BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 Bonsai Society of Dallas Monthly Member Newsletter May 2017 Message from the President In This Issue Message from the President May Program Upcoming Events May Bonsai Tips and Advice Tip of the Month LSBF Convention 2017 in Review April Program in Review Board of Directors Sylvia Smith, President slysmith@tx.rr.com Kyle Downing, VP Program /Membership Chair flattrack75081@yahoo.com Diane Lowe, Secretary diane_lowe@live.com Jerry Riley, Treasurer & LSBF Delegate jafa625@gmail.com John Miller, President Emeritus bonsaimiller@aol.com Todd Hang, Webmaster tqhang@gmail.com Mary Polk, Member at Large doggiedigs2@att.net Bill Muto, Member at Large bmuto@aol.com Howard Smith, LSBF President bonsaismiths@tx.rr.com Scheduled 2017 board meetings: April 24, July 10, and October 16. Any member is welcome. Please contact Sylvia Smith in advance for location if you plan to attend. The convention is over and the convention board is still diligently working on auction reimbursements and getting all of the dust settled after the party. Ultimately the goal of providing a great program with top notch instruction has been accomplished. People left with pretty awesome workshop material and most left with some goodies from either the raffles, auction or the vendor room. Most importantly, everyone left with new bonsai knowledge. I'm happy with the outcome and of course, at every convention we try something new in Dallas. Some things worked, others not so much, but one thing is certain, conventions HAVE changed over the years. What was once a very well attended venue has become a more selective event largely because what was once the ONLY place to educate on bonsai, has been replaced by the Internet. That in turn means that we now have to work with a smaller audience or expand our view way beyond being just a regional state convention. I think we get a little closer every time we think outside the box. But for sure, attendance is not what it used to be when I saw my first convention in 1995. That one was an ABS (American Bonsai Society) Convention in Dallas. The ones that followed were not much different than one with a national following as far as attendance goes, even though it was obvious that a regional show was not as spectacular as a national one. Over time I've watched those numbers dwindle even at California conventions, which once were considered the Mecca for bonsai education. I've also watched national clubs lose their steam while local clubs increased their capacity for bringing in better guest artists and better workshop material. I see awesome things happening in bonsai because we have such great educators available to us who are rooted in true education and armed with exceptional technical skills. Something extremely different than the days of the old self-proclaimed professional who taught what they learned through trial and error. That said, I also see change is inevitable if we want to stay up with the times. My Grandmother used to say "if you don't keep up with time, you'll get left behind"...and she totally meant that metaphorically. She was a wise woman. Looking forward to hearing your experience, good or bad. Can't get better if we don't hear it all! Please contact me to share any thoughts. Sylvia
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 May Program Pot Selection and Member Swap Meet 9:00 AM to Noon, May 6 th - North Haven Gardens An important element of bonsai involves the selection of the best pot to compliment the tree. Sounds easy enough; but then you realize that leads to all kind of decisions to make. What size, shape, finish, color, texture yikes, that is a lot to think about! How do I find the perfect pot? Then join us at the May meeting and Sylvia Smith will share her knowledge about proper pot selection. As you will learn, many of the characteristics of the tree will guide us through how best to select the pot. There are certain artistic guidelines that will take us in the right direction, but more subtle nuances will also be discussed. After the program, we then get started on our first ever member swap meet. This is an idea that one of our members suggested so we thought we would give it a try. No money changes hands, just good old fashioned horse-trading. Bring bonsai related items you no longer want/need (starter trees, seedlings, tools, pots, etc.) and get ready to swap. What if you want something but don t have a bonsai items to swap? Then maybe something else might do the trick a dozen cookies, a bottle of wine, lunch at NHGs, a gadget, a book or magazines, a packet of seeds, a garden tool..you get the idea, right? Let s have fun and give this idea a try. Remember, no money changes hands, just a good time to share and socialize. Oh, and be sure to come early to set your items up on the tables before the program starts. Same tree, different pots. Which would you choose? Photos courtesy of Jonas Dupuich s blog at bonsaitonight.com Upcoming Events May 6 th Pot Selection Guidelines & Member Swap Meet June 3 rd Study Group with Bonsai Smiths Events Elsewhere May 6 th 7 th Sacramento Bonsai Club 71 st Annual Show Sacramento, CA May 13 th World Bonsai Day Pacific Bonsai Museum Federal Way, WA May 13 th 14 th Albuquerque Bonsai Show BioPark Botanic Garden Albuquerque, NM May 25 th 28 th Brussel s Rendezvous Weekend Olive Branch, MS May 25 th 29 th BSF/ABS Convention Orlando, FL June 3 rd 4 th Sei Boku Bonsai Kei Exhibition San Mateo, CA June 23 rd 25 th US National Shohin Bonsai Exhibition Kannapolis, NC July 15 th 16 th Columbus Bonsai Society Show Columbus, OH August 25 th 27 th Ann Arbor Bonsai Society Show Ann Arbor, MI
