Pittsburgh Bonsai Society Newsletter

February 1998

THIS MONTH'S MEETING: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1998 at 7:00pm at the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center, 1059 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232. The program will consist of an auction of pots donated by the Snyder family, and the sale of bonsai supplies.

FUTURE PROGRAMS:
March 18: Bonsai soils and potting techniques
April 15: Styling and wiring techniques

JUST A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT: Just a Word.

I'll be writing this little column monthly to help keep those unable to attend the monthly meeting up to date, to propose new ideas, and to shamelessly beg and plead for help from you.

You'll notice that we have once again included a copy of the questionnaire. We cannot hope to plan club activities effectively without your input. So, please complete it and send it back or bring it to the February meeting.

We have decided to have a swap/ sale table at every meeting to give members an opportunity to buy, sell, and trade amongst themselves. I hope you will all take advantage of this opportunity to rid yourself of excess "stuff" and acquire new "stuff" from others.

We are going to attempt to organize a "tour" of the collections of members willing to show their work. I have been inspired by the collections of several of the more experienced members and think we can all benefit from seeing the work of others. Please let me know if you are interested in participating in the tour as a "host".

You'll find a care sheet included with this month's newsletter. We plan to make this a regular feature. Each month you'll get information on a different species. If you feel that any additional information should be added to the care sheet, please let us know.

You'll also notice that we are including a list of the officers and committee chairs in every newsletter. We hope that this will help to improve communication between the membership and the executive board. If you have a question, a suggestion, or a complaint please call. We want the direction of the club to be guided by the members.

I hope you'll all wear a name tag at the meetings. I think it will really help us get to know each other better and, believe that newer members are more comfortable engaging in conversation when they know others names.

Finally, I hope you will all make an effort to attend as many meetings as you can. The more people we have participating, the more we will all learn, and the more fun we'll all have. See you at the meeting.

Fred

SEASONAL CARE: Just a note from Keith.

Just because a few sunny days have shown up, don't be lulled into thinking you can start working on your trees. I know myself how tempting it is. I walk through the poly house and everything looks so crisp, so fresh, and the odor assaults the nostrils, almost begging me to pull a few smaller trees out of the mulch and attack their cute little forms. And speaking of "cute", oftentimes undisciplined growers see little buds and imagine how cute the plant would look on the dining room table, never facing reality and acknowledging the results of bringing a tree into a warm room with low light, low humidity, and a tendency to be over watered.

Leave it in its winter home. As the old bromide says, "If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times". The late winter zealot thinks that all nature can be altered because a person thinks the tree will only be inside a few hours, days. In reality, we forget; days pass. People tend not to see the tree changing. Stringy growth, washed-out color, tiny little cobwebs appear. And we, poor wretches, rationalize it all by thinking it all doesn't exist. It is too late, and yet too soon.

February 15, as I have said with increasing senility, like August 15, is a magical date: a date, not a day. Statistically the harsh elements of winter are over. However maple sugar boilers learned in the long ago past that the days have lengthened and the sun has become more intense to the degree that trees in this part of the country begin to grow. With new roots, the chemicals move up and down the cambium layer. Another forty days will pass before growth buds will break. February 15 is a signpost. Things have begun. Don't think that trees can be worked on just because roots have begun to grow. In the March segment I'll continue with the timing of potting. In the meantime, be strong, be resolute, think good thoughts, and leave the trees where they are: outside.

SWISSVALE CLASSES begin Tuesday, March 10, at 7:00pm at the Swissvale Senior Center corner of McClure and Monongahela Avenues.

For those who are not familiar with the Swissvale group, the classes are open to all interested bonsai fanciers without charge. Sponsored by the PBS and conducted by Keith Scott provides a workshop critic environment for all who wish to bring plants or just watch. This is an excellent way to learn bonsai. We are very fortunate to have Keith's 40 years experience.

LAST MONTH'S PROGRAM: The following article by past president, Bob Grealish, recaps the major elements of a fascinating and little used bonsai form.

A Phoenix graft is the creation of a bonsai from driftwood. Like the mythical bird rising out of the flames, a bonsai is reborn from a piece of dead wood. Since many collected trees have deadwood as their major artistic element, you can create a similar effect by attaching a small live tree either to driftwood or to the stump of that wonderful bonsai that died last year (for no reason, of course.) Perhaps you burn your mistakes for heat, but I tend to have several lying around at any given time, just so I can relive the pain.

The first step is to choose a young tree with a flexible trunk. Junipers work well because they tend to have dead wood anyway, they are flexible and forgiving. Then figure our where you want to run the trunk against the driftwood. It is probably best to put most of the live trunk in the back because the graft will be visible. Select branches that will project out from the stump in reasonable places, such as the outside of curves. Be sure to leave back branches. Then carve the stump so it looks like the remains of a old tree that shed most of its wood but decided to make one more attempt at survival.

Next, cut a groove in the stump to accept the live trunk. It should fit snugly if possible, and there shouldn't be any gaps. The groove should fit around half of the live trunk. There are may methods for attaching the live and dead trunks. Glue won't work very well for a live trunk. You can use copper wire around both trunks with rubber padding and twist it tight. I prefer plastic wire-ties (the kind where one end slips through the other end.) You can pull them very tight and they won't stretch or release. Use relatively wide ones, and pick a color you can live with for a year or two. Alternatively, you can drill through the live trunk and attach it with screws or nails to the stump. If the live trunk is springy, use both methods and wait a year or two to cut off the wire ties. Eventually the live trunk will fill the groove and spill out over its edges, making it look like the remaining live vein on a driftwood-style bonsai. Finish by wiring, potting and lying about how you collected this magnificent old juniper and saved it from extinction.

DUES ARE DUE - DUES ARE DUE - DUES ARE DUE - DUES ARE DUE

Annual dues for the PBS are $18.00 (single), $32.00 (family), payable by APRIL 1,1998! Please make checks payable to "Pittsburgh Bonsai Society" and send or bring with the following form to: Evelyn Christie 1419 LaClair Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15218