The Bonsai News of Houston A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society Inc.

Volume 50 Number 9 September 2019

A 3-part saikei at Bonsai on the Bayou exhibit (Photo: Shawn Nguyen)

The Houston Bonsai Society usually meets on the first Saturday of the month at Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road, Houston, TX 77055. Board meeting starts at 9 AM, refreshments at 10 AM, and program at 10:15 AM.

September 7 HBS monthly program: Texas Touring Artist Andrew Robson’s lecture-demo on a Trident Maple or twisted trunked Pomegranate. Andrew is an apprentice with Michael Hagedorn in Portland, Oregon. The tree will be raffled off, after the event. Those who are registered for Andrew Robson’s BYOT workshop will stay back in the same room, at the same center from 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM.

Upcoming Events More in Calendar of Events

Sunday, September 8 Andrew Robson BYOT Workshops at Timeless Trees Nursery, morning: 9 AM- 12:30 PM and afternoon: 1 PM - 4:30 PM. $25 per person, per session. Andrew’s specialty is deciduous trees.

September 14 Saturday Study Group at Quality Feed & Garden in the Heights, 9AM – Noon. Free, refreshments provided. Bring your trees, tools, soil, wire and work with other HBS members.

September 21 Bonsai Basics #1 Class: Re-Potting at Timeless Trees, 9AM - 1PM, $60 includes a tree, a ceramic pot, soil, wire, hand-out and a pair of scissors. Focus: re-potting into a pot and make initial branch selection.

September 28 Fall Plant Sale & Family Event at Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park Dr., Houston, Texas 77030 from 9 AM – 12 PM.

IN THIS ISSUE

Upcoming Events

Texas Touring Artist Andrew Robson

Showcase of the Month

Companion plants

September Bonsai Care

John Miller

President’s Letter

Bonsai on the Bayou Exhibited kusamono

and Saikei

Jose Rodriguez August Artist of the Month

Andrew Robson Texas Touring Artist

Timeless Trees Anniversary

Open House & Sale

Companion plants

September Bonsai Care Two things you can do now: Prepare your winter quarters and study your evergreen trees to determine if you need to do any restyling later on in the fall. Bonsai in Texas should be a year-round sport. You don’t need to cover them completely like up North.

Check on the place you expect to winter your bonsai. (1) Make sure that it is clean. (2) That you will be able to check the water needs of the trees. (3) It should be somewhat protected from winds but should have some air movement to help prevent molds from developing. (4) Choose a location where you can see the trees and enjoy their winter silhouette. That is a great part of deciduous bonsai. (5) A mulch cover over the pots on the ground will minimize temperature extremes. Make sure they can drain freely.

Do not be in a hurry to put your trees in winter quarters. Keep them where you can enjoy them as long as possible. That way you experience the color change and all that occurs in the fall. Know when the freeze can be expected and then listen to the weather forecasts and put them down in the place prepared before hand.

Late hot weather can cause problems later on. If it lasts too long, trees may continue their fall growth into November. Then they will not have sufficient time to harden before the first (hard) freeze, in early December. Some may suffer or get damaged. Just keep your eyes on the forecasts and protect your trees the best way you can. Remember that even a thin cloth over the tree on the ground can raise its temperature a few degrees.

In September and October, there will still be some pretty hot days. As the sun changes its angle, make sure that the pots do not get too hot in late afternoon. Also watering now becomes harder. As trees slow their growth, they do not take as much water. Neither will they transpire as much on the cooler days. So check each one separately, and water as often and as much as the individual trees require.

Always check the trees you still have wire on. When the cooler days get here, some trees will expand their branches and get wire cuts quickly. You can cut the wire off or unwrap from the end. You can easily break the branches trying to unwrap the wire and it’s just not worth trying to save the wire. Work from the outside end of the wire back so that you do not overlook a small piece of wire. If you have trouble seeing or following each twist of the wire, don’t cut. Just unwrap the wire with care. If you miss a turn of the wire, you will create an unsightly bulge and the limb will probably have to be cut off. If you need to reapply some wire, take care to not follow the same path.

