Columbus Bonsai Society PO Box 1981 Columbus, OH 43216-1981 Questions to: Columbusbonsai@hotmail.com HTTP://Columbusbonsai.org Regular Club meetings on 3 rd Sunday of the month Meetings Start at 2:00 pm All are welcome to attend CBS Board meets 1 st Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm José Cueto on Literati SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR 8/17/2014 1:45 PM SOCIAL TIME 2:00 PM BUISINESS MEETING 2:15 PM PRESENTATION BEGINS
AUGUST 2014 Newsletter President Mike Thornhill A Pinch of this. Tree Curator Rick Wilson Director Emeritus José Cueto 1 st Vice President Ken Schultz 2 nd Vice President Denny Sackett 1 year Director Ben William 2 year Director Jack Smith 3 year Director Mark Passerrello Past President Zack Clayton Treasurer Richard Gurevitz Inside this issue: Program Info 3 RABBIT HOLE 4 IS IT TOO LATE 7 MURATA BOOK TWO FOR ONE 8 SHOW PHOTOS 10 Calendar of Events 14 Secretary Sandy Schoenfeld Librarian Beverlee Wilson Web Master Ed McCracken Newsletter Editor Richard Uhrick Education Tom Holcomb Mark Passerrello Bonsai=Perseverance Rich Uhrick See you on the 19th and 20th at Franklin Park Conservatory Rooms A, B, C, & D. Columbus Bonsai Society PO Box 1981 Columbus OH 43216-1981 2 ColumbusBonsai@hotmail.com www.columbusbonsai.org Columbus Bonsai is a proud member of the American Bonsai Society and Bonsai Clubs International.
3 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 This Month s Program AUGUST 17 LITERATI STYLE H ave you wondered where the Literati style bonsai got their name? The samurai thought that these trees, which were more trunk than foliage, reminded them of old scholars who study literature. This style features a trunk that is not straight and is bare for 60-90% of its length. The pot is usually round and shallow. The plant is usually a pine or juniper. While many think that Literati break all the usual rules of bonsai they have their own rules. Plan to attend the August meeting where José Cueto; our Director Emeritus, will present a slide show on Literati. He also plans to show how literati are created. If you have a Literati; or a potential literati tree, please bring it to this meeting; Jose may provide suggestions on its continued development as time permits. This could include sketching your tree. The Columbus Bonsai Society receives meeting space and other support and assistance from Franklin Park Conservatory and Oakland Nurseries UPCOMING PROGRAMS: DISCLAIMER The Columbus Bonsai Society Newsletter, is the intellectual property of the Columbus Bonsai Society. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without permission in writing from the Editor. Rich Uhrick, Editor Uhrick.richard@gmail.com SEE PAGE 14 FOR MORE DATES AND LISTINGS
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 4 AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT. THE RABBIT HOLE ASDFGQWERTYZXCVB Mike can still only type with his left hand right now, but expresses the desire for everyone to show up 17th We wish Mike a speedy recovery and rehabilitation. Coordinator for Picnic in September needed Ken Schultz will not be available to oversee the needs and activities for the picnic in September...We need a volunteer to coordinate food, member sales, and program for this event. I ve read and know that fall transplanting is possible. Gustafson writes that in Oregon he transplants pines and junipers in the fall. But then Gustafson has a milder climate than ours. Recently, Wayne Schoech of Stone Lantern wrote an article about fall transplanting on August 1. I know that nurseries offer trees in the fall along with bulbs and a few other things for fall planting. But when I ve tried it, I did not meet with success, so I ve stopped trying until now. Some of my trees missed getting repotted this past spring, maybe its time to try again? I have a Chamaecyparis that is long overdue for repotting. What is the secret? Here are some of the tips that the Stone Lantern article contained. They don t recommend repotting deciduous bonsai in the fall. I d put Larch and Redwood into this category. In the article, Wayne says to avoid heavy root pruning and shows only limited root work. In the article Mike Hagedorn is referenced and he limits using water to remove old soil to only half the soil. No bare rooting. Timing is the most critical factor. Fall repotting MUST occur with enough lead-time for the tree to recover Can I Transplant Now? before the first freeze. The recommendation is a minimum of six weeks. That can be tricky to forecast here in Ohio. Frost may come as early as the last days of September