june 2010 newsletter - columbus bonsai society · the columbus bonsai society receives meeting...

June 2010 Newsletter President

Mark Passerrello

Tree Curator

Dan Binder

Director Emeritus

José Cueto

1st Vice President

Ken Schultz

2nd Vice President

Zack Clayton

1 year Director

Denny Sackett

2 year Director

Tom Holcomb

3 year Directors

Jack Smith

Treasurer

Richard Gurevitz

Secretary

Sandy Schoenfeld

Librarian

John Young

Web Master

Ed McCracken

Newsletter Editor

Richard Uhrick

Education

Tom Holcomb

Droplet of water Nestled in the thick green moss. Slurp. The bonsai drinks.

-01101001.com

―A Pinch of this….‖

...Follow the cobblestone roads….

Term of the month: NIHON TEIEN

CBS IS MOVING That is right, due to space limitations and the increased entry fee at FPC we are moving

our annual show not only to September, but to German Village in

the Maennerchor Hall. This will give a good sized hall for

increased Vendor, Tree, and workshop/demonstration space. Not to

mention there is a Bar downstairs with several beers on tap, so let’s

give them a reason to be open. Come out and make a weekend of

it, perhaps we will even call it ―Beer, Brats, and Bonsai‖ or

something to that effect.

But let’s not forgot about our neighbors to the East—the Dawes

Arboretum’s Annual Ohio Regional Show is this weekend [see pp

10-11], we should all head out to participate and observe.

See you there.

Bonsai=Perseverance

Rich Uhrick

Columbus Bonsai Society PO Box 1981 Columbus OH 43216-1981 1

[email protected] www.ColumbusBonsai.org Columbus Bonsai is a proud member of the American Bonsai Society and Bonsai Clubs International.

Nihon Teien—Gardens in the Japanese style.

Program Info 2

Presidents Message

3

Staselwood Study Group

4

May Meeting 6

Book of the Month

8

Dawes Shows and Events

10

Calendar 13

Inside this issue:

Join us at Oakland Nurseries–

Columbus on June 20, 2010.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ColumbusBonsai.org

2 COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY JUNE 2010

This Month’s Program— Initial Styling of purchases at Dawes Show and shopping assistance at Oakland Nurseries

UPCOMING PROGRAMS:

JULY: Root over Rock with

tropicals

AUGUST: Member Sales, Picnic,

Show Preparation

SEPTEMBER: New Annual Show

date.

OCTOBER: Phoenix Grafts with

Mike Thornhill.

NOVEMBER: Saikei/ Elections. We

will look at Saikei and vote on

officers for the next year.

DECEMBER: Annual Holiday

Party.

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

[email protected]

The Columbus Bonsai Society

receives meeting space and other

support and assistance from Franklin

Park Conservatory and Oakland

Nurseries

We will be at Oakland Nurseries this month, as we look at initial styling techniques of new

purchases. They can be purchases from vendors at the Dawes Show. Or come early and we will help you

select a purchase from the Oakland stock and then assist you with the initial styling.

FPC Beginner Class works on Bougainvillea.

COLUMBUS BONSAI SOCIETY JUNE 2010 3

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT….

Welcome to June, a hot wet June.

J une has usually meant show season for our club. With the

change to a September show, that frees up June for a regular

meeting, and makes it easier for our members to check out

other shows happening in the area. A case in point is the

regional show hosted by the Dawes Arboretum. If you have never been,

it is a good show hosted in a fascinating venue. It is easy to spend a

long hour or two wandering around the grounds of Dawes, and the

show typically draws a different crowd of exhibitors compared to our

show in Columbus. Let me encourage you to check it out, help support

one of our "brother" clubs-and wear your club apparel, so we can wave

the flag for our own show!

Care Notes from the Columbus Bonsai Society Website

June - Early Summer - 82/59

This is a good month to air layer trees.

After you remove dead flowers, Rhododendron and Azalea

are ready for pruning.

Wiring stiff deciduous is easier now that sap is

flowing. Foliage makes this task more difficult though.

Continue pruning deciduous and tropicals for shape and to

force growth that is more compact.

All trees will be in full growth mode, so water usage is

significantly increased.

You may completely defoliate strong and healthy deciduous

trees to produce smaller foliage and ramification. Do not wait

any later than June, or the tree’s new growth may not harden up

enough in time for winter. This technique should not be

completed in successive years, as it is stressful on the tree. This

technique is usually reserved for maples.


STUDYING AT STASELWOOD

SESSION ONE: February 2010

According to Dan Binder and Scholarship Recipient

Richard Gurevitz

S ession one began with our mentor, Jeff Carr, giving a

brief historical account of his and Heather's early life.