Help your trees go into dormancy. The general rule of thumb on fertilizers is to stop giving nitrogen early in September.

Flowering or fruiting trees may be fertilized with a formulation like 0-10-10 or 0-0-10. They will need less water as they quit active growth, but on warm days trees with green foliage will still transpire and will have need water. Most tropicals have a dormant season. It is usually triggered by dry conditions rather than cold. These types need to be hardened also by cutting the fertilizer to halt active growth and give them lighter watering. This will enable them to withstand the transfer to the greenhouse better.

Fruiting bonsai spend a lot of energy growing fruit. They should not be allowed to fruit heavily each year. They benefit from a light fertilization at this time. Flowering bonsai especially need to receive the minor elements. Get a good fertilizer, such as the Espoma plant-tone fertilizers, that include the minors in their mix for good color development. They should be listed on the label. There is not too much to be done on deciduous trees at this time.

Bugs and other problems are usually not a matter of concern, since the foliage will be dropping soon. Evergreens and tropicals will still need to be watched for their insect problems, especially the spider mite which will be active into fall. Use the organic spray formula to control them. If we get a stretch of damp weather, you should be watching for fungal problems, leaf spot, mildew, etc. Treat fungal with potassium bicarbonate (baking soda). Sodium bicarbonate will work just as well. I would be okay with using a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution at this time of the year for fungal control.

The organic spray formula is one tablespoon each of fish emulsion, 5% apple cider vinegar, molasses and liquid seaweed in one gallon of water. Spray top and bottom of leaves and trunk thoroughly on a regular basis (7-10 days). If you miss getting scale in their vulnerable crawler stage, you may have to go to a systemic.

Pruning and trimming can be done any time that there is not a lot of sap flowing, but is advisable to do it during dormancy. Sap flow is indicated by the foliar activity of the plant like in the spring. If your tree went into summer dormancy, which sometimes occurs during hot weather, then the cooler weather might result in a larger sap flow in late summer or early fall.

It would be advisable to postpone heavy pruning for a while so your plants don’t get a flush of new growth.

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.

President’s Letter

August and September are usually the toughest months for my bonsai. The heat is intense, and that makes proper watering even more important than at other times of the year. Insects and fungus love that intense as well, so we all need to be extra vigilant to keep our control programs active.

Don’t forgot that we will be having three workshops with Andrew Robson this weekend and one will be on Saturday after our regular meeting. So, if you are signed up or interested in signing up be sure to bring your tree, tools and wires when you come to the meeting on Saturday. Or, sign up for one of the Sunday workshops.

Next year the LSBF convention will be hosted by the San Antonio Club. For the convention, they are taking us to a hotel where breakfast and dinner are included in the cost of your room allowing them to charge less for registration. They are also collecting as much workshop material as they can to keep workshop costs low. All in all it should be one of the least expensive conventions that LSBF has presented and should be a good one. Boon Manakitivipart , Arthur Joura and Roy Natagoshi will be the headliners. So, please mark your calendar for May 15-17 next year for the San Antonio convention.

Pete Parker

BONSAI ON THE BAYOU 2019

ExhibitED Kusamono And Saikei

As I put this together this collection of photos from Bonsai on the Bayou, I realized how extensive this exhibit was. The works lovingly prepared over the years by talented artists are too important not to show. So here they are, more delightful eye candies for you to enjoy.

Some of the companion plants are featured on page 2 of this issue. Please forgive me for putting the viewing stones and the Shohin displays till the next issue. They are quite spectacular and worth the wait.

Saikei are miniature landscapes, a variation of the Japanese art of bonseki and bonkei, the Chinese penjing and the Vietnamese hòn non bộ. These tray

landscapes are made up of miniature trees, rocks, moss, ground cover and often water.