or not until after Halloween (November 2 would be a late frost date.) Interpolating the average would be mid-october. Officially the average first freeze is October 17. Therefore, you would need to repot no later than September 5 th. Maybe my past efforts were too late? (Oakland Nursery told me that they would be receiving pines for fall planting by mid to late August.) This cool summer weather got me to thinking; this would be a great year to try again. Remember that after care is the same as in the spring. Protect your repotted trees from direct sun and winds. Water carefully; new bonsai soil drains quickly and dry soil will damage and kill young new roots. Daily misting helps too. When winter arrives, newly repotted trees may need better protection, so be sure to mulch them in heavily. Ken Schultz
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 5 HOW DO I CONTACT A BOARD MEMBER? HERE S HOW: BOARD MEMBER CONTACT LIST President Mike Thornhill cfdmike@aol.com Tree Curator Director Emeritus José Cueto jrcueto@hotmail.com 1 st Vice President Ken Schultz kasceppsm@aol.com 2 nd Vice President Denny Sackett sackeka@wowway.com 1 year Director Ben William 2 year Director Jack Smith bensonkwilliam@gmail.com jsmith4753@aol.com 3 year Director Mark Passerrello mpasserrello@rocketmail.com Past President Zack Clayton zclayton@yahoo.com Treasurer Richard Gurevitz rgurevitz@aol.com Secretary Sandy Schoenfeld columbusbonsai@hotmail.com Librarian Beverlee Wilson Beverlee.wilson@cardinalhealth.com Web Master Ed McCracken ed@edro13.com Newsletter Editor Richard Uhrick ruhrick@otterbein.edu Education Tom Holcomb tholcomb@columbus.rr.com Mark Passerrello mpasserrello@rocketmail.com Tree Curator Rick Wilson rickwilson134@gmail.com FROM THE CBS CARE GUIDE USDA Hardiness Zones 5-6 (5 Northern Ohio, 6 Southern Ohio) August - Late Summer - 84/62 Continue pruning, but watch for buds and think about next year's growth. Use lime-sulfur on jin and deadwood in summer. The heat and sun helps it absorb into the wood, and the sunlight bleaches it quickly. Most deciduous and pines have a semi-dormant period in the extreme heat of summer. Be cautious of watering. August-September is the ideal time for repotting tropical trees. You may start lowering the Nitrogen content of your fertilizer to slow foliar growth in preparation for fall and winter.
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 6 I always seem to be behind in pruning. This summer has been cooler and rainier than normal, which seems to be causing a growth spurt in many of my bonsai. I ve recently feed all my trees with half strength Tomato food (20-20-20) since they are actively growing and then followed up with Orchard Spray. The bugs loved the tender new leaves and with the cool wet weather, fungal diseases are going to town. We were out of town for 4 days and when I looked the trees over upon our return, I could see that these treatments have put a halt to some bug and fungal damage, and at the same time I saw a lot of new growth. I started pinching back the shoots on Ficus and Elms when I saw that the Azaleas and pines have also taken off. This is when I wondered, Is it to late to trim them back? I inspected the tips of several 2- needle pines (Scots and Mugo) it was too late for pruning back on many of them. On some, there were a lot of back buds emerging this would allow removal of the terminal buds or some cutting back. But thinning buds at the tips is usually done in the fall. The real question is, can I still cut back some of the longer growth where I want to control the length of the developing branch? Maybe, as long as the new growth has buds further back. Dead needles should be removed to allow light to reach into the tree. Azaleas are developing flower buds for next spring. If you cut their new growth now, you won t have flowers next spring. Nevertheless, you need to make some selections to keep the internodes shorter and maintain your foliage pads. While the new growth is flexible think about wiring now. I also inspected wire on all my trees. I ended up taking wire off of 4 trees where it was beginning to cut in. The growth spurt results in swelling, especially near the apex, while lower branches normally grow more slowly. Be careful when you remove the wire, so that new buds and tender new growth that you want, does not get damaged. I will be repotting a Ficus that should be growing, but is not, so I suspect that it is pot bound. I noticed that Jade were loosing leaves Is it too late? two weeks ago and now seem to be putting on new leaves. As I walked around, I made some notes