They lived "on base" [while in the Army] for a half a

dozen or so years before moving back to Hanover, Ohio.

When they arrived, they found Heather's birth homestead up for sale. Her

parents had sold the property to an ostrich farmer. The purchase was too

much to ignore and they bought the homestead plus the greenhouse and

outbuildings. Heather is a master gardener and certified for pesticide ap-

plication. She fertilizes the bonsai and other plants as well and often wa-

ters. Jeff designs and repots. They have horses and many other outdoor

projects, but the bonsai greenhouse dominates their activities.

The morning session began with classroom learning. Jeff began

by talking about the influences that shaped his understanding of bonsai.

Marco Invernizzi and Craig Coussins are some of his mentors. He says

that 80% of a good bonsai is artistic impression, the artistic value of

each tree. [―Rather higher than I thought, but none the less interesting

(Dan).‖] Jeff said "Anyone can read in a book and learn how to keep a

plant alive, but making an otherwise boring shrub and/or tree into really nice Bonsai takes a lot of time, effort

and most importantly creativity". He also said to survey the trees in your collection and if some of them have

no potential, move on to trees that are worth the effort and can develop into good bonsai.

Next, we discussed styling. Jeff suggests we start with the current shape and find a similar form or an

interesting point and work from there. It is important to "be creative, see the potential in the tree". Having a

firm idea of what you want to create is important. Sketch one or more different ideas and then decide the di-

rection you want to follow. "Once you have a plan, remove un-needed branches". The tree must be believable.

It must look naturalistic.

One of Jeff's main philosophies is that when you decide to wire a tree, wire it completely. Do not get

lazy and leave a tree half wired. If you follow this simple rule, you collection will improve tremendously.

Jeff then talked about the "art" side of bonsai--artistic approach, pot selection, and wiring. He said

Debra Koreshoff does a good job of discussing these topics in her book. She "marries" trees and pots well.

Jeff commented on feminine versus masculine trees and pots. He also recommended against going too big

with a pot because that can cause wet conditions

with the roots. Also, beware of "death pots"--pots

that have poor bottom drainage. This also causes

root rot.

Jeff then discussed dome top, slanting style, Jin on

pine and India ink to darken lime sulphur. He also

mentioned that on a windswept style the tips of the

branches could bend up to give the impression of

heavy wind.

In Jeff's opinion, Literati is the most difficult style

to create. He feels you can do a lot with literati, but

you must make it naturalistic.

Jeff recommends you try to imagine where the tree

(Continued on page 5)

Richard ―Doc‖ Gurevitz ready to learn


will grow. Impose minimal or maximum growth control. Remember, in winter food goes to the root ball.

Prune before bud swell, but leave roots to get good bud production in spring. The way you prune and

repot needs to be decided in advance. Be mindful of aftercare. Roots will not work as well and the upper

parts of the plant will need regular misting for 2 to 3 weeks and keep the plant in a shaded area.

After lunch, we worked on trees. Jeff taught us some wiring techniques including his use of Vet-

Wrap which is an improvement over raffia. He also showed some extreme wiring using a branch lever,

which he designed, and wiring to shorten branches by using extreme curves and bends. [See also May

meeting section] Overall, Jeff and Heather's hospitality made for a most enjoyable day.

(Continued from page 4)


BONSAI: THE NEW EXTREME SPORT

―Jeff turned bonsai

styling into an

extreme sport.

Stretching not just

branches and trunks

but also the

knowledge of the

audience.‖ — Dan

READY, SET, BEND….

Vetwrap...It’s not just for

horses, anymore!


BONSAI: THE NEW EXTREME SPORT

Jeff stresses the

importance of sketching

your plan for a tree.

And sometimes it

takes a little help to

bend trunks and

branches...like these

benders that Jeff

brought with him.

Everyone was able to be involved.

Always wire 100% of the tree,

even if you later decide to

remove it.


Book of the Month: Bonsai Secrets

By Peter Chan

T his book caught my eye because it said ―Reader's

Digest‖ on the cover. I have the Reader's Digest

Bonsai book, but this one was very different. Peter

Chan a well-known British bonsai artist published

bonsai Secrets in 2006. An article earlier this year by Tim Kuhlman

featured a trip to Peter Chan's nursery. The 178-page 10‖ x 7‖ book

uses good quality color drawings and photographs to illustrate the text;

there are ten chapters. The photos and drawings include captions; these

captions often contain interesting facts. For example; ―In ancient times,

bonsai trees and the bonsai masters who worked on them were thought

to possess supernatural powers.‖ As is my custom, the remainder of

this book report contains tidbits that I found interesting and I hope you

do too.

