BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
Bonsai Society of Dallas
Message from the President
Now that the convention and recent auction are behind us and summer has
unofficially begun, it's time to prepare for those long hot summer days! A
tall glass of lemonade or ice tea along with the turntable will be essential
for wiring up those deciduous, evergreen, flowering/fruiting, tropical and
juniper bonsai. Make sure to find a breezy spot under some shade while
the weather is still tolerable. In Howard's case, a nice cold air conditioned
place inside the house is preferable. Remember all those past newsletters
and the helpful hints we've given you to keep your trees cool and
hydrated. Don't remember? Then take a glance at our archives on our
website.
I hope you were able to participate in either or both of our local events on
May 10th
. As luck would have it, it was World Bonsai Day! The day
started with the auction of bonsai and related items by our friends in the
Ft. Worth Bonsai Society. The turnout was good and I think I heard that
just about everything sold. We had some lucky winners of many of the
raffle items too. That afternoon was the grand opening of Deep Forest
Gallery, Larry Leone’s new bonsai and art gallery in Coppell. It was a
pleasure to spend the afternoon among his beautifully landscaped gardens
with some of his unique rock/bonsai creations. Other artist’s work was
featured as well.
At this month’s program Howard and I will be your teachers at our
seasonal Study Group. We encourage you to bring your trees for advice
and questions. I’d highly recommend that you wire your trees ahead of
time so that we can help you set your branches. You'll be surprised how
much you can learn about tree design by doing this. And yes, we might
ask you to re-wire a branch or two so please bring your wire and tools.
Hope to see you at the June meeting!
Sylvia
June Program
Monthly Member Newsletter June 2014
IN THIS ISSUE:
Message from the President
March Program
Club Rio Vista Dig in Review
Upcoming Events
Events Elsewhere
March Bonsai – Tips and
Advice
January Meeting in Review
LSBF Convention Update
BSD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sylvia Smith, President [email protected] Paul Muraida, Vice President, Program Chair [email protected] Chuck Talley, Treasurer [email protected] Diane Lowe, Secretary [email protected] Jerry Riley, Member Relations [email protected] John Miller, President Emeritus [email protected] Les Porter, Newsletter Editor [email protected]
Mary Polk, Member at Large [email protected] Hiram Quinones, Member at Large [email protected]
Board of Directors
Sylvia Smith, President [email protected] Paul Muraida, Vice President, Program Chair [email protected] Diane Lowe, Secretary [email protected] Jerry Riley, Treasurer and Membership Chair [email protected] John Miller, President Emeritus [email protected] Les Porter, Newsletter Editor [email protected]
Mary Polk, Member at Large [email protected] Howard Smith, LSBF Delegate [email protected]
In This Issue
Message from the
President
June Program
Upcoming Events
June Bonsai – Tips and
Advice
Road Trip to California
May Program in Review
June’s To-Do List
Link of the Month
Beginner’s Bulletin Board
World Bonsai Day was initiated by the World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF). This event is to honor the memory of Mr. Saburo Kato, the world
bonsai patron and founder of WBFF, who believed that bonsai has the power to unite people by acting as a bridge to international friendship and peace. World Bonsai Day is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of May. Want to know more? Check out the information provided by the North American Bonsai Federation, the U.S. delegate organization to this
worldwide effort. http://northamericanbonsaifederation.com/index.html
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
Study Group
Bonsai Smiths
9:00 AM to Noon, June 7th
North Haven Gardens
This month is our summer seasonal workshop lead by the Bonsai
Smiths. Any material is suitable for work at this time of year. This
is the time of the year to focus on the tree’s structure and
refinement. Hopefully it was repotted earlier this year and the new
spring growth has emerged and started to harden off. It is time to
get/keep it under control and focus on the overall shape and
structure.
Bringing a fully wired tree to this workshop would be a good way
to learn how to set branches and develop pads. Also, if you'd like to
develop your trees further, it is suggested that you pick at least one
tree to bring to each of the three seasonal workshops so that we can
walk you through each stage if development. If you prefer to bring
different trees for styling suggestions, then this is fine as well.
Remember that these workshops are geared to help you better
understand your bonsai material and how to develop it into a
beautiful bonsai tree.
In case you are new to the club, this is a program where you bring
one or two trees in for work, under the guidance of Howard and
Sylvia Smith. Bring your tools, wire, and up to two trees. These
programs are held three times a year and ideally you should bring
the same tree(s) each time so they can assist you in the development
of that tree. Before and after photos are a good idea too, so bring
your phone or camera and be sure to get a picture before work
begins. If you don’t yet have a tree to work on, come and observe.
