BSSF Show Your Stuff in MarchCatherine Wolf

VP and Director of Programs, BSSF

Hi Members,

Matt Reel joins us March 10th for a program

focused on bonsai display. We need your help to

make the most of this program. Please bring a

variety of trees, display stands, accent plants,

suiseki, scrolls and other display elements to the

meeting. Matt, who travels to us from Portland, will

assemble different displays from the elements you

bring. This is a great chance to see new display

potential for the items in your collection.

A few spaces remain in the workshops with Matt on

March 12 and 13. We prefer these spots go to

BSSF members, but soon we will invite bonsai

enthusiasts from other clubs to take remaining

spots. Sign-up now with Eric or Catherine by

emailing contact[at sign]bssf.org.

This all leads up to our annual bonsai exhibit in

March and Cherry Blossom group show in April.

Members are strongly encouraged to submit at

least one tree for inclusion in our annual show in

March. Do you know what a show is that exhibits

the same trees year after year? It’s not much of a

show. Be bold, and don’t worry. Eric has final

curatorial say, and he won’t let a tree in that just

isn’t ready.

Thanks and get ready to show your stuff.

Fog City Bonsai March 2016 Newsletter of the Bonsai Society of San Francisco San Francisco County Fair Building, Lincoln Way between 9th and 10th Avenues

Bay Area Events at-a-Glance 1...

March 10 - Member Meeting: Art of Display with MattReel March 12 - 13 - Master Series Workshop with Matt Reel

March 16 – 20 - BSSF Annual Bonsai Exhibit, SanFrancisco Flower and Garden Show, San Mateo

Apr. 2 – 3, 2016, Santa Cruz, CASanta Cruz Bonsai Kai: 28th Annual Show at the Museum ofArt & History

April 10 – Bonsai Basics I

April 14 – Member Meeting: Keeping Bonsai in SmallUrban Spaces

April 16 - 17 – Cherry Blossom Festival Bonsai Sow,Japan Town, San Francisco

April 30 - BSSF Art of Bonsai, Japanese Tea Garden , SanFrancisco Golden Gate Park

11 See inside for details

In This Issue...

BSSF Show Your Stuff in March, C Wolf, p.1

Movement-Induced Value Analysis?, E Schrader, p. 2

Grafting: Have the Tree You Want, C Wolf, p. 3

BSSF Meetings and Workshops, p.4

BSSF Announcements, p. 5

Bonsai Events In and Outside of the Bay Area, p. 6

Officers and Board of Directors, p. 7

Guide to Bonsai Care p.7

Page 1

Movement-Induced Value Analysis?

From the President, Eric Schrader

After returning from my ten-day trip to Japan two

weeks ago I immediately undertook to move all of

my trees out of my back yard. Moving all of your

trees encourages a little analysis of your collection.

With the need to handle each and every plant,

some thoughts occur. A plant sitting on the bench

is not much bother, just water and fertilizer; but a

plant needing to be moved takes muscle, time and

energy.

Each time I move a plant it makes me think hard

about whether or not it’s worth having and working

on. Would selling it improve my bonsai collection?

Improving your collection of bonsai can come in

different forms:

• Acquisition of good material

• Elimination of poor material

• Improvement of existing materialIn our organization we spend a lot of time working

on improving existing material, but it’s easy to lose

sight of the big picture when you’re spending hours

working on a plant in a workshop. When you look at

a piece of material, think about what you like about

it and determine if it’s a plant that you should own

for the long term. See articles in a previous

newsletter

(www.bssf.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/BSSF-

2014-May-June.pdf). Material can serve different

purposes, from learning specific techniques to

controlled testing of pruning or fertilizer theories.

But, when the material is not meant to be a show

tree, I typically sell it or give it away after it’s

purpose has been served.

As I have been moving my trees I’ve kept a small

core group of them in the yard until the last minute.

These trees are among my favorites, and they are

ithe best in terms of show potential as well. I enjoy

having them visible from my house so I know that

I’ll want to keep them around

Every time

you move a

tree it may get

you thinking

about whether

it's the right

one for your

collection. If I

could just

have gotten

this pine in my

suitcase I

would

certainly have

bought it.