This saikei The Bayou is Waking Up suggests a natural landscape on the edge of a swamp. The intermingling of deadwood and 50 shades of greens in the grasses and aquatic weeds emphasizes the duality of Nature’s Yin & Yang energies, high & low (one elevated highland and pond in a Yin & Yang glass vessel), death & life (deadwood taken over by

living plants, adorned with live fish, baby alligator waking up from its winter slumber), cold dry land and a warm bog.

The second landscape, unlike most conventional hòn non bộ, is composed of 3 separate islands. It depicts

the story of a wounded mother (the largest elm tree in the forest, protecting her young growing on the sides of the hill) leading her children on their treacherous journey through the thick jungle, in search of freedom.

For the past 44 years, April marked an emotional time for the free Vietnamese scattered around the world. They turn toward the motherland left behind to reminisce about the exodus, and pray for the loved ones who still suffer under the Communist regime.

The lucky few escaped by air, more by land but most embark on extremely perilous journey by boat.

Only a fraction of those who fought the waves, have reached safe harbor. While cheering her young on with words of courage, Mother Viet Nam’s mind and heart (seen as a flock of flying egrets) long for the simple life she left behind.

Gone are the peaceful times, when her father and his

loyal the water buffalo ploughed the rice paddies. Gone are the cozy dinners the family

gathered around every evening in their thatch-roof home perched on an island encircled by palm trees.

For these beautiful photographs, I am indebted to many contributors who so generously shared with HBS editor and diligently posted on social media for all bonsai lovers around the world to enjoy. Thank you once again.

Shawn Nguyen

Jose Rodriguez Artist of the Month of August

The club was treated to a very uniquely different artist who is not only a passionate buttonwood collector but also very talented artist. Jose started the meeting with a video that documented how he discovered then fell in love with buttonwood in its natural habitat, how he collected those convoluted and contorted trees and nurse them back to health before styling them. I had a sudden appreciation of how dangerous it was for collectors to brave such rocky terrains.

Here are some before and after photos.

As shown in these slides, Jose often removed most growth and keeps very few branches

growing out of the twisted trunk, more like 1 or max 3 branches. Less branches, less wiring, he said.

Since Puerto Rico is right on the Equator, his buttonwoods are fed with organic and chemical fertilizers and kept in a shallow bucket of water year round. It does not take long for Jose to achieve such a thick canopy. The tropical weather with very high humidity and temperatures also helps. The temps in Puerto Rico winter only drop to 64 – 68F, so no protection needed.

Sorry about the quality of these photos.

Alan Raymond was the lucky winner of this hundred year old button--wood with the very fascina-ting dead wood.

Andrew Robson Texas Touring Artist

On Saturday, September 7th, Houston Bonsai Society will host Texas Touring Artist Andrew Robson, a rising star and talented artist in the bonsai world. He will work on a multi-trunk Trident maple or twisted-trunked Pomegranate. The tree will be raffled at the end of the demo.

Andrew and Michael Hagedorn repotting a pine.

Andrew recently completed a 3-year apprentice-ship with Michael Hagedorn, after graduating from Yale University. Andrew serves as a member of the Portland Bonsai Village, and is additionally a board member of the American Bonsai Society.

He currently exhibits work at the Portland Japanese Garden, and regularly lectures at the garden's Japanese Arts Learning Center. Andrew and his family are currently building a deciduous-focused bonsai garden, school and nursery, RAKUYO-en, just outside of Portland, Oregon. To learn more about his work, please go to his website at rakuyobonsai.com.

Those registered for Andrew’s BYOT workshop will stay back in the same meeting room, from 1:30 to 3:30 PM.

Be sure to come and give Andrew a big Texas welcome!

Calendar of Events

2019

AUG 31 Timeless Trees 10th Anniversary, Open House & Sale, 9AM- 4 PM at 2707 David Street, Rosenberg, TX 77471. Please see full ad below for more details.

SEP 7 HBS monthly program: Texas Tour Artist Andrew Robson’s lecture-demo on a Trident Maple or twisted trunked Pomegranate. Andrew is an apprentice with Michael Hagedorn in Portland, Oregon. The tree will be raffled off, after the event. Those who are registered for Andrew Robson’s BYOT workshop will stay back in the same room, at the same center from 12:30 PM - 3:30 PM

SEP 7 - 8 50th Anniversary Show hosted by the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society at the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, CO. Guest Artist, Todd Schlafer Details at http://www.rockymtnbonsai.org/.

