THE TWIG MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies Spring Festival Hudson Va!ey Resort and Spa 400 Granite Rd. Kerhonkson, N.Y April 17-19 will find many of us at our annual regional bonsai event in the Catskills of New York. This takes the place of our April meeting. We have reviewed the great artists who will be featured in that last several Twigs. Featured Artists are Isao Omachi (Japan), Farrand Bloch (Netherlands), David Easterbrook (Canada) and Susan Amoy (U.S.A.). In addition there are many vendors to visit and of course the annual exhibit that we take part in. This year Jon Staples and Tom Kiszkiel have trees in the exhibit representing MHBS. You can go to http://www.midatlanticbonsai.freeservers.com for more details. Remember that first time attendees can attend for half the normal registration fee. Our duties at the festival include assisting the artists on and off stage and helping host the exhibit. Even if you can not attend the whole weekend, try to make it for a day or even just to visit the exhibit and the vendors. SEE YOU THERE! REGISTER NOW FOR UPCOMING MASTER MHBS WORKSHOPS: email or call Pauline or Adriano Fees in advance to Mike Curthoys. Checks to MHBS JUNE 27 or 28 Ted Matson workshop and demo location: pfm bonsai Workshops each morning: Bring your own tree or purchase one. 9 AM to 1 PM Demonstration each afternoon at 2 PM open to all. Trees to be auctioned on Saturday, Raffled on Sunday. Workshops limited to 8 each day. $50 to participate. Silent Observers welcome So far these people are registered. IF we missed you, call or email immediately to save your place: Saturday: Dave Irvine, Sue Irvine, David Williams, Dorothy,Adriano, 4 places left Sunday: Sally. Nancy, Iris, David Williams 4 places left PAGE 1
MOHAWK HUDSON BONSAI SOCIETY VOLUME 41 NUMBER 4 APRIL 2009 AUGUST 8-9 Peter Adams 2 day workshop event location: pfm bonsai This will be Peter s 3rd trip to continue his work with MHBS. Some of you have attended the prior workshops and will wish to continue, some of you will come your first time. Reservations will be on a first come and pay basis. The fee is $85 each day for WS plus $7 per day for his travel costs and is restricted to only those who are paying for the workshop. So far the following are registered. If your name is missing call or email Pauline immediately: Saturday: Adriano, Bill Jones 6 places left Sunday: Bill Jones 7 places left NOVEMBER 22 David Easterbrook workshop and demo location: pfm bonsai One of our favorites returns. Morning workshop for eight with observers allowed. Afternoon demo with tree to be raffled. ANNUAL BEGINNER S WORKSHOP AT THE CAPITAL DISTRICT GARDEN AND FLOWER SHOW SUCCESSFUL Thanks to the work of Mike Curthoys and Alan Talman with the leadership of President David Payton our beginner s workshop was a great success. Five students of varying ages joined us on Sunday afternoon to create new trees. Everyone seemed to have a great time and some nice trees were created. Workshop pictures by Alan Tallman All students were invited to attend our May and June Meetings. We hope to see them there with their new bonsai. PAGE 2
MOHAWK HUDSON BONSAI SOCIETY VOLUME 41 NUMBER 4 APRIL 2009 PAULINE THANKS TO THE MHBS MEMBERS WHO HELPED HOST AT THE GARDEN SHOW Sally, David P, David H, Mike C, Ann B, John P, Mary Ann P, Tom K, Sandy K, Paul C, John K, Jon S, Dorothy R SEE MORE PICS AT THE MEETING...FILE WAS TOO LARGE TO SEND AS EMAIL 2009 MHBS Calendar SAVE THESE DATES..hosts needed for July and October May 24 - Sunday - Wiring, Repotting, Fertilizing ( from Feb) Dorothy Raymond and Bill Jones and Diseases & Pests Presentation Cooperative Extension Center - Voorheesville, NY host Muth June 28 Sunday meeting - Ted Matson - (members may also come June 27) PFM Bonsai - West Charlton, NY. This will also be the grand opening of the new studio. Register with Pauline at 882 1039 or email at Pauline@pfmbonsai.com BYO Workshops in morning, Demo in afternoon each day. July 26 - Sunday - Bring Your Own & Share Ideas Cooperative Extension Center - Voorheesville, NY August 8 and 9 - Peter Adams BYO Workshop and Annual Picnic (SUNDAY) PFM Bonsai West Charlton, NY Register at the March Meeting or call Pauline at 882 1039 or email at Pauline@pfmbonsai.com September 19-21 - Montreal Bonsai Club Annual Show Montreal, Canada September 26-27 MHBS Annual Show Faddegon's Nursery - Latham, NY October 25 - Sunday - Winter Storage & Care Presentation Cooperative Extension Center Voorheesville, NY November 22, Sunday - David Easterbrook PFM Bonsai - West Charlton, NY Register at the March Meeting or call Pauline at 882 1039 or email at Pauline@pfmbonsai.com PAGE 3
