of Directors Sylvia Smith, President slysmith@tx.rr.com Paul Muraida, Vice President, Program Chair anast1925@aol.com Diane Lowe, Secretary diane_lowe@live.com Jerry Riley, Treasurer and Membership Chair jafa625@gmail.com John Miller, President Emeritus bonsaimiller@aol.com Les Porter, Newsletter Editor lesliep@baylorhealth.edu Mary Polk, Member at Large doggiedigs2@att.net Hiram Quinones, Member at Large hiramaquinones@yahoo.com After an exhausting month of repotting, Howard and I are catching our breath for the tail end of this really fun but busy season. Repotting is a lot of work but it is very satisfying to clean out the weeds, untangle any roots and introduce fresh bonsai soil. They look so good when it s done. As you may know, our March program was originally slated as our December program. The weather in December caused us to have to cancel. The program will take us virtually through member gardens and famous gardens in Japan. We hope to give our members some fresh ideas on how to set up their own gardens and bonsai collections. Soon repotting season will begin to slow down and as the weather improves it will give you time for some fun outdoor projects. Also please note that our meeting this month will be held in the small conference room at North Haven Gardens in the building next to the greenhouse. Our annual LSBF convention is right around the corner so don't forget to get your registration in for the Houston Convention next month! Early bird pricing ends on March 15th. Let s all go to Houston for the fun. I have to say that the most rewarding elements in the bonsai hobby are the friendships. So please don't forget to join us this month! Sylvia Convention Registration Drawing! For all current BSD club members who have a confirmed registration by March 15 th, we will have a drawing for reimbursement of your $150 registration fee. This is the registration only for one person and will not include any workshops or other fees. Joint members are eligible individually. Drawing will be held at our April 5 th meeting. Future BSD Bonsai Exhibitions Last month we shared the news that we will not have an exhibit this year and need to evaluate our plans and possible venues for the future. We would like to form a committee of members to discuss, collaborate, and set a new strategy for displaying our bonsai to the community. So far only one person has volunteered, but we need more. Please contact Sylvia (slysmith@tx.rr.com) to indicate your willingness to serve on the committee. We would like to meet soon to begin our discussions. Thanks!
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 March Program Backyard Bonsai /Japanese Landscaping 9:00 AM to Noon, March 1 st North Haven Gardens (Note: Small Meeting Room) Join us this month as we spend a little time virtually visiting member's gardens and the gardens of some of the great bonsai masters in Japan. We hope it will inspire you to incorporate your passion for bonsai into your landscape. The program will consist of viewing and discussing various members' bonsai backyards as well as historically significant gardens from Japan. Tree placement is an integral part of bonsai's survival and well being. Members will be ready to discuss some of their creativity in dealing with winter and summer weather, sunlight, watering, and pesky furry critters, as well as how their yard changes seasonally. Sylvia Smith will also show photographs and discuss some of the beautiful Japanese gardens the Smiths visited while in Japan. With repotting season coming to an end, now is a great time of year to start your outdoor projects and find new and innovative ways to display your bonsai trees, and give that Japanese element to your yard. Members will be available for a short Q&A after the program and we will have refreshments available. Hope to see you there! Upcoming Events Saturday, March 1 st, 9 - Noon Bonsai Gardens Famous Gardens in Japan and Members Backyards Saturday, April 5 th, 9 - Noon Field Growing Pre-Bonsai, Part 2 with John Kirby Saturday, May 3 rd, 9 - Noon TBD Events Elsewhere April 10 th 13 th LSBF State Convention Houston, TX April 25 th 27 th Mid-Atlantic Bonsai Societies Spring Festival Hanover, NJ May 2 nd 4 th Potomac Bonsai Association Spring Festival National Arboretum - Washington, D.C. May 22 nd 26 th Bonsai Societies of Florida Convention Orlando, FL August 15 th 17 th 37 th Annual Mid-America Bonsai Exhibit Chicago, IL August 21 st 24 th BCI 2014 - Sunrise on Australian Bonsai Queensland, Australia Our membership roster will be published at the end of March. If you have not already done so, please get your dues in so your name will be included. Thanks!