Listening to advise given to each person is also a good way to learn.
June 7th
Shohin Society of Texas Meeting
Austin, TX
June 24th – 29
th
Tropical Bonsai School – Pedro
Morales / Timeless Trees
Rosenberg, TX
July 11th – 13
th
Nashville Regional Bonsai Expo
Nashville, TN
August 15th – 17
th
37th
Annual Mid-America Bonsai
Exhibit
Chicago, IL
September 20th
Shohin Society of Texas
Austin, TX
September 13th – 14
th
4th
US National Bonsai Exhibition
Rochester, NY
October 30th
- November 2nd
Bonsai Visions of the West
Sacramento, CA
September 26th - 28
th, 2015
Artisans Cup of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Events
Elsewhere
Upcoming
Events
Saturday, June 7th, 9 – Noon
Study Group – Bonsai Smiths
Saturday, July 5th, 9 – Noon
Member Tree Advice / Three
Stoogies
Saturday, August 2nd
, 9 – Noon
Guest Artist – Rodney Clemmons
Saturday, September 6th, 9 – Noon
LSBF Guest Artist - Peter Tea
Howard and Sylvia in consultations
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
January Road Trip – Bay Island Bonsai Annual Exhibit
Oakland, CA
Club members Howard Smith, Chuck Talley, Mark Bynum, and Scott Rae attended the 15th Anniversary Bay
Island Bonsai Show headed by Boon Manakitivipart. Many of you know of Boon as one of the best bonsai
artists of our time, as well as a wonderful teacher. Some of his students include Howard & Sylvia Smith,
Michael Hagedorn, John Kirby, and Peter Tea – just to name a few. The theme for this special celebration was
"Made in the USA". All of the trees on display were grown from seed or cuttings here in the United States.
This Ashe
Juniper belongs
to our friend
John Kirby
Photos courtesy of Howard Smith
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
June Bonsai
Tips and Advice
By John Miller
Get your trees prepared to take on the Texas
summer. Remember that the biggest stress on
potted plants comes from the soil being heated,
especially by the late afternoon sun slanting in under
the shade cloth and foliage. The low humidity in the
afternoon does little to stop the heat. You need to
provide good shade on the west side. Two
waterings are sometimes needed; one about 2:00 pm
to cool the soil and provide for evaporative cooling
and another later about sundown to get the soil temp
back down and to allow the plant to be able to rest at
night.
Leaf pruning should not be considered a yearly task.
It should be done only as needed and only on very
healthy trees. Broadleaf evergreens would not get it.
If you think you need to leaf prune, you probably
can still do it but need to be careful, it could turn hot
in a hurry. The tree needs time to replace the energy
used to grow new foliage. I have done it on
Shumard oaks successfully. Again never leaf prune
the atropurpeum varieties of Japanese maples, they
don’t re-bud very well.
When night temperatures stay above 60 degrees you
can think about repotting some of the tropicals. I
would wait another month though for the
buttonwood.
However, some tropicals can be leaf pruned all
summer. The Ficus nerifolia especially benefits by
leaf pruning and can be done more than once each
summer. That will develop the heavy twiginess you
see in the Ficus bonsai from the Far East.
As the summer progresses, the growth of deciduous
trees will sometimes slow. But you still need to
keep an eye out for errant shoots on your refined
trees. Keeping a clipper with you when watering
would let you take care of most of them. Just like in
the spring a shoot too long will thicken the twig too
much. The major pruning chore is now transferred
to the tropicals.
Tip pinching on some flowering species like the
crape myrtle will result in fewer flowers but if you
let it go they get out of shape. I prefer to try to
balance the flower/design question by pinching
early. This provides more growing tips to divide the
energy and the resulting flower is shorter. It is less
showy but more in scale.
If you have fruiting bonsai, you should reduce the
number of fruit on the tree. The number one goal of
the tree is to provide seeds for reproduction and it
will starve itself in order to do so. Most fruit are too
large to look good on a bonsai anyway.
Some days may be relatively cool to you, but the
sun can still make the pot pretty hot. Not only does
this dry out the soil very fast but the tree roots do
not like a hot soil. A temperature I have heard given
is that 120 degrees will kill roots on most plants. I
cannot give you a precise to-do list since your
backyard is different from mine but you should be
sure that the sun does not hit the pots directly.
Notice especially where the hot afternoon sun, from
2 pm to sundown, hits your bonsai area. If you use a
cover of any kind be sure that the side of the pot is
protected also. A loose weave cover is preferable to
solid paper or foil. Chopped sphagnum moss spread
on the soil surface will reduce evaporation and help
keep the soil cooler.