During the upcoming spring show take the

opportunity to walk around looking at the trees that

are on display, then look at the trees that are on

the sales table. Do your trees interest you in the

same way that the trees in the exhibit do? Can

you improve your trees to be as good as the best

ones in the show? Each piece of material has its

own character, its own set of challenges and its

own rewards. Ask yourself, as I have been doing

with my collection, whether each tree is worth the

space, worth the time and worth the effort. I

encourage you to acquire high-quality material,

and either sell or improve your lower quality

pieces. When we all do this it won’t be long before

the spring show becomes not just a show but a

showcase.

My favorite Ezo

spruce from the

Kokufu-ten

exhibit. This tree

would be a

welcome addition

to almost any

collection.

Page 2

Grafting: Have the Tree You WantCatherine Wolf, Vice President

Photos by Thom de Cant

Kathy Shaner, Curator of Bonsai Garden at Lake

Merritt, joined us in February to share with us her

secrets for successful grafting. The primary and

really the only purpose for grafting is to improve the

appearance of a tree. We use grafting to get

branches where we want them, to change foliage

and to have better nebari. “You can have the tree

you want,” says Kathy. A good grafting success rate

to aim for is 80% – 90%. Achieving this success

rate is a challenge, even for experienced bonsai

practitioners. In all the information provided by

Kathy, correct timing, tools, placement and patience

seem to be most critical issues.

In spring, there is a moment when sap begins to

flow between the roots and branches as the tree

emerges from

dormancy. Buds

begin to swell and

new bright green

growth appears

after sap is

flowing, so ideally

you are timing

your grafting just before the signs of spring appear.

The two junipers Kathy used to demonstrate scion

grafting had no evident new growth. On the larger

maple, Kathy selected branches for the thread graft

that still had closed buds.

The narrow band of living cells that make the

cambium layer of our trees is where a graft has to

“take”. Trees have evolved elaborate measures to

protect these living cells during freezing

temperatures. Little wonder then that we must take

care to minimize damage to these cells when

grafting. The right tools are critical, and it is

important that they are sharp. Scissors tend to

crush tissue and

damage cells. A sharp

edge with a slicing

motion creates less

damage. Drill bits

should be replaced

after a few uses to

ensure they are as

sharp as possible

Placement of the scion, branch or root into the

stock tree must maximize the points of contact

between the cambium layers of both. I can’t help

thinking of the difference between a well-planted

kiss on the lips versus those awkward kisses that

land somewhere in between lips and cheek. This

seems to me the likely point at which most grafts

go wrong because it is hard to get visual

confirmation of correct placement. Kathy

demonstrated a number of techniques designed to

maximize contact. For scion grafts, she changed

the angle of the cuts on the bottom and top of the

scion to better match the cut she made into the

stock tree. For thread grafts, she used a sharp

knife to smooth the openings made by the drill bit.

Then she scraped the branch to expose the

cambium at the place it would contact the

cambium around the drilled opening. Finally she

pushed a wood peg into the hole to press the

branch against the edge of the opening and then

wrapped it tightly with parafilm.

Kathy found it worthwhile to make another point a

couple of times during the evening, and this may

be a hidden secret of successful grafting. Leave it

alone. Don’t peek at it. Don’t tug at it. With the

Page 3

switch to parafilm instead of bags, you don’t even

have to check the moisture level. With patience, the

best evidence of a successful graft will be the

growth of the new branch. In the case of scion

grafting, new growth should be evident in two to

three months. For a thread graft, wait for the part of

the branch where it exits the trunk to thicken more

than the branch at the entry point.

In talking with advanced and professional bonsai

practitioners, grafting is either something they boast

about or something that continually frustrates them.

That is a sign of both its importance and difficulty.

Kathy s reputed to have generally good grafting

success. She shared so much more information

about grafting during this packed demonstration,

and it is clear that she also only touched the surface

of the grafting topic. Hopefully, these points of

timing, tools, placement and patience will make you

more successful with your grafting efforts.

BSSF Meetings and WorkshopsCatherine Wolf

To secure a spot in any workshop or class, pleasesign up with Eric Schrader (contact [at sign]bssf.org) or Catherine Wolf (catherine.wolf [at sign]wolfwerk.com or call/text her at (415)299-7061).