The bonsai principles that we follow are from the Chinese northern school or Suzhon; adopted by

the Japanese. Unlike Japan, Chinese bonsai still follows a landscape concept. A true bonsai master never

considers his knowledge complete. To become a bonsai master takes a lifetime, just as a tree is never

finished as it changes each time you prune or wire its branches.

Chapters 2 & 3 provide guidance on selecting a bonsai, presenting indoor and outdoor varieties;

and where to buy bonsai. There are also sections on value factors and pricing. Deadwood is said to

increase the price because it takes more time to create it. In Chapter 4, Peter Chan presents the Aesthetics

of Bonsai. He feels that hardy outdoor trees represent Japanese Bonsai, where Chinese bonsai styles are

more ornate characterized by indoor tropical varieties and. He also discusses Age and size as value

factors. Chan lists trees used for small, medium and large bonsai, only Juniperus chinensis; hawthorn and

trident maples show up for all three sizes.

Chapter 5 begins ―Bonsai Basics.‖ We have all heard the virtues of Akadama, a dried clay soil

with a pH of six. Chan warns that it is suited for central Japan, which has heavy rainfall, and moderately

cold winters. He said in North America Akadama needs to mixing with bark, grit and dried clay and

pumice to achieve the right balance. Page 73 has a chart showing soil formulas based on tree type. For

example, pines use 20% Akadama, 30% peat moss or bark and 50% sand, pumice or grit.

In the section on repotting, Chan says that in North America it is inadvisable to repot flowering

trees such as azalea, quince, crabapple and apricot after flowering as some Japanese books recommend.

He says the end of February or March is safer. After repotting, protect the trees from high temperatures,

drying winds and strong sunshine. I find these suggestions always good to follow. The section on

watering warns against relying on rainfall. Chan says tap water is fine to water with. He recommends

when watering to water three times for 10 seconds each time.

Chapters 6 & 7 deal with Design and Styling Techniques. Design covers Wabi-Sabi. Shaping

may be achieved by clip and grow, bamboo sticks, guy wires, or wiring. The trick to wiring is to wire so

that the wires do not cross. There are two charts about good wiring and shaping bonsai. I liked the simple

bullet presentation style. The chapter on diseases is easy to understand. There was a list of Field Growing

tips on page 147.

I learned that Pen – Jing means ―potted scenery‖, as opposed to bonsai means plant in a tray, or

tree in a shallow pot. I have skipped over some very good material. I conclude that this book is a ―must

have‖ for all levels of bonsai enthusiasts. Each time I open it I find another tidbit, like ―New jin should be

allowed to dry for a month before applying lime sulphur.

Ken Schultz

In addition to our club library, you can find many

books on Bonsai at your public library under the

Dewey decimal system # 635.9772.


I have been playing catch up all spring. Seems we once again had warm weather early, followed by

some dry weather and now some very wet weather. All these factors modify what the books tell you

as to what you should be doing and when you should be doing the choirs to keep you trees healthy.

First – Let us talk about the early warm weather, followed by dry and hot and now cool and rainy. It

seems to me that we needed THIS weather for successful repotting back in April. So if you have missed

the repotting earlier- you may be able to repot some of your conifers now (though I would not risk larch-

they are temperamental after their foliage emerges); But it seems we do Shimpaku and Procumbens Nana

at show workshops mid June. If you are not disturbing the root mass too much, you could pot up – giving

your tree a little extra space to relieve them until an optimal condition presents itself. You could pot a

tree into the ground if you really have a serious pot-bound condition.

Second, with all this rain following the warm start to spring, I found that I have ram-pet growth;

extending more than 10‖ in some cases. This means you need to look at the wire on your trees. If you

cannot remember when you put the wire on – it may be cutting into the bark. I had a Shimpaku that

will now take a couple of years to heal over the wire marks. Leaves get bigger and the internodal spaces

get longer as a tree puts on new growth. Elms in my collection are prime examples of this phenomenon.

Unless you need the tree to be larger – and designate the growth as SACRIFICE – look to see where you

need to cut it back to maintain your tree's canopy outline. AS soon as you get new growth on your

Azaleas and Rhododendrons – pinch/cut it back; select the 2 of the 5 you want of the new growth. If you

do not you might be cutting off next Spring's flowers.

The current rainfall presents a third, fourth and fifth problem. Light, fertilizing and root-rot.

Light: If you are already, in shade, you will have 2 problems – One is that the tree above is providing

so much shade your bonsai below is leaning towards the light because of the extra cloud cover.

