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The Bonsai News of H ouston A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society Inc.
Is Is it Magic or is it the incredible floating Air Bonsai?
The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion in Hermann Park, off of Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030. Refreshments at 7 PM, meeting starts at 7:30 PM.
Wednesday, March 2nd, HBS monthly meeting: Air Layering with Alan Raymond. For display, please bring your proudest air layers.
Upcoming Events March 5, Saturday Study Group at Maas Nursery in Seabrook, 9AM – 12 Noon. Free, refreshments provided.
March 12, Juniper 101 led by Ken Credeur at Timeless Trees, Rosenberg, TX – 9AM till finish. $80 include a Green Mound juniper, a ceramic pot, soil, wire and hand-outs.
March 19- 20 – Master Class Workshop: Advanced Techniques with Pedro Morales - 2 full day workshop, 9AM – 4PM ($250 per person), repeated by popular request. Focus on Building Kurama pots, deadwood carving, and Phoenix Grafting. Lunch provided.
April 2, Shohin Society of Texas - Saikei by Stephen Hendricks
April 6, HBS monthly meeting: HBS Annual Auction at Hermann Park.
April 9, Saturday Study Group at Timeless Tress, Rosenberg, TX. 9AM – 12 Noon. Free, refreshments provided.
April 8-9, 17th Annual Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference & Expo 2016 at Burton Coliseum from 9-5. Set-up will be on Thursday, April 7 starting about noon.
April 16, Shohin Society of Texas - Saikei workshop. Emphasis on planting Shohin-sized landscapes using trees on trays with accompanying rocks.
April 21, LCBS April meeting featuring Rodney Clemons and a BYO Tree workshop.
Volume 45 Number 3 March 2016
IN THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Events
Air Layering with
Alan Raymond
Showcase of the Month
An Ancient Art with a Modern Touch
March Bonsai Care
John Miller
President’s Letter
Special Bonsai Bonsai that Defies
Gravity?
An Ancient Art with
a Modern Touch
March Bonsai Care
The jet stream has kept us from having a winter this year. It has pushed all artic air far enough to the east that we have not had enough cold. However no one knows just what it will do in March and April. We could get some unpleasant surprises. You need to keep one of the weather prediction programs in your favorites bar and look a week ahead so you have time to take any necessary precautions.
Bonsai usually start growing in late February or March in this area, depending on your wintering techniques and on the species. However this year, many bonsai have already done a lot of growing. After growth starts, some species can take a couple degrees of frost but unless you know what your particular tree can take, you should keep it from freezing. Also, newly growing roots are more tender. In this area, you should keep the new foliage out of strong winds, however they should have some air flow to help harden the new foliage and to help keep insects and fungal diseases at bay.
You may continue repotting deciduous species until you see a tiny bit of green on the tips of the swelling leaf bud. Be sure to keep the newly repotted tree out of the wind and late morning or afternoon sun. Broadleaf evergreen species will generally be okay to repot later on. Yaupon do better if you wait until it warms a bit more.
Usually we can expect a freeze in March, so you may have to protect trees that have started growth and those that have been repotted this winter. Don’t repot tropicals until the night temps stay above 60.
There are two different approaches to branch and tree care. The first is the development stage of the tree, when you are growing and developing branches, doing root work and generally developing the style of the tree. During this time you will cut and wire and then let it grow for a good period of time, developing taper and interesting bends and twists. Timing of these functions is not as critical.
The other approach comes after the development stage and results in the refinement of the bonsai. This gives it the twiginess, small leaves and a patina of age which takes it from a commercial bonsai to a piece of art. It is quite time consuming especially in the flush growth period after dormancy breaks. If not done carefully, the new growth will thicken the twigs and cause long internodes which will ruin all the previous work and may even send you back to the develop-ment stage. Now you should get your tweezers and shears ready for the real job ahead. In order to develop the ramification and fine twigs you want, you must be pruning the new growth as it develops. Waiting until the shoots are three or four inches or longer results in coarse twigs with long internodes. These will have to be cut off and new ones developed.