BONSAI EVENTS AWAY FROM HOME April 17-19 2009: MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies 26th Annual Spring Festival at the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa, 400 Granite Rd. Kerhonkson, N.Y. (outside of New Palz) Featured Artists: Isao Omachi (Japan), Farrand Bloch (Netherlands), David Easterbrook (Canada) and Susan Amoy (U.S.A.). Special for first time attendees: preregistration for weekend 1/2 price. (Registration fee only, not on workshops.) Details at http://www.midatlanticbonsai.freeservers.com. April 24-25 2009: Shohin St. Louis: Little Trees Big Event hosted by the Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis held at the Gateway Center, One Gateway Drive, Collinsville, IL 62234. Featuring Nobuichi Urushibata, President of the Shohin Society of Japan, Jack Bacus, Brian Ciskowski, Dale Cochoy, Jim Doyle, Guy Guidry, Mike Hanson, Dave Kreutz, Pauline Muth, Dave Paris, Dana Quattlebaum, Andy Smith, and a who s who vendor list. MANY workshops. Registration is $140 plus workshop costs. For details and registration, visit http://www.stlbonsai.org/shohin.htm or contact Ted Piekutowski, Jr. at Stlshohin@sbcglobal.net or 314-952-1317. June 19, 20 & 21 2009: Bonsai Clubs International presents Survivors of the Storm in the New Orleans Botanical Garden at City Park in New Orleans, LA, USA featuring Lindsay & Glenis Bebb of Australia, Willi Benz of Germany, Tedy Boy of Indonesia, Peter Chan of Great Britain, Nacho Marin of Venezuela, I.C. Su of Taiwan and Americans Richard Cranford, Guy Guidry, Dora Ross, Ed Trout and William N. Valavanis. Bonsai, Suiseki, Ikebana and special programs for kids by Jim and Linda Brant. Invitational exhibition of Gulf Coast Bonsai. Registration and information at BCI2009@cox.net or telephone 504-832-8071. July 7-13 2009: World Bonsai Convention VI: 1st Bonsai Olympics at the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For details visit http://www.worldbonsaiconvention2009.com/. IF YOU ARE ATTENDING AND ARE AN ABS MEMBER PLEASE WRITE: ABS MEMBER ON YOUR REGISTRA- TION FORM. YOU WILL EARN $50 FOR ABS!! September 10-13,2009 International Bonsai Shohin Bonsai Symposium Rochester NY Details at http://www.internationalbonsai.com/ Spring is here...almost time to repot up here in cold country A Bonsai Close-up on Pots and Potting by Pauline Muth A pot can be considered as the setting for a jewel. The jewel is your bonsai. What part does the pot play in the total design? PAGE 4
A pot should compliment your design giving it a special frame or design mood A pot can fade from view giving the tree center stage. A pot can dominate your tree and ruin the design. The time to choose a pot is after you have designed the bonsai tree. Oh sure, we all have collected too many pots with the perfect tree designed over and over in our minds only to never locate the right specimen. We have all faced that shelf full of empty pots with a tree in hand only to find ourselves unable to locate the perfect match. The moral is, of course, simple: buy the pot only after you have styled the tree! (Do as I say, not as I do!) Color Choices Unglazed pots in brown, gray or terra cotta will work the best with most trees. Gymnosperms (conifers included) look the best in unglazed pots or in matte, subdued glazed finishes. Colored glazes work with deciduous trees. The color should be chosen to accent the best feature of the tree; leaves, fruits, flowers or bark. Pastel shades for flowers and darker glazes to point out fall foliage colors. Use a color wheel to set up complimentary or contrasting colors. White pots need a tree that shows white in the leaves or flower. Be sure that the pot color or design does not stand out more than the tree design! Pot Size When determining the pot size we must be guided by artistic and horticultural sense. For young, undeveloped trees, allow for growth. The rules work best for the mature tree. Young trees following the rule will look good but it will need to be sized up over time. Also young trees and certain collected trees may need additional root space. These needs must over ride the esthetic needs to insure the survival of the tree. The rules are based on the classical work of bonsai and a well-developed artistic eye. Always try your balled tree in several pots. Remember that you are creating a total picture of tree in a pot (bonsai). John Naka uses these rules. Pot length: In general, the length of the pot should be 2/3 the height of the tree. If the height of the tree is shorter than the width, use the width measurement to determine pot length. Take 2/3 of the width for the length of the pot. In multiple trunk style the length is 2/3 of the height of the tallest tree however you may wish to use a longer pot to create space. In group plantings also use the 2/3 rule. Pot depth: For most styles the pot depth matches the trunk size. Cascade trees require a depth to visually match the foliage mass and will create balance. PAGE 5