Get to know you trees like your children. Which
ones use more water and which ones stay moist
between waterings. If some are difficult to keep
happy you can try moving those to a cooler location
(but be sure they get their sunlight). Another trick is
to group these together so that you can hit them with
a shot of water twice a day and not have to spend the
time going thru all your trees.
Extended damp weather (if we have it) is good for
fungal diseases like black leaf spot and mildew.
Treat weekly with potassium hydroxide, or sodium
hydroxide (baking soda), or a 1% hydrogen peroxide
solution. Watch moss on the pots. It should be
kept away from the bark on the trunk.
Also watch for signs of insect problems. The spider
mites will always be near. Others to look for are
scale of various forms, aphids, and mealy bugs.
Continued on next page
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 5 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
June Bonsai (Con’d)
I use the organic foliar feed (1 Tablespoon each fish
emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses and cider vinegar
per gallon water) to control all these. You can use
some of the other organic controls or
a chemical according to label
directions. Always read the label
directions carefully and never apply
oil based chemicals to buttonwoods.
You should do controls on a regular
basis.
If ants, or any other creature, are
building nests in the soil, the tunnels
and cavities will prevent proper
watering and result in a loss of roots. After you get
rid of the ants, be sure to grab your chopsticks and
work the soil down and eliminate any holes. You
will probably need to add a little more soil on top.
The best way to fertilize bonsai is by using fertilizer
cakes. The cakes provide a slow constant feeding
each time you water. Cakes made with a cottonseed
base will provide as acid ph when
they break down which we need in
any city water system I know of.
Making your own is easy and much
cheaper than buying them. I use
chemical fertilizers such as Miracid
or Peters a couple of times a month
also. My main problem with
chemicals is not knowing how many
bad salts that may accumulate in the
soil and also I know that each time I water I am
washing the chemical fertilizers out on the ground.
Organic Foliar Spray
To one gallon of water add
one tablespoon each of:
Fish Emulsion
Liquid Kelp
Molasses Apple Cider Vinegar
Tip of the Month
Fertilize, Fertilize, Fertilize………Continuously
Can't afford Biogold or Rape Seed Cakes from Japan? Don't like the work involved in making your own fertilizer cakes? Try tea bags! You can get 110 tea bags from Amazon for under $10 with shipping. All that's left to do is fill each bag with cotton seed meal or whatever works for you. And don't forget the generous portion of Cheyenne Pepper to keep the critters from taking off with your bonsai food! You can use toothpicks or wire clips to keep the bags in place.
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 6 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
May Program in Review
Tool Sharpening Workshop
By Les Porter
Last month, we had to tremendous educational opportunity to
see, hear, and work with Bill Boytim. Bill currently lives in
Austin but is in the process of moving to the Houston area. He
has had a circuitous route for his interest in bonsai and tools. He
first exposed to bonsai during college and then has had a slow
increase in interest over many years. During this time, he worked
in wood fabrication and this exposed him to the importance of
sharp tools. He then transitioned to being a safety officer in the
manufacturing / fabrication environment. These unique interests
and his intrinsic interest in science have lead him to study
extensively about metal, cutting edges and the maintenance of
bonsai tools for optimal function.
Bill began his lecture with a short educational session that presented information on: types of steel,
nomenclature of the parts of a cutting tool, the preparation of grinding surfaces to be truly flat. Bill then
discussed the management of curved surfaces and how different surfaces meet or bypass. After this basic
orientation, we began to examine and critique our tools and had his assistance to address their issues.
There were several global teaching points that we all would benefit from remembering:
It is far easier to maintain a tool than it is to initially get it working
properly or repair a damaged tool. So, incorporating this into your
activities whenever you are working on your trees actually saves you time
in the long run.
Clean any tool after use with alcohol. This also should be done between
trees (which I confess I have the hardest time doing).
Check for damage or if the cutting edge needs to be freshened and address
this at the time the tool is cleaned
After the blade has been renewed with a few passes with a stone or other
sharpening tool, wipe the tool down with mineral oil.
Return to its usual storage site ready for the next use.
Tools should not be stored in a damp or wet environment. Many of our
tools are carbon steel which is very hard and holds an edge very well but is also very susceptible to
water (liquid or vapor) causing rust. Some of the stainless steel tools can also rust but are more resistant
Stainless steel tools are much more resistant to rust but are generally a softer steel and due to this, will
need more work for maintenance of the cutting edge.