SEP 14 Saturday Study Group at Quality Feed & Garden, 9 AM – Noon. Free, refreshments provided. Bring your trees, tools, soil, wire and work with other HBS members.

SEP 13-15 13th International Bonsai & Suiseki Meeting - CRESPI CUP 2019 at Crespi Bonsai in Milan, Italy. Featuring Shinji Suzuki and Sadamitsu Kataoka (Koshousen—Living National Treasure—Yamaaki Company in Tokoname). Five exhibitions/competitions: Crespi Bonsai Cup, Crespi Shohin Cup, Enthusiast’s Exhibition, Crespi Suiseki Cup and Crespi Pot Cup. Details at http://www.crespicup.it.

SEP 14-15 UK National Bonsai Show at Castle Leisure Centre, Bolton Street, Bury, Greater Manchester. BL9 0EZ. Admission fee: £15 Day or £25 Weekend. Demonstrations by Bjorn Bjorholm and Rafael Torres. Exhibition of over 100 museum quality bonsai from across the UK and Europe. Details: Tony Tickle 07802.837739 or national bonsai@gmail.com or httpwww.nationalbonsaishow.co.uk.

SEP 28 Fall Plant Sale & Family Event - 9 AM – 12 PM at Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park Dr., Houston, Texas 77030.

SEP 28-29 Cleveland Bonsai Club hosts an exhibit at Rockefeller Park Greenhouse, 750 East 88th St., Cleveland, OH. https://www.clevelandbonsaiclub.org/.

SEP 28-29 Milwaukee Bonsai Society Annual Exhibit at Boerner Botanical Gardens. WI. Guest artist is Tyler Sherrod. Details at http://www.milwaukeebonsai.org/.

Go to Timeless Trees’ website and subscribe to weekly Current Events to stay in the know about weekly events and classes offered locally and about HBS activities. For almost a decade, Timeless Trees Nursery and Bonsai has provided novices and serious bonsai students a very wonderful environment to further their knowledge in the Art of Bonsai with workshops led by local artists and teachers, or on occasions, with one-on-one study with visiting bonsai masters. You can find all sizes of bonsai, of all varieties, great pots and display stands, supplies, fertilizers, soils, tools and books as well as gift certificates for your bonsai lovers and you. The resident bonsai guru Hurley is also the go-to man for all bonsai questions.

Quality Feed & Garden and the resident Dr. Ken stand ready to help you with fruit trees, bonsai trees, basic tools, pots and soils like Akadama, Lava, Pumice, Kanuma, and “Dr. Ken’s Special Bonsai Soil mixes in 10 lb. & 50 lb. bags. There are 2 separate nurseries at this location, one for garden shade and fruit trees, a second for decorative trees and bonsai. Free bonsai classes are offered every 3 months for the Houston Bonsai Society study group. Newbies are welcome. While you explore this unique store, you can also pick up a few pet birds, chickens and ducks and their feed. HBS members get a 10% discount.

If you are looking for herbs, vegetables, citrus or fruit trees, flowering plants, orchids or bromeliads, and even aquatic plants to decorate your home, garden and ponds, JRN II got them all. The greenhouses are home to countless rare plants and exotic tropical bonsai, and the most unusual gifts for all occasions from birthdays, anniversaries, grand openings, house warming parties, to New Year celebration. Take a stroll in the shop and around the garden to check out the bonsai figurines, boats and pagodas, bonsai supplies, tools and soils as well as bonsai pots, garden statues and Japanese lanterns. You will never know what kind of surprise is waiting for you to take home.

For advice on all plants and bonsai, please ask Thuy Doan.