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 Club Dig 2014 Rio Vista, Texas What a difference a week makes..especially when it comes to Texas winter weather. We opted to postpone the dig due to the cold wet weather, and we could not have asked for better weather on the following Saturday. It was sunny, warm, and a bit windy by the afternoon, but a far cry better than the previous week. We gathered at Lore s house and soon made our way out to her pasture land, encountering a few stray donkeys along the way. We were a group of twelve and we all just naturally paired up, which made this one of the best digs in memory. The pairs scattered in search of their perfect tree, each helping the other work to get their tree out with root ball intact. Not everyone knew each other at the start of the dig, but by midday we were well on our way to new friendships after a few hours of work. A delightful lunch at Lore s house gave us a place to relax and refresh. Once again we had a lot of great Hackberries to choose from. Lance brought his four-wheeler so he and Diane took off to broaden their search of the ranch, while others headed in the direction of previous digs. In addition to Hackberries, they also found Plums, Bois d arc, and plenty of Red Cedar. They happened upon a cedar that looked particularly interesting. One side of the large trunk had been destroyed years ago but the other side continued to grow. Recent ice damage was evident, making it easier to see some real potential. This was the tree they selected and as you can see in the pictures, it was a daunting task. The trunk is about 6-8 inches at the base. They worked as a team and chipped away at it until a manageable root ball took shape. After wrapping the sides to help keep it together, they worked to remove the soil under it, cutting the roots along the way. At last the tap root was found and a final cut freed the root ball. Further wrapping secured it and a piece of burlap made it relatively easy to lift it out of the hole. By the end of the day, we each sought out the others who were still busy working. We came across Dave and Bill working to extract a great looking hackberry clump. We teamed up, found the right tools, and had it out of the ground in no time. It s going to be a nice one to add to Bill s collection! Greg and Mark get Bill s new tree secured Phil and Greg lend Lance a hand Speaking of the right tools, Lance s new battery powered reciprocating saw really came in handy when it came time to cut a tap root. You may want to add that to your tool list for next year. As the day came to a close and we bid our farewells, many agreed that it was the best dig ever. Teaming up in pairs made it much easier for everyone and gave us a chance to get to know each other better. And isn t that one of the big benefits of our club? Great day!
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 March Bonsai Tips and Advice By John Miller The past 6 months illustrate why you cannot just do tasks on a schedule, you need to vary them according to nature. Last year the temperature here was well above average all summer, with 100 s into September and 90 s into October. After that the only two temps above 80 were on Oct 23 rd and Nov 17 th. So it has been a cold winter. In a way that was good because the plants stayed dormant. But now I need to be extra vigilant because some species tend to respond to the lengthening daylight but there will probably be more hard freezes. Bonsai will start growing in late February or March in this area depending on your wintering techniques and on the species. After growth starts, some species can take a couple degrees of frost, but unless you know what your particular tree can take you should keep it from freezing. Also, newly growing roots are more tender. In this area you should keep the new foliage out of the strong winds however they should have some breeze to help harden the new foliage and to help keep insects and fungal diseases at bay. You may continue repotting on deciduous species until you see a tiny bit of green on the tips of the swelling leaf bud. Be sure to keep the newly repotted tree out of the wind and late morning or afternoon sun. Broadleaf evergreen species will generally be okay to repot later on. Yaupons do better if you wait until it warms a bit more. Even though its gets quite warm now, we can expect a freeze in March so you may have to protect trees that have started growth and those that have been repotted this winter. Don t repot tropicals until the night temps stay above 60. There are two different approaches to branch and tree care. The first is the development stage of the tree where you are growing and developing branches, doing root work, and generally developing the style of the tree. During this time you will cut and wire and then let it grow for a good period of time developing taper and interesting bends and twists. Timing of these functions is not as critical. The other approach comes after the development stage and results in the refinement of the bonsai. This gives it the