Junipers in development should be trimmed with shears. Styled junipers may be done with the fingers. As the new growth develops, grasp the twigs with one hand spreading the foliage in a fan shape. Then with the other hand, grasp the tips between the fleshy part of your thumb and finger and pull it off. Using fingernails or scissors will result in brown tips on the cut foliage. Don’t pinch anything with a strong center thread. As the weather warms up, the insects will surely make their appearance. Use the foliar spray (1 tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses, and apple cider vinegar per gallon of water)
weekly to control aphids, mites, caterpillars etc. Commercial sprays may be used but be sure to follow directions closely. Be sure to spray with a fine mist sprayer to cover top, bottom and branches thoroughly. Hose end types have too coarse a spray.
Be careful when using a new insecticide or cure. The best advice is to try it first on some lesser plants to see how it behaves in your yard. Hydrogen peroxide is suggested as a control for fungal problems. The peroxide degenerates into water and oxygen fairly rapidly so it is no threat to the environment. Personally, I have used 1% peroxide on elms and yaupons later on in the season, spraying once a week. I got rid of the black spot with no damage. However, on tender new spring foliage, it caused some leaf burn. Therefore anytime I use peroxide it will be on mature foliage and diluted to a 0.5% solution.
Fertilizing is necessary once the trees start to grow. Too many exhibited trees do not have a good dark green foliage. Since we are using soilless mixes for the most part, use a different technique than the one for most potted plants. Water soluble chemical fertilizers should be used at half strength and used more often than labeled, since they will wash out with the next watering. The same is more or less true with liquid organic fertilizers. The best technique is to use solid organic fertilizers. Fertilizer cakes on the surface is the best way. They break down slowly and a small amount is carried into the root zone each time you water. Pelletized organic material can be spread on the surface also but they tend to crumble and create an undesirable surface. Be sure that the fertilizer you use has a balanced formula and not extra high in nitrogen. Be especially careful with chemicals or manure based organic fertilizer on newly potted plants.
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.
Floating moss ball like in Pandora, Avatar land?
President’s Letter
The February meeting was interesting and well attended. Scott had Sylvia and Howard Smith in town to discuss “Root Development and Grafting Techniques”. I heard that it was very informative. Thanks again Scott for getting great programs.
Our February Saturday Study Group met at Quality Feed and Garden, located in the Heights, at 4428 North Main Street, Houston, TX 77009. Ken Cousino was a great host and over 20 people attended. We will meet there again in May.
In March, Saturday Study Group will meet at Maas Nursery in Seabrook, with Clyde Holt as our coordinator. Make plans to attend March 5th, from 9 AM till about noon.
Thanks to Brian Gurrola for hosting HBS members at a Club Dig at his family ranch near Bedias, TX, on Saturday, February 20th. Over 15 people attended. They gathered some wonderful trees. Thanks again Brian for such a treat.
Our April meeting will be our Annual Fundraising Auction. We have traditionally held it late in the Fall, in September, but this year we will try something new and hold it on April 6th. After all, it’s the perfect time to acquire new material for the summer growing season. Hope to see you at the meeting, on March 2nd. Happy Re-Potting! Hurley
What is the Monkey
Up to this year? Part 2
Bonsai that defies gravity? Bonsai that levitates?
Floating Air Bonsai by Hoshinchu…
… over an Imari porcelain base.
Do you remember the movie Avatar? The one
with the tall blue people with tails running
around the planet Pandora, climbing on huge
rocks covered with vegetation that float in mid-
air? Have you ever dreamed about owning your
own floating rock or mini planet like those?
Would you mind if they can rotate too?
No, I am not talking about mini rocks sprinkled
with Pixie Dust that can fly like in the animated
movies such as Peter Pan or Hook. These
creations sure look like sci-fi objects, straight
out of an intergalactic Star Wars movie, but you
can grow any plant in them, and even hold them
in your own hands. Release them above their
beautiful dome like base, and watch them float
and turn.
Just this year, a Kickstarter Campaign brought
the miracle of floating “Little Star” to market.
The inventors at Hoshinchu, a company out of
Kyushu, Japan, decided that their tiny bonsai
should be not only cute but also cool, so they
make them float in the air like magic.