Mar 10, 2016 - Member Meeting: Art of Displaywith Matt Reel (Last names E - F bringrefreshments)Matt returns to BSSF to give a presentation on oneof his most developed talents – displays set-ups andconventions. As an apprentice at the nursery ofShinji Suzuki, Matt was responsible for setting upformal displays in the tea room where visitors aregreeted and entertained. Seven years of dailypractice in display hones your skills. Members areencouraged to bring trees, stands and any otherdisplay elements to the meeting to see the

imaginative display combinations that Matt createsand what guides his decisions. 7:15PM to 9:30PMin the Recreation Room at the SF County FairBuilding in Golden Gate Park. Open to membersor those thinking of joining.

Mar 12 & 13, 2016 - Master Series Workshopswith Matt Reel (spaces available)Our Masters Series Workshops continue in Marchwith Matt Reel. Matt held an eight-yearapprenticeship with Shinji Suzuki in Japan. He isnow a member of the Portland Bonsai Village. Thisweekend immediately precedes BSSF’s annualbonsai exhibition. This is the perfect time and theperfect teacher to polish your show trees into topcondition. Repotting of some trees at this time maystill be possible. Each workshop runs from9:30am-5:30pm. March 12th will be in the GardenRoom at the SF County Fair Building and March13th will be at Bernard Marque’s studio in theMission District. $120 per person per session;limited to 6 members each day. Both dates stillhave one or two spaces.

CANCELLED - Third Thursday Members FreeWorkshopDue to the conflict with our annual bonsai exhibit atthe Flower and Garden Show, there will be nomembers workshop in March.

March 16 – 20, 2016 - BSSF Annual BonsaiExhibit, San Francisco Flower and GardenShow, San MateoThere is a lot to read about our annual exhibit. Please view the page on www.bssf.org underarticles and stories for complete details. Members,you are strongly encouraged to include your treesin the show. We pride ourselves on a great show,but we also want all members to have a chance toexperience showing a tree. Don’t worry. Eric hasfinal say on what trees are included. If your treeisn’t ready, he’ll let you know. Contact Eric ateric(at sign)phutu.com to discuss. Members, wealso need you to volunteer during the show. DianaLum has the schedule. You can contact her atdlum1(at sign)sfwcf.com to sign-up for shifts. Lastly members, we want you to see the show andinvite your friends .

Apr 10, 2016 – Bonsai Basics IBonsai Basics is a two-part class open to anyoneinterested in learning the techniques to begindeveloping bonsai. Basics I introduces beginnertools, wiring techniques and general treemaintenance. Basics II covers root work andrepotting techniques. It isn’t important in whichorder you take the two classes. Participantsreceive 1-2 starter trees for practicing the

Page 4

techniques covered in both Basics I and II classes.Tools and other needed materials are eitherprovided for the classes or available for purchase.Cost for this class is $25. Participation is limited to10 students each class. Class runs from noon to4pm in the Garden Club Room at the SF CountyFair Building, Golden Gate Park.

April 14, 2016 – Member Meeting: KeepingBonsai in Small Urban Spaces (Last names G - Hbring refreshments)April’s meeting is a program for us and by us. Weurban dwellers, intent on practicing the centuries olddiscipline of growing bonsai, have to overcomechallenges the rural and suburban practitioner doesnot. We want you to come and share how you growbonsai in the city. Stories of success and failure arewelcome. Think about your cramped balconies,window boxes, limited sunlight, absence of wateringsystems, lack of storage, etc. I’m sure we will laughand learn a lot. 7:15PM to 9:30PMin the Recreation Room at the SF County FairBuilding in Golden Gate Park. Open to members orthose thinking of joining.

