The Bonsai News of Houston

1 The Bonsai News of Houston A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society Inc. Volume 49 Number 4 April 2018 Cherry blossoms and azaleas blooming at the Hermann Japanese Garden (Photo: TSN) The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion in Hermann Park, 1500 Hermann Park Drive, Houston , TX 77004. Refreshments at 7 PM, meeting starts at 7:30 PM. April 11 HBS monthly meeting: HBS Annual Auction at 7PM. This is our club s only annual fundraiser. Please donate and bid generously. Upcoming Events More details in Calendar of Events and articles April 7 Shohin Club - Convention Display Set-up and Texas Natives Talk with Terry Ward and Steven Hendricks at Persimmon Hill Bonsai in Austin.

2 April 14 -15 HBS Spring Bonsai Show in the Japanese Garden at Hermann Park, in conjunction with the 25th Japan Fest. Volunteers and Bonsai needed for both days. Please sign up with Hoe Chuah. April 14 2 separate Saturday Study groups - Group 1 meets at the Spring Bonsai Show from 10AM - 1PM OR - Group 2 at Timeless Trees, 9 AM -12 Noon, for folks who don t go to Japan Fest. Free, refreshments provided. April 19-22 LSBF 2018 Annual Convention & Exhibit at the Hilton Garden Inn at 905 East Hawkins Parkway, Longview, TX 75605. April 19-22 The American Bonsai Society and the Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis present: Gateway to Bonsai 2018. April 23-29 Malaysia-BCI International Friendship Tour & Exhibition hosted by Bonsai & Stone Academy in Selangor, Malaysia.

3 April 28 Basic Bonsai #1 Class, Timeless Trees Nursery, 9AM - 1PM Focus on repotting. $60 includes a tree, pot, soil, wire, hand-out, and a pair of scissors. IN THIS ISSUE Upcoming Events HBS Annual Auction & HBS Spring Show at Japan Fest Showcase of the Month Blooming & Group Bonsai April Bonsai Care John Miller President s Letter HBS Annual Auction LSBF 2018 State Convention In Longview, TX Spring Show at Japan Fest Hermann Park Brussel s Rendez-Vous Blooming & Group Bonsai April Bonsai Care Warm weather is favorable to the insects and fungal diseases. Fungal diseases and especially aphids are here. Mildew usually won t be seen until it warms up some more, but with our Texas weather, that could be here before this article gets in print.

4 Leaf spot can be serious on Catlin and Chinese elms, and on hollies. There are organic fungicides available, baking soda is one. Check an organic nursery or publications. A 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide (dilute the standard 3% store bought stuff 2 parts water to each part peroxide) is also recommended but it can injure very new foliage. A good organic program takes care of both the feeding and the insect problems. The trick is to be sure to thoroughly cover the plant including all the leaf axils. Use a hand or pump up sprayer to get a fine spray to cover all, since a hose end sprayer does not cover good enough. This is also true if you want to use commercial chemical sprays.

5 I recommend the organic mixture of 1 tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses and apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water. I use the mixture both as a foliar feed spray and as a soil drench fertilizer. As a weekly foliar spray, it keeps aphids, mites, loopers, bagworms and other insects under control. I try to drench twice a month partly because I don t think the plant can absorb all the minor elements it needs through the foliage. It is a good practice to also use fertilizer cakes on soil surface, which feeds a bit every time you water. Commercial water soluble fertilizers wash out with the next watering and result in poorly fed pale Bonsai .

6 They are intended for use in soil that retains water for a long period such as commercial house plant mixes. In April, repotting for the hardy Bonsai has ended and it s still too early for the tropicals. I like to repot when the plant is just breaking dormancy when buds swell. I repot Dwarf Yaupon Holly and Boxwood in late March or early April. They do well when kept in light shade and out of the wind. Depending on temps, you may repot some tropicals by the end of April. If you have early blooming azaleas, you should remove some of the buds. Most azalea have way too many buds to look good when they do not have room to open fully. So what is left to do? Just trimming, feeding, trimming, check for insects, trimming, shows, trimming.

7 You get the idea. Trimming, that is the pinching, plucking or whatever of new growth, is the process that both develops refinement on your tree but is vital to keep it from growing out of that desired shape. This is not pruning (cutting of branches) which should not be done when there is a strong sap flow that starts when the tree breaks dormancy and continues until after the leaves harden or later. On elms and other trees with leaves appearing alternately down the shoot, do not let more than 5 new leaves appear. Cut back to 2 or 3 leaves, leaving the last leaf on the side that you want the new growth to appear. On maples and others with leaves coming in pairs on opposite sides of the twig, cut the center shoot.

8 Tweezers work best for this operation. Since the shoots do not all open at the same time, for best results, make it a daily chore. Check your soil each day for proper watering. Don t assume that it got plenty of water on cool days or after some light rain. A tree with full leaves may shed rain water. A warm sun in low humidity after a front will dry the soil. Moss can be removed, so you can feel and see how the soil is. Moss on trunks or roots cause rot. An automatic watering system can be an aid but don t rely on it to replace hand watering. Use it for a shot of water in the morning and again at noon, but water by hand in the evening to cover the entire pot.

9 Adjust the watering for each tree individually. Make sure each pot is draining properly. A clogged drainage hole can drown some trees in less than a week. Most trees will do well in full sun at this time of year. However, if you have had them in partial shade, move them gradually to full sun, to give them time to get acclimated gradually. Too much wind causes wind burn. Some damage may not be visible until hot weather gets here. John Miller John Miller, who writes a monthly column for the Bonsai Society of Dallas and Fort Worth Bonsai Society, has agreed to share his column with us. We need to make adjustments for our warmer and damper climate, with earlier springs, longer summers, late fall and erratic winters.

10 A unique hillside group planting of elms on kurama tray President s Letter It s a beautiful spring day and I am inside writing a newsletter article. So, this will be pretty quick today. With my greenhouses down, the tropicals are in need of some cleanup to start their year off right. It s also time for me, and all of us, to think about the club auction this month. Which trees on your benches just don t inspire you anymore? Perhaps someone else would love to take a shot at them. Take a look and consider donating them to the auction. This month I want to express my gratitude for Scott Barboza. One of the toughest jobs in HBS is putting together the programs each month.