This small company has created a series of
small containers for bonsai trees. In fact, they
are just combinations of a pretty ancient art and
Maglev technology, an ingenious magnetic
energy system.
We all know that Bonsai Art arrived to Japan
from China about 1,200 years ago when the
Japanese Buddhist monks saw in the tiny trees a
chance to create symbols of nature’s perfection,
to be incorporated in their Zen meditation
practice. In this case, instead of the monks
levitating, the objects of their focus are those
floating in air.
Many styles of bases and vessels are available.
Maglev (short for Magnetic Levitation) is a
method that uses magnetic levitation to move
vehicles at very high speeds, along a guideway
using magnets that create both lift and
propulsion, without touching the ground. The
first commercial maglev, simply called
"MAGLEV", opened in 1984 near Birmingham,
England.
Today Hoshinchu combines bonsai creations
that date back thousands of years with a not so
modern technology, creating tiny maglev trees
that can hover like a floating rock in Pandora.
This whimsical floating planter system consists
of two components - a “Little Star” (a hand
carved lava vessel or moss ball with its own
magnet and foam pad) and a magnetic energy
base with built-in magnetic series. Thanks to
magnets embedded inside the ceramic energy
base and the vessel that repel each other, the two
surfaces push against one another. The Little
Star with plants hovers in the air about two
centimeters above the base, cleverly defying the
laws of gravity. Bonsai trees or live plants
weighing up to 300 grams can be used.
For now, small Japanese plants are included in
the DIY kits which sell for $200. It is available
in a number of configurations shown in the
attached photos, starting with a base hidden in
exquisitely hand crafted Imari porcelain. The
artists make them the old fashion way, one piece
at a time, and meticulously finish them to near
perfection. In this first year, Japanese native
plants come with each Air Bonsai but future
plans will include other plants that have a great
chance to thrive in international destinations.
With over $480,000 of its original $80,000 goal
funded, floating bonsai trees that you can have
in your home will soon be a reality. Air Bonsai
will be officially sold worldwide in August,
2016. By that time, probably the selection of
plants would have grown to those that would do
well in your parts of the world.
For more information or to read about the story
behind the creation of Air Bonsai – Amazing
Science, go to Google or to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVit6NNo
HPc
The Little Star carved from lava rock and its energy base
are embedded with magnets.
Once again, I hope you will enjoy all of these
creative works of bonsai art that the 2016
Monkey brought. Although I am pretty sure the
bonsai purists would frown upon such off the
wall creativity, each and every single one of
these creations fills me with joy. These bonsai
gems are quite a pleasure to look at.
Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful
New Year filled with more nice surprises!
Shawn Nguyen
Calendar of Events
2016 March 2, HBS Monthly Meeting – Alan Raymond on Air Layering
March 5, Saturday Study Group at Maas Nursery in Seabrook, 9AM – 12 Noon. Free, refreshments provided.
March 12, Juniper 101 led by Ken Credeur at Timeless Trees, Rosenberg – 9AM till finish. $80 include a Green Mound juniper, ceramic pot, soil, wire and hand-outs. This is part 1 with A. Cleaning tree for potting, B. Selecting pot and C. Potting and wiring the tree. Part 2 will be offered at a later date.
March 19- 20 – Master Class Workshop: Advanced Techniques with Pedro Morales - 2 full-day workshops, 9AM – 4PM ($250 per person), repeated by popular request. Focus on Building Kurama pots, deadwood carving, and Phoenix Grafting. Lunch provided.
All supplies Included for: 1. Making Kuramas – (includes all supplies to make your own kurama, wire mesh, waterproof concrete, colored grout, etc.) 2. Deadwood Carving - (includes a Black and Decker, 3 speed grinder for each person, and misc. bits) 3. Phoenix grafts and adding a Prosthesis – (deadwood and juniper whips provided)
Come and join us for this advanced techniques class, and go home with a kurama to use, a new grinder, some newly carved deadwood, and a Phoenix Graft or Prosthesis ( added to one of your trees).