twiginess, small leaves, and patina of age which takes it from a commercial bonsai to a piece of art. It is quite time consuming especially in the flush growth period after dormancy breaks. If not done carefully, the new growth will thicken the twigs and cause long internodes which will ruin all the previous work and may even send you back to the development stage. Now you should get your tweezers and shears ready for the real job ahead. In order to develop the ramification and fine twigs you want you must be pruning the new growth as it develops. Waiting until the shoots are three or four inches or longer results in coarse twigs with long internodes. These will have to be cut off and new ones developed. Junipers in development should be trimmed with shears. Styled juniper may be done with the fingers. As the new growth develops grasp the twigs with one hand spreading the foliage in a fan shape. Then with the other hand grasp the tips between the fleshy part of your thumb and finger and pull it off. Using fingernails or scissors will result in brown tips on the cut foliage. As the weather warms up the insects will surely make their appearance. Use the foliar spray (1 tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses, and apple cider vinegar per gallon of water weekly to control aphid, mites, caterpillars etc. Commercial sprays may be used but follow directions closely. Be sure to spray with a fine mist sprayer to cover thoroughly. Fertilizing is necessary once the trees start to grow. Too many trees exhibited do not have good dark green foliage, indicating a need for more fertilization. Since we are using soilless mixes for the most part, a different technique is required than used for most potted plants. Water soluble chemical fertilizers should be used at half strength and applied more often since they will wash out with the next watering. The same is more or less true with liquid organic fertilizers. The best technique is to use solid organic fertilizers. Fertilizer cakes applied on the soil surface is the best way. They break down slowly and a small amount is carried into the root Continued on next page
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 February Bonsai (Con d) zone each time you water. Pelletized organic material can be spread on the surface also but they tend to crumble and create an undesirable surface. Be sure that the material you use has a balanced formula and not high in nitrogen. It will also soon be time to think about applying Hydrogen Peroxide as a fungicide. It is suggested to use a 1% solution sprayed on top and bottom leaves to control fungi (leaf spot, powdery mildew, etc). The normal medical solution as purchased is a 3% solution so dilute that with 2 parts water to 1 part peroxide. One recent article cited Texas A&M studies which showed that a strength greater than 1.7% produced some leaf burning on tender test foliage. A 0.1% solution aided in rooting cuttings and in controlling Botrytis. It can also be added to drip systems and foliar feeds. The peroxide degenerates into water and oxygen fairly rapidly so is no threat to the environment. Personally, I have used 1% peroxide on elms and yaupons later on in the season spraying once a week. It got rid of the black spot with no damage. However, when I sprayed tender new foliage with it I cause considerable burn. Therefore anytime I use peroxide it will be on mature foliage and at a 0.5% solution. A Perfect Bonsai Day! By David Schleser Our February 15, 2014 dig at Rio Vista was a huge success. After this year's terrible winter weather, today was just ideal; warm and sunny with a nice breeze. Glad we were able to reschedule it as the previous Saturday would have been brutal. From left to right: Lore, Bronson, Dave, Mark, and Greg Twelve people from the Dallas and Fort Worth clubs showed up; much better than in past years. Possibly the weather had something to do with it. All you slackers who didn't come missed another great day of camaraderie, communing with nature, and digging some outstanding cow chomped trees for your bonsai collection. And there's nothing like a dig to get to know your fellow bonsai club members. Yup, the soil was dry and tightly packed black clay and digging required quite a bit of effort, but the results were well worth the labor. Something I'm always impressed with is the willingness of everyone to help assist a fellow club member that needs some advice, use of a tool they neglected to bring, or an extra couple of hands to successfully extricate their tree, even if it means getting less trees for themselves. The ranch owner, Lore Devlin, once again was a most amazing host, even cooking a big pot of awesome winter squash and potato soup for our lunch. You can't ask for more than that. But there was more - she even let us cut any barb wire fence that interfered with digging a fine tree, just as long as we mended it prior to leaving. How's that for a host?! So, for all of you that blew it off, shame. You truly missed a great opportunity to add some exceptional trees to your collection.