Moving your trees temporarily might be a solution. Remember that under a tree, you WILL find

that the big tree provides a rain shadow. The trees out in your yard are SOAKING WET, but the

trees under that oak or maple are dry and need watering.

Next is fertilizing; if you use a liquid solution all this rain will wash your fertilizer through the bonsai

mix in 4 days or less. Poo Balls or Osmacote type, slow release can be the answer.

Root-rot: Make sure your bonsai containers are able to drain. If you have, large diameter pots you

may need to put them on a slight tilt to help move the water along. Watch out for trees that hold

water at the surface when you water, or that seem to still be very wet when compared to ones that

you have re-potted this year. Skip them when you water everyday – they might need every other

day. Whatever you do, pay attention or you may find root rot. This condition can cause foliage to

be limp and you will think – Oh, it needs more water, when it is actually drowning.

Remember to rotate your pots, I have found some one-sided growth tendencies already – caused by how

the light can reach each tree. Well, I need to get out there and keep pinching and pruning. See you at a

meeting soon. You should also be keeping your eye out for your outstanding trees to enter into our Fall

show.

Ken Schultz

June Reminders for the Bonsai Grower


30th Ohio Regional

Bonsai Show

Saturday, June 12, 2010: noon - 7 pm and

Sunday, June 13, 2010: 11 am - 5 pm

The Dawes Arboretum cordially invites you to experience the art of bonsai

at its 30th annual Ohio Regional Bonsai Show (ORBS).

Over 100 bonsai specimens displayed by individuals and Bonsai Clubs

from central Ohio will be on show in the Firelight Room. Ohio Bonsai

artists will conduct fee-required workshops (see reverse side) and free

demonstrations for all skill levels throughout the weekend. And, there

will be a silent auction each day of the show.

If you are ready to start your own bonsai or are an old pro looking for

supplies, vendors of bonsai tools, containers, Japanese art, jewelry and

plants will be on hand.

DAWES HISTORY The initial stages of the Bonsai collection at The Dawes Arboretum had occurred in 1960. Re-

cords of the original five or 6 trees have been lost. CBS had donated trees styled by visiting artists: Tosh

Saburomaru, John Naka, William Valavanis, and Ben Oki. Other clubs and individuals have also con-

tributed bonsai for the permanent collection.

Bonsai workshops at the arboretum began in 1970.

Following some initial discussions, the first meeting was in January 1981 to plan the first show.

Polly Niederlander, Carolyn and Max Puderbaugh of CBS, Shirley and Art Patznic of Dawes, and repre-

sentatives of Cox Arboretum and Sandusky societies participated.

Jack Wikle and Keith Scott gave workshops and had supplies and plants for sale.


30th ORBS Workshops (Classes limited to 12, except as noted)

*Mail check or money order payable to The Dawes Arboretum, ATTN: Horticulture at 7770 Jacksontown Rd., SE Newark, OH 43056.

To pay by credit card, call the Visitors Center at 740-323-2355 to register.

Please provide the following for each registrant:

Name Name

Address Address

State Zip Code State Zip Code

Phone (in case of questions) Phone (in case of questions)

e-mail e-mail

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Instructor

Keith Stevens – The Dawes Arboretum, Newark, Ohio.

Keith is Curator of the Japanese Garden and Bonsai

Courtyard as well as Treasurer of the Pun Ching Bonsai

Club.

Workshop A 10:30 - 1:00 pm Beginning Bonsai –

Education Center, Greenhouse Classroom Come for an introduction to the art of bonsai. Students will learn

the history of bonsai, types of plants, containers, soil and tools to

use, and how to prune and style trees. Students receive one tree,

bonsai container, soil, wire and an Art of Bonsai booklet. Tools will

be available to use.

Cost: $35

Jeff Carr – Staselwood Bonsai, Newark, Ohio. Jeff's

bonsai interest began in Savanna, Ga., 15 years ago. He has

studied bonsai under a number of artists including Craig

Coussins. Jeff is the current President of the Pun Ching

Bonsai Club.

Workshop B 1:00-3:30 pm Soft Touch Holly Workshop –

Horticulture Bldg. Jeff will be offering a Japanese holly variety called 'Soft Touch'.

These plants are in two-gallon containers, and they should finish out

at 10-12 inches tall.

Cost: $60

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ken Huth – Ken's World of Bonsai, North Canton, Ohio.

Ken has been a regular at the Columbus Bonsai shows as

well as MABA and other events for over 15 years. He

brought erodium to the Ohio bonsai market. He has

collected trees in the Dakota's with Andy Smith.