Visit artist Andrew Sankowski at the Mossrock Studio & Fine Art Gallery for the finest gifts and uniquely beautiful bonsai pots in every shape, form and color. If there is a potter who knows bonsai pots, it’s Andy. He keeps a greenhouse full of beautiful bonsai. As a master potter who offers weekly pottery classes, Andy also mixes his own proprietary clay blends and over 100 of his own colored glazes. Bring your unusual trees for him to make unusual personalized pots. Pots for all purposes can be commissioned year round. While you are on the tour of gallery and studio, check out the masterpieces of many talented local artists.

Andrew Sankowski 26002 Oak Ridge Drive Direct (281) 684-4411

The Woodlands, TX 77380 Fax (281) 363-9032

andy@mossrockstudio.com

Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. P. O. Box 540727, Houston, Texas 77254-0727

www.houstonbonsaisociety.com

HBS Board Members

President Pete Parker peteparkerbonsai@yahoo.com

1st Vice President Scott Barboza markyscott@me.com in charge of Education 2nd Vice President Hoe Chuah hoe.chuah@gmaill.com Secretary Ryan Vollert rmvnucks@gmail.com Publicity Ken Cousino krcousino@yahoo.com

Treasurer Eldon Branham elmo4635@aol.com

in charge of Membership Webmaster Anthony Cutola acutola@gmail.com

Member at Large - O Gale Childers f5gale@macconnect.com

Member at Large - O James Kelly kurstyn.castillo@gmail.com

Member at Large - O Ryan Vollert rmvnucks@gmail.com

Member at Large – E Soon Cheah soon.cheah@gmail.com Member at Large – E John Williams KappiJon3@gmail.com

Delegates Past President Hurley Johnson hurley@all-tex.net

LSBF Delegate Hurley Johnson hurley@all-tex.net

LSBF Alternate Pete Parker peteparkerbonsai@yahoo.com

BCI Ambassador

TTSBE Representative Alan Raymond amraymond@suddenlink.net

Refreshments

Website/email Anthony Cutola houstonbonsai@gmail.com

Newsletter editor Shawn Nguyen hbs.news@yahoo.com

The Bonsai News of Houston is a monthly publication of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. Copyright © 2011. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the editor or a member of the Board of Directors. Exceptions exist, however, for certain not-for-profit and non-profit bonsai organizations or associated bonsai and bonsai nursery newsletters, including without limitation the American Bonsai Society. HBS participates fully with reciprocation of contents and material between other LSBF member organizations and others. Authors who submit articles for this newsletter thereby give permission to such organizations to reprint, unless they expressly state otherwise.

Space for advertising in The Bonsai News of Houston can be requested by contacting the newsletter editor or a member of the HBS Board. The rates for a business-card-size ad (approximately 3 1/2" x 2") are $10 per month, and $75 per year (12 issues). A full-page ad is $50 per month. Rates are subject to change without notice. 3½" x 2" classified ads are run free of charge for one month once per 12-month period for non-commercial members. For special requests or questions related to The Bonsai News of Houston, contact the newsletter editor or a member of the HBS Board.

TIMELESS TREES ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE & SALE

Come celebrate with us with fun, education and food. Saturday, August 31st, 9AM- 4 PM

2707 David Street, Rosenberg, TX 77471

Special Events A Bonsai Iron Chef - Buttonwood styling contest 10 AM – 12 Noon

Award at 1 PM. (8 people) Hourly demos – Shohin, Boxwood styling, tool sharpening, repotting

Door prizes every hour Food and refreshments all day. Lunch from 12 Noon-1 PM

25% off sale on all tropicals

Bonsai Iron Chef Buttonwood Styling Contest (10AM- 12 Noon)

This will be a fun contest for all who participate! No entry fee, but Timeless Trees will keep the trees. Trees will be chosen by random drawing. Focus is on wiring and styling, but you are allowed to repot. Timeless Trees will provide, tree, soil, wire and plastic pots. Bring your own pot, tools, etc. 1st place and 2nd place winners will be chosen by our staff. These winners will keep their trees at no cost. Prizes – 1st place will get a cash prize of $50, and the 2nd, $25.