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Hello
all;
Wow! Roy Nagatoshi did it again. Two full workshops and a Sunday meeting; all
three very productive and informing sessions!
I think we all look forward to his visits. The good news is, he’ll be back next year.
But now it’s May. Yes, the month of our annual Spring Bonsai
Show at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
For those of you who haven’t experienced this event, you will be awed
and impressed! Once every year, our
members bring out their very best Trees.
Pots have been cleaned, stands waxed, final touches on the soil, and
meticulous adjustments to wiring and pruning will have been done, all
culminating in a magnificent collection of fine art. You will miss out if you miss it!
As to the logistics, Friday
beginning at 2:30 PM, Hubert Jones will be coordinating the set-up of tables,
tablecloths, and displays. Every year,
more help could have been used, so try to arrange to be there to help. It’s no small undertaking. Lots of knowledge regarding formal display
will be spilling across the tables, and if you’re there to listen, you can
absorb quite a bit of useful information.
This is also the time to bring your trees in (the earlier, the better)
so that Hubert and Ryan know what they are dealing with. Then everyone goes home and gets a good
night’s sleep (?), because Saturday when the doors open, thousands of people
will begin streaming through our event.
People asking questions, Bonsaiists answering questions, Ribbons
awarded, vendors selling pots, trees, soil mixes, tools, and our members
recruiting new members. It’s exciting,
stimulating, and a whole lot of fun.
Then Sunday, Ryan Neil will hold a
workshop at 9: AM till 12:Noon. One of
the youngest Bonsai Masters, he studied extensively in Japan, and has a premier
Nursery of his own. Really knows his
stuff. Ask Dennis McHugh if there is any
space left. In the meantime the doors
open and again, thousands of visitors pour into the gardens (all of which have
to walk right past us). And we’ll need
more help answering questions, and encouraging new people to join our
club.
The takedown starts about 5:PM, and
again, we need all the help we can get.
But once you get into the Show environment, it becomes a “labor of
love’. So BE THERE. Help us have the best show ever!
Regards,
Wally PS. more information about the show is available here. |
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Transplant/Root Prune:
Azalea - after flowering, Bamboo, Boxwood, Buttonwood, Camellia, Cedar, Citrus, Cotoneaster, Crape Myrtle, Cryptomeria, Gardenia - as new buds appear, Hemlock, Juniper, Mountain Laurel - after flowers wither and new leaf buds appear, Pine - black/red, Pyracantha, Podacarpus, Sasanqua, Spruce, Tropicals, Willow, Yew.
Branch Prune:
Azalea - after flowering, Bald Cypress, Boxwood, Buttonwood, Cedar, Camellia, Cherry - 2/3 after flowering, Cotoneaster, Crabapple - after flowering, Cryptomeria, Elm, Gardenia, Hawthorn - after flowering season is over, Mountain Laurel, Persimmon, Pomegranate, Rhododendron, Sasanqua, Tropicals.