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 6 February Program in Review Study Group with the Smiths By Lance Williamson Sylvia assists Christian with his tree At our February meeting, Howard and Sylvia Smith guided us through the annual ritual of repotting trees. I learn something new every time I work with them so let me see if I can provide a recap. They stressed that a healthy tree is the result of proper root care. Repotting is the process of replacing old soil with new bonsai soil but it is also the time for root pruning. Repotting must be done when the trees are dormant. For conifers, the first repotting should be done on half of the root ball and on the other half the following year. For deciduous trees, all of the soil can be replaced the first time. The repotting process went like this: First, trees are loosened from their pots with a special sickle pulled along the inside edge of the pot. These can be sharp so be careful and no hands on the trunk. For trees in nursery containers, beat on the side with a rubber mallet to loosen. Lift the tree out of the pot by the root ball. Lay it on its side and remove the soil with bent nose tweezers by scraping the bottom of the root ball until it is flat and close to the trunk. Use sharp scissors to remove roots. A flat bottom is important so the tree can be positioned properly in the pot. Then, set the tree upright and spread out the roots with bent nose tweezers, working out from the trunk. When finished, the root ball is very shallow with most of the roots spreading laterally. One of the trees had very few lateral roots so it was nailed and wired to a small board which was planted with the tree in new bonsai soil. What a neat trick! [See our Tip of the Month for more on this technique.] A layer of pumice goes in the bottom of the pot prepared with screens and wire. Next goes a mound of bonsai soil. Then the tree is pushed and twisted into the soil mound until roots are covered and the tree is in the desired position. (Remember, no hands on the trunk). Wire the tree tightly to the pot. Then fill the pot with more soil, working it with a chopstick to fill void spaces. Tap the sides of the pot with your fist to further pack the soil. (Don t break the pot). Water thoroughly, wait a few minutes, and water again. I ve heard repotting can be fun. It must be true from all the smiles when we were done. Photos courtesy of Lance Williamson too! Todd removes the soil from his deciduous tree. Note the nice movement in the trunk. Howard works with Bill on his Bald Cypress. Note that Howard holds the tree by the upper trunk only. Dave and Mary look on.
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 7 2014 LSBF Convention East Meets West April 10 th 13th MEET OUR FEATURED ARTISTS Pedro Morales from San Juan, Puerto Rico is one of the most talented artists, highly recognized for his work on tropical materials. Eight of his trees have been selected for appearance in the World Bonsai Contests. He has been a featured presenter throughout Latin America, Australia, China, Japan, Korea, India, Spain, Germany and many trips to the United States as demonstrator, lecturer and exhibitor. He has been a headliner at three World Bonsai Friendship Federation Conventions, Florida 1993, Munich 2001, Washington, DC 2005 and was the Chair of the WBFF Convention 2009, in Puerto Rico. Pedro is the founder and master teacher in The Tropical Bonsai School, a four-year program taught of many groups in Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, and the USA (Florida and Texas). Houston has been selected to be one of its homes in the past two years and several years to come. At the 2014 FSBF Houston Convention, Pedro will conduct workshops on Bougainvillea and Ficus Retusa. After the Friday evening dinner Pedro will do a demo on a large Powder Puff tree. He will also lead a critique of the Convention Bonsai Exhibit. David DeGroot has been the curator of the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection in Federal Way, Washington (near Seattle) since its creation in 1989. He is an award-winning designer and author who has been studying and practicing bonsai since 1972. He has studied bonsai in Japan with Yasuo Mitsuya, Satuski with Tatemori Gondo and Hayata Nakayama, and display with Uhaku Sudo. His educational journal articles have been published throughout the USA and in Brazil Canada, England, South Africa and Venezuela. He has also served two terms on the Board of Directors for the American Bonsai Society. His first book Basic Bonsai Design is now in its seventh printing. Dave s new book Principles of Bonsai Design will be published this year, hopefully in time for our Houston LSBF convention. At our 2014 LSBF Convention, Dave will conduct workshops on Green Mound Juniper and Bald Cypress. His participation in the Friday evening demonstrations will be also be on a large Bald Cypress. Dave will also conduct a critique of the Convention Exhibit. Arthur Joura is the bonsai curator for the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. Joura manages the largest bonsai collection of its kind in America and certainly the finest collection in the Southeast. His credentials include: School of Visual Arts and The Art Student s League in New York City, bonsai education from the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington, DC, and the last student of the Japanese-born and classically trained Yuji Yoshimura, farther of American Bonsai, before he died in 1997. For our 2014 Convention, Arthur will conduct workshops using Japanese Black Pine (think, Shohin) and with Japanese Wisteria. On Friday evening, Arthur demonstration will use a large Power Puff tree. He will also do a critique of the Convention Exhibit. Throughout the convention you will want to hear Arthur s ideas on developing American bonsai and the use of native materials. BRING YOUR OWN TREE WORKSHOPS Each of the three featured artist will do a bring your own tree workshop. This is a great opportunity for you to work with the artists on trees already in your collection. Register for the workshop(s) of your choice and bring your own tree(s) for some expert attention from our featured artists. Convention Information and Registration Forms at www.houstonbonsai.com