on what to prune now and what not to prune back now. Here are my rambling notes: Larch, seem to have stalled; they did a lot of growing earlier. I pinch back the new growth to maintain or create a silhouette. If you didn t, prune now. Two spotted mites hit Shimpaku and fungus. Fertilizer has made them sprout and I pinch growth shoots that are too long. Arborvitae, Hinoki and False Cypress all need the tips plucked to keep them in shape. Maples pinch or cut them back. It s too late to cut leaves off but you can remove large leaves. Spruce Black Hills, Alberta and the like too late to prune now. Junipers San Jose and Procumbens Nana should be plucked to balance growth and limit die back of the inner foliage, though they aren t growing as rapidly as the Shimpaku. Potentilla hasn t slowed in growth and I continue to prune them regularly, Jose said they grow like weeds. Pruning does reduce flowering. The same is true for Lantana and Rosemary. Conversely, my Crabapples and Cherry seem to have stopped growing. To pinch them now would take off the crabapples and care needs to be taken when pruning if you plan on flowers for next year. Boxwoods all seem to have stopped growing for now, earlier they were growing rapidly. I have two Porcelain Berries and if I prune now, I would be cutting off fruit clusters, so I will wait. Zelkova and Hornbeams were stimulated to grow, so I am pinching back to a leaf that will result in growth in the direction I want. The ones I repotted, never stopped growing and I have pinched them back several times as I have maples this year. July 28, 2014 and it was only 71 today. Ken Schultz
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 7 October 19, 2014- Presenting Pines are Easy (as Bonsai) Julian R. Adams Many of us are confused by the care needed to create Specimen Pine Bonsai. During our regular meeting time Julian Adams will present Pines are Easy (as Bonsai). Julian has been practicing the art of bonsai since 1970 and has been the proprietor of Adams Bonsa in Lynchburg since 1984. Julian founded the Central Virginia Bonsai Society in 1985. Julian studied under Valavanis, Oshima, Sasaki, Billet, Peter Adams, Keith Scott, Kathy Shaner, Kimura, Yamagi, and others In the morning, eight lucky participants will have the opportunity to sign up to participate in a 2 -needle pine workshop conducted by Julian Adams. The workshop fee will be $25, plus the cost of the tree. (More on this later.) At our August meeting, Ken Schultz will have a sign up sheet for those who wish to take the workshop. Removing old Azalea blooms from www.adamsbonsai..com delivery at these events. As scheduling permits, Julian is available for lectures, demonstrations, and workshops. Phone and e-mail messages are normally returned promptly. Visitors are welcome by appointment. From ADAMS' BONSAI is a hobby gone berserk. Julian R. Adams, proprietor of Adams' Bonsai, has been active in bonsai since receiving a gift bonsai in 1971. Beyond improving his own bonsai skills, Julian's primary interest is to make bonsai plants and supplies conveniently available to bonsai enthusiasts and to spread the word about this great art form. Adams' Bonsai was formed in 1984 to facilitate this interest. Julian writes extensively about bonsai via articles for English language bonsai publications and the Central Virginia Bonsai Society newsletter. In addition to shipped items, he offers bonsai plants, wire, and supplies for sale at periodic bonsai gatherings. Call to arrange for 3-SESSION BEGINNER S CLASS OFFERED IN AUGUST Franklin Park Conservatory as part of it s Summer of Bonsai, will offer a 3-session class on bonsai taught by members of the Columbus Bonsai Society. August 16th, 23rd, and 30th from 10 am 12:30 pm. The costs are $60 for conservatory members and $65 for non-members. See the Franklin Park Conservatory website for more information. http://www.fpconservatory.org/the-experience/classes/for- Adults/Gardening-Nature