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 LSBF Convention / Dallas 2017 by Sylvia Smith, Convention Chair We did it! We held a very successful convention; one we can all be proud of. Our guests seemed to have a good time and I heard many nice compliments on our event. Our guest artists were great and I think had a wonderful time with us. Our vendors were busy throughout the event and seemed to pack up less than they arrived with, and hopefully all who attended came away with an energy to continue to work to accelerate our learning, promotion, and enjoyment of this ancient art form. None of it would have been possible without the wonderful help of all the convention board members who worked for more than a year to plan and make this happen. My heartfelt thanks to the following teammates: Bill Muto Registration, Christian Gamboa Workshops, John Borusheski Raffles, Howard Smith Exhibition, Steven Hendricks Vendors, Diane Lowe Auction, and Jerry Riley Treasurer. Thank you so much for all your hard work! And thanks to all the club members who volunteered throughout the weekend. We could not have done it without you. Before you know it, we will be planning another convention. Until then, hope you enjoy some of these fun photos. Next month we will feature photos and the winning trees from the exhibit. All convention photos courtesy of Joey McCoy
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 LSBF Convention / Dallas 2017
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 May Bonsai Tips and Advice By John Miller The abnormal winter we had this year will cause you to need to adjust your work schedule. You already have for repotting and the first pruning. Now you should look at adjusting your fertilizing and any leaf pruning you may want to do. Usually in the Dallas area, May is the time to do the leaf pruning job if you have to do it. If you have kept the new growth pinched properly, you have been getting the ramification usually attributed to leaf pruning. The only good reason for leaf pruning is to replace foliage that has been damaged by wind or insects. On some individual plants that have large foliage, the new foliage may be smaller. Leaf pruning should only be done on strong healthy trees and should be done after the spring foliage has matured and supplied the tree with enough nutrients to produce a good crop of new foliage. It must be done well before the summer heat causes the plant growth to slow or stop. I consider the very latest time (and not at all desirable) to be Memorial Day. Leaf pruning is done by cutting the stems of those leaves that have them (maples) or cutting across the leaf about 1/16 inch from the twig if leaves are attached directly on the twig (elms). The tree should be well fertilized 7-10 days before the operation. It will not need as much water until the new foliage has developed. When the nighttime temperature stays above 60 degrees it is time to start repotting the tropical material. Since there are so many different requirements for tropical, I will not try to cover their needs here. But in general, I like to put them in partial shade and mist them until the new growth starts. Warm humid days are favorable for fungal growth. Watch for mildew, black leaf spot on elms and yaupons, among other. As an organic control, I use hydrogen peroxide in a 1% solution (mix 1 part of the normal 3% commercial product with 2 parts water). Baking soda is also recommended organically. Organic Foliar Spray To one gallon of water add one tablespoon each of: Fish Emulsion Liquid Kelp Molasses Apple Cider Vinegar Aphids, spider mites, and scale continue to be the most prevalent insects. The foliar feeding of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses, and apple cider vinegar (1 tablespoon each per gallon of water) is all the control I use for them. Scale is the most difficult because it is covered with a waxy coating (the scale). You may need to use a horticultural oil mixed as directed on the label. Be sure that the direction you read is for summer use as some have two dosages given, one for dormancy (usually the first and strongest) and one for summer. Don t use oil on buttonwood or any other plant not included on the label. A systemic applied to the root zone according to the label may be used. Don t stick a stem in your mouth if you use systemic or other chemicals. If you see damage to the foliage or the plant is not doing well, look for other problems and if you don t recognize the culprit ask you favorite nurseryman for help. A lot of root problems (insects or fungi) look like undernourished trees. Start checking your pots to see if the sun is heating them up. Our summer sun shining on dark pots can make the soil temperature soar and kill the roots. Try putting your hand on the pot. Roots are living organisms and cannot take high temperatures any more than you can. Heating also dries out the soil making you water more often. Any number of ways of keeping the pots cool will work, the requirement being to prevent the sun from getting to them. I do not care for the aluminum foil methods because I don t care to have the light reflected into my eyes. A simple cloth with a slit to go around the trunk works fine. A shade cloth should be used on the western side to keep late (after 4 pm) day sun off. Remember all the work that you did in the spring? Keep the new growth trimmed so that you haven t wasted your time. While trimming or watering check Continued on the next page.