Multiple trunk styles must consider the total visual picture being created. Both the length and depth will be affected depending on the scene being created. Collected trees need a depth that will accommodate the root ball and help the tree survive. As time passes and roots develop to form a fibrous mass, the longer roots that require the greater depth may be removed in some species and the tree can be repotted in a more suitably sized pot. The width of the pot should be less than the spread of the longest branches. This measurement is only useful if you are creating a pot or having one made, since pot width is determined by the potter. Pot Style The shape of the pot must match the style and flavor of the tree: Straight trunks: rectangular pots Curved trunks: oval, round, round cornered, or rectangular pots Massive trunks with masculine designs: large stable looking pots. Cascade trees: deep or tall pots. Some may use a medium depth pot. If the tip hangs below the bottom edge of the pot, use a stand. The tree does not touch the table. In rock plantings: take the rock color and texture into consideration when choosing the pot so that they harmonize. Bunjin or literati: Small, round and shallow. Rough hand mades. Antique glazed pots are used for all types of trees. A rock used as a pot must have these characteristics: It must be hard with a rough surface. The color must not take away from the plants. The shape and size must blend, not over power the tree. Preparing the Tree Clean and comb out the roots. Be sure that you learn enough about the tree species so that you are planting it in the correct season. Cut roots that are vertical or horizontally too big for the pot. Eliminate large old roots masses directly under the trunk to encourage new root formation. Leave enough fibrous roots to support the tree. Treat the roots with rooting hormone. MAKE SURE that the roots never dry out during this process. Many species can have all the soil removed, others cannot. You must learn the differences. Preparing the Pot and Planting the Tree 1. Be sure the pot is clean. 2. Fasten screening or dry wall tape over the drainage holes.(do not use fine window screen) 3. Set up anchorage wires (two or more) through the wire holes, or lacking these, through the drainage holes. Be sure not to pull holes in the screen. 4. Put on gloves and a face mask to protect yourself at this point. 5. Put a layer of bonsai soil in the bottom of the pot. (Be sure to use a soil mix that will best support the species of trees.) If the pot is large, use a coarser mix in the bottom to help drainage. Remember that the wider the pot, the slower the drainage. Tall pots have faster drainage than short pots. PAGE 6
6. Add mycrorhyzoid spores at this stage if the tree requires them. 7. Put the proper dose of micronutrients and iron in the bottom soil. Add in Biogold fertilizer IF it is the start of the growing season. 8. Dust the root mass with a rooting powder such as Hormodin 3 to promote root growth. 9. Position the tree in the pot on the top of a mound of bonsai soil. Be sure to consider the total balance of the composition. In rectangular and oval pots the tree is planted slightly back of the center and to the side of the shorter bottom branch. In round and square pots, the tree is usually placed in the center of the pot. Occasionally you are restricted by the root mass. Over time, work on the mass to develop less restricting roots. Taking time saves many trees! 10.Add bonsai soil in slowly using your chopstick to remove air pockets that would dry out the roots. 11. Before totally filling the pot, tighten the two sets of anchor wires to stabilize the tree. 12.Continue to add soil until the job is complete. 13. Water the tree. As this point it is best to soak the pot in a B-9 solution and water from the top. After a 10 minute soaking put the tree in a shady area for a week. Do not fertilize for a couple of weeks. 14.ENJOY! Officers MHBS 2009 President David Payton 518 356 3299 dpayton@nycap.rr.com Vice President (programs) Adriano Manocchia 518 677-5744 adriano@tsmandco.com Treasurer Mike Curthoys 518 371-3668 curthoys@hotmail.com Newsletter Editor Pauline Muth 518 882 1039 Pauline@pfmbonsai.com PAGE 7