Other Programs and Workshops

April 16 & 17, 2016 – Cherry Blossom Festival BonsaiShow, Japan Town, San Francisco

April 30 - BSSF Art of Bonsai, Japanese Tea Garden , San

Francisco Golden Gate Park

May 12, 2016 – BSSF Member Meeting: Michael RyanBell talks about pot identification and appraising (Lastnames I - L bring refreshments)

May 15, 2016 NEW – “Antique Pot Road Show” – bringyour pots to Michael Ryan Bell for ID and appraisal

May 15, 2016 – Accent Plant / Kusamono Workshop withKora Dalager

May 22, 2016 – Master Series Workshop with Peter Tea

June 5, 2016 – Field Trip to Sei Boku Bonsai Kai’s 33rdannual show in San Mateo. Tentative, depends uponmember interest

June 9, 2016 – BSSF Member Meeting: Tropical Specieswith Boon Manakativipart (Last names M - N bringrefreshments)

June 18 & 19, 2016 - Master Series Workshops with MattReel

July 16 2016 – Annual Soil Workshop and Pot Luck

BSSF Announcements

Saturday, April 30, 2016 San Francisco,California: Bonsai Society of San Francisco, inpartnership with the Japanese Tea Garden willpresent an educational program that focuses on

the key techniquesused in the art ofbonsai. BSSF willdemonstrate treewiring and styling,and explain theimportance of thecorrect tools andpots used to makebonsai. BSSF willalso create a

traditional formal display used for bonsai showsand exhibitions. Demonstrations are at 11:00 amand 2:30 pm at the Japanese Tea Garden, at 75Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, in San Francisco'sGolden Gate Park. Admission: Adult -$6.00 (Residents), $8.00 (Non-Residents); Senior (65+) and Youth (12-17) - $3.00(Residents), $6.00 (Non-Residents); Child (5-11) -:$2.00 (Residents), $2.00 (Non-Residents); Child (4and under) - free. For more information contactBrian Schindler at Bschindler[at sign]sbcglobal.net.

Member Meeting Refreshments – Members bring refreshments to our generalmeetings based on the first letter of their lastname. If your last name begins with E - F, we askyou to bring refreshments to our March meeting.April is G - H, May is I - L, June is M - N, July is Potluck;, August is O - R, September is S,October is T - V, November is W - Z, December isa Potluck. Each group includes only 7-10members, so you shouldn’t count on others in yourgroup to cover this responsibility. Catherine Wolfwill continue to bring drygoods (plates, napkins,etc.) and hot beverages (tea, coffee) to eachmeeting.

Docenting at the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt– A fun and an educational opportunity for allbonsai hobbyists. John Dale is looking forvolunteers to join him at the Bonsai Garden atLake Merritt for March 19 and any other thirdSaturday at 1pm The GSBF Golden State BonsaiFederation Collection is in Oakland. No matteryour skill level, you can help care for thesewonderful trees and educate the public about theart of bonsai. You can sign up at a meeting withJohn Dale. To volunteer at other times, contactJohn McKisich, BGLM Docent Coordinator, atmityglo@aol.com, 650-477-8540

Page 5

mailto:Bschindler@sbcglobal.net.mailto:mityglo@aol.com,

Club MembershipMembership fees are $30 for individuals, $50 forfamilies and $20 for seniors .. A membership/renewal form can be found at bssf.org –> Join Us –>Join Now.

Bonsai Sales at Monthly MeetingsPlease remember that any time during the year youwish to sell bonsai trees, the BSSF welcomes you tobring the trees to our monthly meetings orworkshops. The club receives 20% of the purchaseprice.

BSSF Bonsai Library The BSSF has on hand a large assortment of books,magazines, and other literature about our favoritehobby. To access the library, arrive early at eitherthe monthly meeting or the monthly workshop andspeak to Bernard Marque. Checking out materialsrequires a $5 deposit per item.

Other Bonsai Events in the Bay Area

March 12–13, 2016, Oakland, CABay Area Bonsai Associates (BABA): 35th AnnualBonsai Exhibition at the Lakeside Garden Center atLake Merritt, 666 Bellevue Avenue. Show hours areSaturday 5pm – 9pm with light dinner, and Sunday10am – 4pm. Demonstration by David De Groot,6:30pm Saturday, followed by raffle of the demo tree. Sales, Free admission. Public parking is available. Contact: Bob Gould, 925-935-1914.

Mar 16-20, 2016, San Mateo, CABSSF Annual Show at the SF Flower and GardenShow, San Mateo County Event Center, 1346Saratoga Drive. www.bssf.org. Apr. 2–3, 2016, Santa Cruz, CA. Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai 28th Annual Show at theMuseum of Art & History. For more informationcontact Ed Lambing at edinbonnydoon@comcast.net.