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 8 BOOK OF THE MONTH: Bonsai: Trees and Shrubs "A Guide to the Methods of Kyuzo Murata By Lynn R. Perry, 1964 W hen I the reviewer picked up this book from the Columbus Bonsai Society library, I was surprised. I thought I knew every book on bonsai ever printed in English from the 1950's through the 1970's. Here was a book and an author that was totally unknown to me! Worse yet, in finding out more about the author, she had taught at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and had penned several articles in their Handbook, Bonsai: Special Techniques, I should have known her! I even remember the articles but not the author. I was 11 when I started my interest in all things bonsai in 1964. I was living in the New York City area and had several classes from 1966-1971 with Frank Okamura at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. I attended the Bonsai Society of Greater New York's monthly meetings during that time. I was a student of Yuji Yoshimura and yet I never came across or heard of Lynn R. Perry. Yes, I was a teenager so that might account for some of it. However, thinking back, I wonder why this educated and accomplished woman was not part of my bonsai education? Nor her book on bonsai practice dedicated to one of the famous bonsai artists of my youth, Kyuzo Murata? All I can fathom at this point, was there was in those years an overwhelming emphasis on Japanese experts like Okamura, Yoshimura and Naka here in the USA. Ms. Perry was not Japanese. I remember hearing arguments against George Hull and Jerry Stowell since they were not Japanese who had books out on bonsai. So maybe that applied to her, too. In addition, in those days whether we like to admit it or not there was a strong prejudice against women for being authorities and experts in anything. It was the 1960's. Therefore, it is with much delight, I can review this book by Lynn R. Perry in 2014 and point to one of the pioneers of early bonsai in the USA. Here is some background on Ms. Perry. She is a graduate of the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women. Was part of the staff of the Agricultural Attaché for the American Embassy in Kyuzo Murata & Kudo his favorite Bonsai. Japan (1989), Kyuzo Murata & Lynn R. Perry (redhead) Japan when she was also a student of Kyuzo Murata. Mr. Murata thought so highly that gave her a teaching certificate for bonsai (1960-1962). Later in the 1960's, she taught bonsai at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. She operated the Suzu-en Bonsai Company, which imported and sold bonsai tools. The last reference I find for Lynn R. Perry is with a new surname in 1967 of Alstadt and leading a group to Japan for classes with Kyuzo Murata and it included Jerry Stowell and George Hull. In the early 1970's she was director of the American Bonsai Society. This book is very interesting to read here in 2014. The book reflects a time before the opening up of mainland China, where all things bonsai start with and end with the Japanese. The book has very detailed information on horticultural practices and customs such as for displaying bonsai. Over half the book is a compendium of plant information based on specific plant species. What the book lacks is details in design graphics, which the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Handbook does. So I respect and honor this book as part of the movement to introduce and develop bonsai in the United States. It is still an excellent resource for horticultural practice. In July 2008, Lynn R. Perry (Alstadt) was put to rest. May we remember her as an early pioneer in introducing bonsai to an American audience. Athanasios Thomas Stama
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 9 BOOK OF THE MONTH: Bonsai Miniature Potted Trees, Their training and care for beginner By Kyuzo Murata K yuzo Murata was a rather prolific author; I ve reviewed two other books that he authored. This one was originally copywrited in 1964. My copy is a 26 th printing released in 1989. Due to its age it is mostly black and white photos and drawings with a very few color prints. The book I have is a soft cover, 6 X9 114 pages. The book is organized into six sections. These are: Answers to Questions Concerning the art of Bonsai, Guide to Growing Bonsai, Introduction to Branch Arrangement, Some points to bear in mind in taking care of Bonsai, Growing Some Typical Bonsai and Brief Description of the Growing Techniques of Bonsai. Short titles are never the forte of books translated from Japanese to English. As I read I realized that translating Japanese to English has advanced greatly since this book was interpreted. For example when listing the Necessary Conditions of Bonsai item three is The branches must be rich in variety and of artistic appearance. However, as I conducted my review and took notes on items that were noteworthy or useful tidbits that I do not recall reading before." I was pleasantly surprised. Murata says to transplant Shimpaku in the spring when the temperature reaches 18C. (64.4F). Remove the old soil and 1/3 of the roots. Determine position in the pot making sure its not to low. He is one who does not use copper wire to hold a