Calendar of Events
This Month's Meeting - May 20, 7:00 p.m., at the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center George Herbel will describe the why and how of preparing the buttress of a large tree, and the use of mosses and rocks. Members then will gather into work-groups to shape, clean-up, and prepare buttresses of the large trees that have been a continuing PBS project for the past two years. Ralph Dukstein, George Herbel and Keith Scott will bring in the Society’s trees that they have been caring for. Members are asked to bring your own tools; Society will provide wire and some tools.
Swissvale Classes. The Society sponsors free clinic type classes at the Swissvale Senior Citizens Center Tuesday nights from 7-9 in the spring and fall. These classes are arranged by Anna Clark and conducted by Keith Scott. There is no better way to learn the art of bonsai. The Center is located on the ground floor of the Swissvale Library at the corner of Monogahela and McClure Aves. Because of Elections there will be no class May 19.Class will resume June 2 and run through June 23. For additional information, call Evelyn Christie.
Other Events
Spring Show |
by Fred Bruckman |
Plans for the Spring Show are well underway with less than a month to go. I hope you are all considering which trees you plan to bring to the show. If possible you should bring them on Friday, June 5th between 4:00 and 8:00. Be sure to bring a note for each with your name the species/variety of tree, and the number of years it has been in training.
We will be expanding the vendor area at this year's show in the hopes of providing you and the public a better selection of trees and supplies. As usual there will be daily workshops and demonstrations. Anyone wanting to sign up for workshops in advance should contact Herb Geissler at 221-3695. We are looking forward to seeing all of you there.
Set-up for the show will begin at 4:00 on Friday the 5th. We can use all the help we can get so be there if you can. If you can't make it till later we expect to continue well into the evening, so come late.
Space will be available for members to sell excess plants that they want to get rid of. You may sell or barter.
The Society’s Spring Show needs donations to the Silent Auction to help defray expenses accrued by the Show. Since the Society does not charge entrance fee to the Show those who can might donate a bonsai related article for the Silent Auction. Arden Reihing, Chair-lady of the Silent Auction will accept donations the membership wishes to donate.
In an effort to generate grassroots publicity for the show we are enclosing two flyers with each newsletter and asking you to have them posted at your local garden center. When you take them, it is best to take some tape and tacks and once you get permission, go ahead and put up the flyer in a conspicuous place. The business owner is often just too busy to get it done. In the past this has been a good way to boost attendance. We are depending on you to do your best to get them out.
NOTE: Members should keep in mind that as the tradition has been, since the PBS Bonsai Show is on June 6 & 7 the event will take the place of the usual monthly meeting.
..."Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:" Sonnet 18
Sonnet 18
LL. 3, 4
For those of you who wish to fertilize your container plants: Prepare. Recall that fertilizer is not food. The only food plants use comes from the sun and goes through the photosynthetic process to produce growth.
The need for fertilizer occurs when so called "soil-less" mixes are used. As long as a plant is in the ground, it needs no fertilizer; however, in the case of bonsai culture, the soil being contained, the water and oxygen need to pass through the root system. Common commercial fertilizers only supply minerals and trace chemicals that leech out through watering.
My suggestion is to use a balanced fertilizer, say 15-15-15, or 20-20-20. Use a brand name or use a non brand name, whichever is cheaper. The numbers my change slightly from product to product but they are all basically the same. Also, try not to be taken in be advertisements showing huge pumpkins or gigantic strawberries. One fertilizer will work just as well as another. Also whether the fertilizer is "organic" or not is of no real concern except to the Sierra Club.
Keep in mind that all fertilizers are extremely inefficient. Using tablets, pills, globules, or chunks of fertilizer stuff will work no better and no worse than liquid. The tree doesn’t care. The point is use fertilizer regularly but don’t make a fetish of it. The tree will survive without fertilizer until it weakens so much that bugs and chlorosis will weaken it until you, dear reader, get tired of its weakness and "forget" to water. Then, your creativity as well as your rational faculties supply you with reasons why the tree died.
I can’t go into the chemical changes that take place in the fertilizer-watering cycle. The reason is simple: I’m not qualified. In addition, look in any standard reference book and you’ll find most authorities don’t know either. The answer is to keep your plants in the best location, well watered, bugs assassinated and hopes held high. The trees will thrive in spite of our chemical fumbling.
| Species: | Common name: | Chinese Elm |
| Botanical name: | Ulmus parvifolia | |
| Japanese name: | Nire Keyaki |
Varieties used as bonsai: Dwarf (Yatsubusa) Chinese Elm, Hokaido, Seiju, Catlin, Cork Bark, Korean Weepong, Semper Virenss
Advantages: As the varietal name indicates, the Chinese Elm is noted by its small leaves. Coupled with a twiggy habit, the Chinese Elm lends itself to pinching, root pruning and growing in a shallow pot. The list goes on: hardy, good fall color, fascinating exfoliating bark and a tendency to produce a well spaced root buttress.
Disadvantages: Leaf cutters, red spider, and aphids will dispell with all other plants to attack a Chinese Elm. Also, the elm seems a haven for sooty mold, root rot, as well as leaf fungus.
Suitability as bonsai (1 is least suitable 10 is most suitable): 8
Growing location: Full sun
Watering: Water thoroughly and often especially in dry, hot weather. The elms should not dry out.
Propagation: Primarily the elms grow extremely well from seed, but will grow well from hard wood cuttings as well as root cuttings.
Fertilizing: Use a balanced fertilizer weekly during high growth periods and from May 15 to Oct. 15.
Over-wintering: Keep sheltered from wind
Styling: Broom; informal upright; excellent for groves, landscapes but rarely cascade.
| Species: | Common name: | Japanese Grey Bark Elm |
| Botanical name: | Zelkova Serrata | |
| Japanese name: | Keyaki |
Varieties: Not many zelkova varieties exist in common cultivation. Variegated forms, small leafed forms and an occasional selection make us the list. However, when using zelkovas in a grove, some growers select plants in fall for color uniformity. Other growers seem to favor the myriad of leaf colors that occur.
Advantages: Hardiness, fast growth, and twiginess make the zelkove suitable for bonsai. Also, it has become more readily available in recent years.
Disadvantages: Sometimes it is hard to maintain in its dwarfed appearance since it grows so fast. The zelkova must be pinched weekly during summer and pruned hard in early spring. Long sprouts must be removed during the growing season to promote twigginess.
Suitability as Bonsai (1 is least suitable 10 is most suitable): 5
Growing location: Full sun.
Watering: Thorough, saturated watering. Should watering be lessened, growth will be meager with small, weak growth lacking hardiness.
Propagation: Seed sown in late winter.
Fertilizing: Use a balanced fertilizer during the growing season. Fertilizer, either liquid, pills or other forms, should be applied weekly or more often in weak proportions.
Over-wintering: Since the zelkova produces twiggy growth, winter, dry wind tends to kill tips. Also February sun tend to split zelkova bark. Finally zelkova buds tend to swell early but a late freeze can damage bark as well.
Styling: Japanese bonsai almost require the zelkova to be grown as a broom or grove style. However, in Korea, and China particularly, the growers seem to foster almost any bonsai form except cascade. Even driftwood styles are common and effective.
Final Words |
by Fred Bruckman |
Jim and Jan Behrenburg were kind enough to bring to the meeting, some
photographs of the bonsai sale held by the P.B.S. on June 1, 2, and 3 1979
at the Monroeville Mall. It is very interesting how styles have changed yet
stayed the same, in twenty years. The root over rock pine above was part of
the sale. Would anyone out there be willing to act as club historian?