Almost everything for this class is provided (Grinder, Kurama materials, deadwood, Shimpaku whips, glue, etc.). Students need to bring a pair of gloves and safety glasses.
April 2, Shohin Society of Texas - Saikei by Stephen Hendricks
April 6, HBS monthly meeting: HBS Annual Auction at Hermann Park.
April 9, Saturday Study Group at Timeless Tress, Rosenberg, TX. 9AM – 12 Noon. Free, refreshments provided.
April 8-9, 17th Annual Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference & Expo 2016 at Burton Coliseum from 9-5. Set-up will be on Thursday, April 7 starting about noon.
April 16, Shohin Society of Texas - Saikei workshop. Emphasis will be on planting Shohin - sized landscapes using trees on trays with accompanying rocks.
April 21, LCBS April meeting featuring Rodney Clemons and a BYOT workshop at 6:30pm, in Lake Charles
Check out timeless-trees.com for weekly classes with very knowledgeable artists and masters. Stop by the nursery on Friday and Saturday to see the huge selection of bonsai, pots, tools, supplies, books and soils to select from. Make sure you get on the mailing list to be updated on Houston Bonsai news.
Quality Feed & Garden and Ken stand ready to help you with bonsai selection, bonsai care, pots and supplies. He will also personally have free classes for HBS every 3-month to help you start with your first bonsai. Check the Calendar of Events for dates. Ask for 10% HBS discount.
Come stock up on bonsai soils, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers and other supplies. The plant doctor is always on duty, so bring your unhappy bonsai for a free thorough check up. Don’t forget to ask for a 10% HBS discount.
The New Year is upon us and JRN II is ready to greet the 2016 with thousands of seasonal flowering plants, rare tropical plants and exotic bonsai. Remember to ask for 10% discount.
Visit artist Andrew Sankowski at the Mossrock Studio & Fine Art Gallery for the finest gifts and most uniquely beautiful bonsai pots in every shape, form and color. Personalized pots or gifts can be commissioned year round.
Andrew Sankowski 26002 Oak Ridge Drive Direct (281) 684-4411
The Woodlands, TX 77380 Fax (281) 363-9032
Recently, I met Philip Drilling of Cabrera Bonsai Nursery, Sugar Land. He invited all HBS members to visit his Bonsai Booth every Saturday morning from 8AM-Noon, at the Urban Harvest Eastside Market, 3000 Richmond Avenue. That’s between Buffalo Speedway and Kirby Drive. Since parking may be hard to find later in the day, try to come early, close to 8AM.
Philip has quite a few of the seasonal flowering plants, orchids and bonsai to purchase and work on while you are there. On good, dry and warm days, there is a great chance you would meet Buddy Allen, one of the elders in Houston Bonsai. Bring your trees to get his assistance in styling. There is enough seating for half a dozen people.
For more details, feel free to call Philip at 281-684-4466.
Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. P. O. Box 540727, Houston, Texas 77254-0727
www.houstonbonsai.com
HBS Board Members President Hurley Johnson [email protected]
1st Vice President Scott Barboza [email protected] in charge of Education 2nd Vice President Dean Laumen [email protected] Secretary Barbara Adams [email protected] in charge of Membership
Publicity Ken Cousino
Treasurer Wayne Malone [email protected] Webmaster Quyen Tong [email protected]
Member at Large - O Nandita D’Souza [email protected]
Member at Large - O Vern Maddox [email protected]
Member at Large - O Sharon Barker
Member at Large - O Clyde Holt [email protected]
Member at Large - E Brian Gurrola [email protected]
Member at Large - E Ron Ahles [email protected]
Delegates Past President Alan Raymond [email protected]
LSBF Delegate Peter Parker [email protected]
LSBF Alternate Terry Dubois [email protected]
BCI Ambassador
TTSBE Representative Alan Raymond [email protected]
Refreshments C.J. Everson [email protected]
Website/email Gary Teeter [email protected]
Newsletter editor Shawn Nguyen [email protected]
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 $6 per month, $30 for 6 months and $50 per year (12 issues). A full-page ad is $25 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 HB