tree in the pot. Many believe that the copper inhibits root growth. He advises to use a chopstick o make sure soil reaches all roots. Water, and then protect the newly transplanted tree from wind, placing it in an area with only morning sun for 2-3 hours. How many years does it take to make a bonsai? there is a chart of 10 plants; Quince are 1-2 years, Cotoneaster are 5-6 years, Black Pine- 10 years and Japanese Red Pine 15 years. In answer to How long do they last? He says the average is 60-70 years with some lasting several centuries. Guide to Growing Bonsai (pgs. 24-44) His first bit of advice is to start with cheaper trees. He lists a variety of suitable plants for Tokyo; but many are commonly available to us here. He notes the best season to acquire each type of plant; most were spring with the exception being needle leaved evergreens, which were listed as October and November. His presumption is that you are going to want to work on your new trees. Containers and Soil preparation Murata advises to wash your containers first, regardless if they are new or old. AS with order books, this one advises coarser soil in the bottom, grading to finer soil at the top. Since the author is from Japan he discusses Kanuma, not Turface. When preparing a tree for repotting, he says with trees with few branches take nothing off. For trees with fine roots (e.g. azaleas) press down lightly. Again protect them for a week or two from the wind and sun. When watering or fertilizing he says to use water that is the same temperature as the air. But if you water with cold water, do it consistently. He keeps his soil level below the edge of the pot to allow the water to pool and soak in to ensure that it doesn t run off. He uses two different roses (the watering thing that has holes in it) to water, shower to water soil and mist for the foliage and trunk. In winter he waters every 4 th or 5 th day.in Tokyo. Tokyo is a warm Zone 6. While he warns against excessive watering, he says that he (Continued on page 12)
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 10 Tracy Freeland brings home top honors in Member s Choice
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 11
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 12 (Continued from page 9) waters 2 to 3 times a day in summer. He uses rape seed cakes that are 5-3-2 as his slow release fertilizer, plus a water-soluble fertilizer at 1/5 th the recommended concentration every two weeks to provide extra P and K. He says he does this on a day without rain. While this book has very few color pictures it does have a lot of black and white photos and drawings. There is also more text provided to describe what newer books cover with a few photos. The Purpose of Pinching He details how and when to improve ramification. He notes that Quince and Azalea will bud on their trunks. These should be removed unless they are needed, to prevent scarring of the bark. He warns that late pinching results in new buds that will be prone to cold damage in the winter. Introduction to Branch Arrangement (pgs. 45-61) of interest was the recommended use of paper wrapped wire of raffia to prevent wire from cutting in. He explains and shows how to use double layers of raffia and wire assisted bending with raffia. He says that the year before you wire, fertilize the tree and the wood will be softer and easier to bend. Also a day or two of dryness before wiring will increase flexibility. After wring, he suggests no direct sun, wind or rain, but provide bright light. When wiring he recommends a low table with a turntable so that wiring can be done while seated not standing. In the Order of Wiring section Murata shows that the #1 branch is wired first, then the first sub branch on the #1 branch out to the tip, then the #2 branch the #3 and so on, leaving the top to last. On older trees he says that the most difficult branches are left till last. While wiring use the thumb of your trailing hand to hold the wire against the bark while you wire with your lead hand. He shows using a trunk splitter to make bending a trunk easier. When using a bender on the trunk he bends it 2-3 times to make it easier to bend and wire. Again remember that he uses raffia to help prevent evaporation from split bark. Trunk bending followed the section on branch wiring, which seemed out of order to me. However, this book covered a wider array of wiring issues than a majority of other books. For example, Murata covers wiring forked branches. He explains that raffia is used on trees with brittle wood or thin/smooth bark. He notes that branch tips need to