Workshop C 11:00-1:30 pm Morris Midget Boxwood

Horticulture Bldg. These Morris Midget Japanese littleleaf boxwood are approximately

10 years old. Their small foliage makes for a nice broom style or

styled out in layers.

Cost: $45

John Brannon – The Nursery at Onion Creek, Albany,

Ohio. John's bonsai interest evolved from an interest in

gardening that began in the 1950's. He is a familiar face at

many garden shows and events. He raises his plant material

at his nursery. As they say, he has an eye for the art of

bonsai.

Workshop D 1:30 – 4 pm Rock Clasping Japanese

Wisteria – Education Center, Greenhouse

Classroom John will be doing a rock clasping Japanese wisteria. Participants

will be working with 2 to 3 ft. plants.

Cost: $45 Limit of 10 people

I would like to attend the following: Workshop No. of People Fee Subtotal Please indicate

a second choice

in case the

class you want

becomes full.

A _______ x $ 35 = ______________

B _______ x $ 60 = ______________

C _______ x $ 45 = ______________

D _______ x $ 45 = ______________

*Total:

______________


From the Circulation Desk of the C.B.S. Library

In an effort to make the C.B.S. library more available to all of our members (since the library cabinet

is being stored at Oakland Nursery and since we aren't meeting there every month), I will do my best to

fill any requests that you may have to borrow any of the items that we currently have in our collection.

I have a complete list of all of the books, magazines and videos that we have in our library; so, no later

than the Friday before our monthly meeting, either send me an e-mail at [email protected] or

give me a call at 614-267-4168 and let me know what items you would like to borrow from our library.

I will let you know if we have that particular item in our library or, if it has already been checked

out by another one of our members, when it should be available for you to borrow. However, if you are

interested in a particular article or topic in one of our bonsai magazines, I will need to know the specific

issue you

would like to borrow, since I don't have a master index for all of the magazines that we have. And to

be as fair as possible to all of our members, you may check out only two books, magazines, CD's or

videos at one time for a two month period.

Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions about these new procedures. After all, it

is your library, too!

John Young, Librarian

(614) 267-4168

[email protected]

Renewal Memberships may be paid for more than one year at a time.


Bonsai Here and Beyond the Outerbelt

Unless otherwise noted, The Columbus Bonsai Society meets the third Sunday of every month at

1:45 pm at the Franklin Park Conservatory. Board Meetings are the first Tuesday of the month at

7:00 pm. The board meetings are open to members.

12-13 JUN 2010 DAWES SHOW

12-13 JUN 2010 NATIONAL BONSAI EXPOSITION—ROCHESTER, NY

20 JUN 2010 INITIAL STYLING OF TREES—OAKLAND

25-27 JUN 2010 MABA SHOW—GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

18 JUL 2010 ROOT OVER ROCK / USING TROPICALS—FPC

24-25 JUL 2010 WILDWOOD GARDENS BBQ– SUTHIN SUKOSOLVISIT, GUEST

24-25 JUL 2010 SE REGIONAL BONSAI SHOW; NASHVILLE—GUY GUIDRY GUEST

15 AUG 2010 STYLES OF BONSAI/ SHOW PREP/MEMBER SALES—OAKLAND

18-19 SEP 2010 CBS SHOW —FPC

29 SEPT-12 OCT 2010 BCI IN CHINA

9-10 OCT 2010 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF BONSAI—PARIS, FRANCE

OCT 2010 SHOW OF THE CAROLINA’S —ASHEVILLE ARBORETUM

OCT 2010 OAKLAND NURSERY FALL FESTIVAL

17 OCT 2010 PHOENIX GRAFTS —FPC

21 NOV 2010 ELECTIONS/ SAIKEI/ STYLES—OAKLAND

DEC 2010 HOLIDAY DINNER —TBD

JUN 2011 ABS/BCI LEARNING SEMINAR—LOUISVILLE, KY

FPC= FRANKLIN PARK CONSERVATORY

OAKLAND= OAKLAND NURSERY, COLUMBUS

Columbus Bonsai Society

PO Box 1981

Columbus, OH 43216-1981

Questions to:

[email protected]

HTTP://Columbusbonsai.org

Regular Club meetings on

3rd Sunday of the month

Meetings Start at 1:45 pm

All are welcome to attend

CBS Board meets

1st Tuesday of the month

at 7:00 pm

Meeting is at

Oakland Nurseries

mailto:[email protected]

http://columbusbonsai.org/

june 2010 newsletter - columbus bonsai society · the columbus bonsai society receives meeting...

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