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 6 May Bonsai Continued the wiring periodically and remove it before it damages the branch. If the branch springs back some just rewire it. If you are not on a regular organic foliar/drench feed schedule be sure to use fertilizer cakes with supplemental feeding with a good liquid fertilizer, one that includes the minor elements, such as the Hollytone type made by Espoma. Most bonsai I see are malnourished. The liquid water soluble fertilizer gets washed out with the next watering and the tree starves until the next infrequent feeding. Time to consider becoming more proficient at your hobby. You can learn all the rules but without practice you will not be able to perform. You need practice to learn to recognize the line of the raw material you are starting with. You get this practice and experience by taking part in the club s various study groups, beginners classes, and workshops. If you are not a beginner, try teaching some beginners as the teacher learns as much as his students by trying to verbalize what he is attempting to teach. Visit conventions especially the local state convention and discuss trees with others who share your like for a particular style or species. Tip of the Month Not all Wounds Heal the Same Deciduous, fruiting and flowering tree are naturally more prone to rotting wood. When faced with such a problem, the first thing to do is remove all of the soft wet wood even if this means that you wind up with a hollow or very little hardwood when you are done. On trees such as this Japanese maple, the hollow area dips down into the root base. Once completely cleaned, the hole can be filled with wood filler, although it is not necessary in this case since maples heal rapidly. The key is to check the hole when repotting and continue to keep that area clean and freshly cut to promote healing and closure. First use a knob cutter to dig out the cut a bit. Afterwards, take a sharp knife and smooth out the cut at the edges (note the smooth cut at the bottom compared to the scalloped edges towards the top). Add cut paste (the putty type seems to work better on very large cuts), and next year clean the edges again until the wound is completely healed.
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 7 April Program in Review Finding the Bonsai Within If you missed the April meeting, you missed a fun time. We had two very distinctively different junipers and our task was to come up with design possibilites for each. We divided into two teams and had the pleasure of collaborating with our team to come up with various styling options for these two very impressive junipers. Ultimately each group voted on their preferred style and presented their thought process and recommendation to the other team, via some nice drawings of what the finished tree might look like. We raffled the trees among each of the teams and both were generously donated to the convention by the lucky winners. Thanks to you both!
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 8 Bonsai Trees Bonsai Pots Pre-Bonsai Material (Shown by Appointment) Bonsai Wire Bonsai Tools Potting Mediums Now Open Thursday through Saturday 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM 404 Southwestern Blvd., Coppell, TX 75019 www.deepforestgallery.net Contact information: deepforestgallery@gmail.com or 214-354-6408 Place Your Ad Here! Business card size is $5.00 per month Half page size is $20.00 per month Full page size is $35.00 per month For more details contact: Jerry Riley jafa625@gmail.com
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 9 May s To-Do List 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 Watch and treat for pests and fungal problems Apply routine fertilization Remove wire if cutting into branches Deciduous Remove runners before they become too strong Cut back were internodes begin to elongate on branches that do not need to be thickened Maintain the structure of the branches Initial leaf pruning, if at the tertiary branch stage Evergreen/Conifer Continue pruning as necessary Wait to rewire junipers until mid-summer On junipers in refined stages, only remove the shoots that grow above the silhouette of the shape of the tree. DO NOT pinch the entire tree Continue to fertilize black pines heavily and let new buds grow freely Flowering/Fruit No more pruning until late June Tropical Begin repotting Leaf prune if desired Link of the Month As many of you know, our friend and recent guest artist, Bjorn Bjorholm does a Vlog sharing his many experiences while traveling the world teaching, judging, and lecturing on bonsai. We Made the Cut, as he featured us in his recent Vlog from just a few weeks ago when he was a guest artist at our convention. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17pc7cx hxo8 While you are there, check out his very beautiful video Bonsai A Dialogue with Nature. Member News Got news to share? Let us know.. We have added 11 new memberships since the beginning of the year. A warm welcome to our newest members! Brian & Sheldon M. Cindy M. Frank B. Judy A. Kyle F. Lindsay H. Luis & Alejandra L. Perry R. Roseanne & Joe M. Wendy W. William L. Beginner s Bulletin Board There are no dumb questions when you are a beginner at any new endeavor. However sometimes beginners are reluctant to ask a question in a monthly meeting. Got a question? Send it to Diane at diane_lowe@live.com for an individual response. Your question may also appear anonymously here in a future issue so that others can learn. Question: I have a round, pinkish thing on my cedar elm leaves. Is it a problem? Answer: They appear to be a gall which is abnormal growth on a plant typically caused by a tiny insect or mite. Plant galls come in a wide variety of forms, textures, and colors; bumps, warts, spheres, spines, fuzzy, hairy, smooth, etc. Most insect galls do not seriously affect the vigor of healthy plants. Leaf galls are aesthetically displeasing and may cause some premature leaf drop but they do not directly kill the plant. No treatment is needed unless you wish to manually remove them.
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 10 Timeless Trees Education, Success, and Fun Hurley Johnson Trees, Supplies, and Workshops Fri & Sat 9AM 4 PM 2707 David Street Rosenberg, TX 77471 832-526-5962 www.timeless-trees.com www.bonsaismiths.net www.timeless-trees.com www.benttreebonsai.blogspot.com www.dallasbonsai.com