Possibly the most important aspect of this workshop was beginning to understand that our tools are not
static objects. They are in fact, dynamic objects that change every time they are used, similar to the dynamic
nature of our trees. Due to their being dynamic objects, they require attention for care and function similar
to what our trees require. The difference being that a tool can have errors that are repaired where as an error
with a tree may result in a “finished Bonsai.” This idea actually makes working on my tools easier. I can’t
kill a concave cutter.
Photo courtesy of Jerry Riley
Photo courtesy of Lance Williamson
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 7 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
Beginner Bulletine 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 [email protected] for an individual response. Your question may also appear anonymously here in a future issue so that others can learn.
Question: What is meant by reverse taper and what causes it?
Answer: With bonsai we are constantly working to create the right proportion of taper within each tree. This is critically important in
order to create the illusion of a large, old, beautiful tree. Taper must appear in our trunks (wider at the base and narrower at the top) and also in the branches (wider near the trunk and narrower at the tips) to give the viewer that image of an old tree. This applies to the entire branch structure, to include secondary, tertiary, etc. branches. We must create this taper in the overall space envisioned for your ‘finished’ tree.
Reverse taper is when the trunk or branch taper actually gets thicker, instead of thinner, as it extends upward or outward. It is a very undesirable development. It happens when multiple leaves/branches emerge and grow in the same area. The more branches, the faster the reverse taper develops.
Our focus on tool sharpening at last month’s program prompted a brief conversation on tempering metal. John B. shared this video on the process of how one man takes a chunk of steel and turns it into a fine shaving instrument. It is a long video but it makes you appreciate the work that goes into creating some of our tools. The end shows a good series of shots on honing a knife. Could it be your grafting knife?
Razor Making Overview, From Start to Shaving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tvFO3TqhDj0
Link of the Month
Are you a Facebook user? Our club has a Facebook page and now so does our Lone Star Bonsai Federation organization. Please consider
using them more often to post pictures, comments, and questions for our group. Let’s get active and let more people know about our great organization.
June’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
Fertilize trees dependent on species’ needs
Protect from extreme heat
Check wire requirements
Treat for insects as needed
Deciduous
Cut back shoots and re-wire branches
Feed moderately throughout summer months
Do not let shoots become too strong, unless you are thickening a branch
Evergreen/Conifer
Decandling begins at the end on the month for medium to large Japanese Black Pine only. Other pines are treated according to species and cork bark black pines are decandled ever other year. Wiring can be done within one week after decandling.
Junipers can be thinned and wired as needed, "pinching" on refined trees to maintain shape
Flowering/Fruit Cut long shoots and wire trees at the end of the month to
set flowers for the following year Azaleas should be thinned to two leaf buds on strong
areas and three leaf buds otherwise; whirls should be trimmed to two side branches.
No more pruning until late June
Tropical Continue repotting through first week in June
Beginner’s Bulletin Board
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 8 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
Learning Opportunities
Bonsai Smiths
Upcoming Classes
January 25, 2014 - Japanese Black Pine Session I
February 8, 2014 - Repotting and Root Refinement
May 31, 2014 - Maple Tree Ramification and Refinement Session I
June 28, 2014 - Japanese Black Pine Session II / Juniper Workshop – Full
July 12, 2014 - Maple Tree Ramification and Refinement Session II – Full
November 15, 2014 – Japanese Black Pine Session III – Full
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
Tropical Bonsai School
By Pedro J. Morales
Year 1
May 27th – June 1st
Classroom portion
Tues, Wed and Thursday
Evenings 6 PM – 9 PM
Hands–On work
Friday, Sat. and Sunday
9 AM – 5 PM
Year 2
June 24th – June 29th
Classroom portion
Tues, Wed and Thursday
Evenings 6PM- 9PM
Hands–On work
Friday, Sat. and Sunday
9 AM – 5 PM
Held at “Timeless Trees” in Rosenberg, TX.
Six days of intensive instruction, lecture, videos, and hands-on work with the world renowned
Bonsai artist Pedro Morales. All supplies included, and Lunch on Fri, Sat and Sunday.
The best instructional value in the U.S.
$375.00 per class
Contact Hurley Johnson to sign up, 832-526-5962 or [email protected]
BSD NEWSLETTER PAGE 9 JUNE 2014
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
www.benttreebonsai.blogspot.com
www.timeless-trees.com
www.bonsaismiths.net
Howard and Sylvia Smith
www.BonsaiSmiths.net • Cultivators of fine trees [email protected] • Collection maintenance Tel# (972) 754-9883 • Private instruction Fax# (972) 661-0694 • Classes, lectures & demos
www.hfimports.com
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