be wired up to maintain vitality of growth and that a newly wired tree needs rest as does a newly transplanted tree, after wiring because it is irritating (his word) to the tree. (And no fertilizer for the 2 weeks it is resting.) He cautions that you need to plan carefully so that you are twisting in the same direction as the wire when you bend a branch. Care (pages 62-68) Murata says bonsai need to be watched with constant affection. Pines only need repotting every 4-5 years. Pinching buds and wiring show alternate bud selection on maples. If you like maples and want good ramification movement this is a must see. Cutting leaves is recommended for Maples, Zelkova and Elms. On maples he cuts mid leaf unless the branch is weak, then he says not to cut. For elms and Zelkova he says to cut off ALL branch tips then cut leaves. He says to follow leaf cutting with water and fertilizer until new leaves and buds emerge. When carving wood he says to preserve the wood and water and fertilize during the recovery period as the tree experiences extreme stress. Various Bonsai Plants (pages 68-114) He presents a number of species used for bonsai along with specific care instructions. He covers Black Pine, White Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Apricot, Quince (this one is unique based on caring for a shrub.) Wisteria (also unique as it is a vine. He mentions growing from a seed will take 20 years!) Japanese Maple has a root-over-rock page. He says to spray their leaves once a day. Let it grow 3 leaf sets before reducing to one. He wraps his wire with paper to prevent scarring. He transplants only every 3-5 years as annual transplanting causes it to grow rapidly and lose its shape. Shimpaku (J. chinensis) If it throws cedar like foliage it means that it needs more fertilizer, cutting it off is not the answer. He says it needs protecting from mid-afternoon sun. He also protects Needle junipers and Zelkova from mid afternoon sun. He protects his Zelkova in the winter. Japanese Beech he lets them grow long the 1 st year. Uses paper wrapped wire. Trimming to many branches at one will cause withering. He also shows root-over rock specimen. Gingko He says that it takes 30 years to develop a mature look in the mean time, enjoy their yellow fall foliage. Shade in the afternoon to prevent leaf burn. He notes that because of its growth pattern it will be a TALL bonsai (60cm). Pinch terminal buds to 2-3 leaves. However, after the second pinching you should not pinch again until after the new growth hardens. Cotoneaster Wire in spring before the buds come out. Quince long lived. Start with cuttings not seeds. Transplant yearly, before the buds come out. Ken Schultz July 2014.
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 13 From the Circulation Desk of the C.B.S. Library The CBS Library Materials List is now available in spreadsheet format on our CBS website's Library Tab. Users can Sort, Filter and Search the list. There are a few little buttons at the bottom of the embedded spreadsheet that allow you to download the spreadsheet, or open a full page version in a new window. Users can then email the librarian at CBSLibrary@hotmail.com to request materials. Another new feature is a column indicating if the Book has been reviewed and the information to access the review. For instance NL Feb. 2011 (Schultz) would indicate that the review is in the Newsletter, Feb 2011 issue, and Ken Schultz authored the review. We hope this will make the collection more available to the membership. Let us know your thoughts. We have completed the Accession Process for all the Books in the Club s Collection. All have a Card and Pocket for ease of Check Out. Beverlee Wilson, Librarian John Young, Asst. Librarian CBSLibrary@hotmail.com Memberships may be paid for more than one year at a time.
COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY AUGUST 2014 14 Bonsai Here and Beyond the Outer belt Unless otherwise noted, The Columbus Bonsai Society meets the third Sunday of every month at 2:00 pm. Board Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. The board meetings are open to members. AUG 17 AUG 21-24 AUG 23-24 SEP 21 OCT 19 NOV 16 DEC 14 2014 LITERATI WITH JOSÉ AND BYOT FORMER WORKSHOP FPC BCI 2014 GOLD COAST QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA ANN ARBOR BONSAI SHOW ANN ARBOR, MI PICNIC OAKLAND PINE WORKSHOP WITH JULIAN ADAMS FPC BRANCH STRUCTURE FPC HOLIDAY DINNER http://goldcoast2014.bonsai-bci.com/bci-auction-2014.html FPC= FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY OAKLAND= OAKLAND NURSERY, COLUMBUS LOCATION