Trim/Pinch New Growth: Apple - trim after new shoots lengthen to 2-3 nodes leaving 1-2 nodes, Azalea - after flowering pinch/trim new growth until end of June, Bald Cypress, Beech - pinch/trim soft growth leaving 2 leaves, Birch - pinch/trim after soft growth elongates to 5-7 nodes leaving 1-2 nodes, Bamboo - trim close to the ground, Camellia - trim tips after leaves have hardened, Cedar - trim back new soft shoots continually, Citrus, Chamaecyparis - Hinoki - pinch off extending tips and clean out interior, Cotoneaster - trim all new growth leaving 2 pairs of leaves, Crabapple - trim new shoots, Crape Myrtle - trim hard after initial growth produces flowers on smaller branches, Cryptomeria - pinch off tips of primary and secondary shoots continually, Cypress - pinch new soft extended growth continuously, Elm - trim all new growth leaving 2 leaves, Fig (Ficus), Gardenia - trim shoots after they have lengthened to 3-5 nodes leaving 1 or 2 nodes, Gingko - pinch/trim new soft growth leaving 2 leaves, Hemlock, Hawthorn - cut terminals, Holly - all, Honey Locust - trim elongated shoots to 1 or 2 nodes, Hornbeam - pinch/trim new growth leaving 2 leaves, Juniper - pinch off tips of primary and secondary shoots continually, Maples - all - pinch/trim soft new growth on all twigs, leaving 2-3 sets of leaves, Mountain Laurel - trim after new shoots harden leaving 2-3 leaves, Oak, Pines - Cork bark/red/white, Podacarpus - pinch/trim back soft shoots continually, Pomegranate - as new shoots lengthen trim to leave 1 or 2 nodes - after secondary buds lengthen pinch back growth through June, Redbud - trim tips after leaves harden, Sasanqua, Spruce, Sweetgum, Tropicals, Willow, Wisteria, Yew - pinch/trim soft shoots continually, Zelkova - trim new soft growth leaving 2 leaves, Willow, Yew - pinch out new growth anytime during the growing season. Leaf Prune: Make certain your trees are healthy and fertilize them at least 2 weeks before leaf pruning. Apple, Elm, Maple - all, Zelkova.
Fertilize: Apple, Apricot, Bald Cypress, Bamboo, Beech, Boxwood, Buttonwood, Camellia, Cedar, Citrus, Chamaecyparis - Hinoki, Cotoneaster, Crabapple, Crape Myrtle, Cryptomeria, Elm, Fig (ficus), Gardenia, Gingko, Hawthorn, Hemlock, Holly - deciduous, Hornbeam, Maples, Nandina, Oak, Pear, Persimmon, Pine - red/white, Plum, Podacarpus, Quince, Rhododendron, Sasanqua, Tropicals, Willow, Wisteria, Yew, Zelkova.
Wire: Apricot, Bald Cypress, Beech - as twigs harden - remove in 3 months, Boxwood, Camellia - as soon as shoots are woody, Cherry Crabapple, Cryptomeria, Cotoneaster, Elaeagnus, Elm, Fig (ficus), Gardenia, Hackberry, Holly - all - new growth only - old wood too brittle, Mountain Laurel - after shoots harden, Pear, Persimmon - when leaves harden - removes wires in autumn, Plum, Podacarpus, Pomegranate, Privet, Pyracantha, Quince - Japanese, Redbud - after shoots begin to harden, Sasanqua - as soon as shoots are woody, Tamarix, Tropicals, Wisteria.
Notes: A very active month for bonsai enthusiasts. Bonsai can be set up safely on display benches or shelves outdoors. As the days get warmer, growth will increase. Water young, rapid growing trees frequently, however, water older trees sparingly to keep foliage in scale with the size of the bonsai. This is particularly true if you plan on showing your trees this month and in June. If the trees are in training, they should be fertilized at least twice during this month except for conifers. If the trees have been pruned to shape, fertilize only once to maintain health without rapid, lush growth. Please see section "Fertilize" above.
Re-potting and first-time potting continues this month. More attention should be paid to pinching and trimming this month to prevent long internodes on trees such as maples, elms, beech, hornbeam and sweetgum. Rotate tender leafed trees (as above) between shade and sun to prevent sun scorch.
Check your wiring often during the growing season (through July and even into August). Don't let the wire cut into the bark of your trees. It could cause permanent scars on your tender-bark trees such as azaleas, elms and maples.
Insects will be more active this month. Be aware of these pests and use the appropriate insecticides when necessary. For safety and health reasons, follow manufacturer's label instructions explicitly. Don't take chances with the "more is better" reasoning.
Junipers and cypress should be pinched heavily to promote dense growth. DO NOT CUT TIPS WITH PRUNERS OR SHEARS. Pinch out tips with the thumb and forefinger or tweezers. Grasp tip of new growth between them and forefinger or tweezers, twist and pull. This should be done on a daily basis until all new growth has been pinched. This technique will produce dense growth on top of branches in a "pillow" or "cloud" form. Cutting tips with an instrument will cause browning of tips and give the tree an unsightly appearance during the growing season.
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