April 30 - May 1, 2016, Palo Alto, CAKusamura Bonsai Club 56th Annual Show, Lucie SternCommunity Center, 1305 Middlefield Road. Saturday,noon-5pm and Sunday, 11am-5pm; demonstrations at1;30pm each day. Free admission. For moreinformation, visit www.kusamurabonsai.org.

Bonsai Events Outside of the Bay Area

Apr 2–3, 2016, Sacramento, CABonsai Sekiyu Kai: Annual show at the SacramentoBuddhist Church, 2401 Riverside Blvd. Demon-rations by Peter Tea. For more information contactBonsai Sekiyu Kai at bonsaisekiyukai@gmail.com

Apr 9–10, 2016, Sacramento, CAAmerican Bonsai Association, Sacramento: 57thAnnual Bonsai Show at the Shepard Garden and ArtsCenter, 3330 McKinley Blvd. For more information,contact Renee Seely (916) 929-2106,breadcrust@comcast.net or visit their websiteabasbonsai.org .

April 16 - 17, 2016, Fresno, CAKôen-nai no Bonsai (Bonsai in the Park) afundraiser to benefit the GSBF Clark BonsaiCollection at the Shinzen Friendship Garden inWoodward Park. For more information,visitclarkbonsaicollection.com or contact Bob Hilvers atbonsaiqui@comcast.net or 559-909-1051.

April 24, 2016, Watsonville, CAWatsonville Bonsai Club: 43rd Annual Bonsai Exhibit,Watsonville buddhist Temple, 423 Bridge St.Watsonville. For information, contact Don White at831-724-9283 or whiteslib@aol.com

BSSF members get 10% off at Dallas Bonsai with coupon code - BSSF2015

Page 6

http://www.bssf.org.mailto:edinbonnydoon@comcast.net.http://www.kusamurabonsai.org.mailto:bonsaisekiyukai@gmail.commailto:bonsaigui@comcast.netbonsaimailto:bonsaiqui@comcast.net.mailto:Whiteslib@aol.com.

BSSF Officers and Board of Directors

President:Eric Schrader 415-823-7984 Treasurer:eric@phutu.com Marge Casey

Vice President: Secretary:Catherine Wolf Christian Werk

Board Members-at-Large: Webmaster: Dan Casey Eric SchraderJohn DaleThom de Cant Librarian:Cheryle Lam Kawamoto Bernard MarqueHarlan KawamotoOscar Patzan Newsletter Editor:Brian Schindler Diana Lum

About the Club:The Bonsai Society of San Francisco exists to perpetuate theenjoyment of the art of bonsai. Whether defined simply as atree in a tray or taken to the heights of a living fine art form wecome together to share our joy and curiosity for growing livingtrees and our enthusiasm for keeping them healthy andbeautiful. We invite new members who share these interests.

BSSF General Meetings are on the 2nd Thursday of the monthat 7:15pm. The Members Workshop is the followingThursday (3rd Thursday of the month) at 7:00pm. BSSFBoard Meetings are held on the 4th Monday at 7:00pm. Allmeetings occur in the County Fair Building at the corner ofNinth Avenue and Lincoln Way. Enter through the parkinglot at Tenth Ave and Lincoln and walk along path behind thebuilding to the doorway to the Recreation Room.

BSSF Guide to Spring Bonsai Care in the SF Bay Area Bonsai care is ultimately based on the weather and onthe health and condition of the tree. Please consult aqualified person before performing any procedure thatwill stress the tree. Generally, feeding can be doneon all but just repotted trees; other work may or maynot be performed depending on the condition of thetree. Remember that wiring, repotting, pruning,defoliating, needle pulling, etc. cause stress to a tree,so use discretion and allow trees to regain strengthafter large amounts of work are done. Darker shadingindicates better times or increased activity. (This careguide is currently under-going revision.) º º º º

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mailto:eric@phutu.com

In This Issue .......

Bay Area Events-at-a-Glance

BSSF Show Your Stuff In March

Movement-Induced Value Analysis?

Grafting: Have the Tree You Want

BSSF Meetings and Workshops

BSSF Announcements

Bonsai Events In and Outside of the Bay Area

Officers and Board of Directors

Guide to Bonsai Care

Bonsai Society of San FranciscoNinth Avenue and Lincoln WaySan Franciso CA 94122