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 8 Tip of the Month Lateral Roots. In order to achieve good nebari, that desired flare of the trunk at the soil surface, we must have good lateral roots. With proper root work annually you can often achieve new lateral roots at the desired place and decide to actually shorten the trunk. However that leaves you with the challenge of securing the tree into your pot with only tender new roots to anchor. The answer may be to fasten the tree to a small board, then secure the board into the pot. Anchor the trunk to the board using a small nail or screw placed through the board into the trunk. Next spread the roots to the desired position and secure with wire, being careful to protect the roots from the wire with a cushion of rubber or plastic tubing. Secure the board to the pot with the usual anchor wires and cover with bonsai soil. This technique is also helpful after an air layer is separated. Another Bulk Purchase Our fellow club members Alvaro, Jen, and Todd have made another bulk purchase and are willing to share. In addition to the pumice they have previously offered, they now also have small black lava rock. It is pre-sifted and has very little dusk. It is packaged in small manageable bags at $5 per bag (3 bags = 1-5 gal. bucket). The pricing for their pumice is as follows: Category Gallons Price Bucket Unsifted 5 $15 Bucket Small 5 $18 Please contact Alvaro now at arciniegas.sin@gmail.com if you are interested in getting some buckets/bags.
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 9 March 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 Protect from late freezes after repotting Wait four to six weeks after repotting to fertilize or when you see your tree begin to push new growth Heavy pruning can be done at this time It s grafting time so thought we would share a tip sheet from Peter Chan of Bonsai Empire, a self taught bonsai artist from the UK. Check out his tip sheet with some good graphics on this timely topic. http://home.vicnet.net.au/~bonsaiau/newslette r/airlayeringguide.pdf Deciduous Repotting is best begun when leaf buds are beginning to swell. It is too late to repot when leaves have opened completely Grafting and layering can be done at this time Evergreen/Conifer Repotting can be done anytime between now and when the new leaves/needles begin to emerge from the candles, and on junipers throughout the spring season Grafting and layering can be done at this time Flowering/Fruit These will usually be repotted now prior to flowering Flower buds can be carefully removed every other year when ramification is being done Do not repot when leaves are out Grafting and layering can be done at this time Tropical Repotting can continue on sub-tropicals; follow deciduous guidelines Winter precautions still in effect for true tropicals; when weather permits, keep them in a warm sunny place
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 10 Learning Opportunities Bonsai Smiths Upcoming Classes January 25, 2014 - Japanese Black Pine Session I February 8, 2014 - Repotting and Root Refinement May 17, 2014 - Maple Tree Ramification and Refinement Session I 3 seats left June 28, 2014 - Japanese Black Pine Session II / Juniper Workshop 2 seats left July 12, 2014 - Maple Tree Ramification and Refinement Session II 5 seats left November 15, 2014 Japanese Black Pine Session III 4 seats left 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. www.bonsaismiths.net
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 11 Howard and Sylvia Smith www.bonsaismiths.net Cultivators of fine trees bonsaismiths@earthlink.net Collection maintenance Tel# (972) 754-9883 Private instruction Fax# (972) 661-0694 Classes, lectures & demos www.timeless-trees.com www.bonsaismiths.net www.benttreebonsai.blogspot.com
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 12 Bonsai Society of Dallas www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com Membership Form Please mail to: Bonsai Society of Dallas P.O. Box 836922 Richardson, TX 75083-6922 Or bring to any club meeting Bonsai Society of Dallas meets on the first (1 st ) Saturday of each month. Time: 9:00 AM Place: North Haven Garden Center 7700 Northaven Road Dallas, TX Name(s): Address: City: State: Zip: Telephone: E-mail: Date: New Membership Individual Membership: $25.00 Renewal Membership Joint Membership: $30.00 For the convenience of our membership a roster is published for members only in March of each year. Please check the appropriate box if you do not wish to be included Include me in the membership roster Exclude me from the membership roster Do Not Cut: For Treasurer Use Member Receipt Name: Membership Year Amount Paid: Date: Received By: