This Month's Meeting FRIDAY, September 18, at 7:00 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center 5th and Shady Ave. September’s meeting will cover two programs: on Friday, September18, Keith Scott will demonstrate his approach to creating a bonsai from a large field grown Ponderosa pine, emphasizing stock removal and long-term creative planning. On Saturday, September19,at 8:30 a.m. SHARP Keith will conduct a workshop for up to 10 people using dwarf Scots pines. The thrust of the workshop will be of course, styling, potting and after-care. Students should bring their own tools. Wire, soil, screening will be provided. The Friday night program is free and open to all. Saturday’s workshop will be $75.00. Persons who wish to observe are welcome.
Swissvale Classes: The Society sponsors Free clinic type classes beginning September 8th through November 24th at the Swissvale Senior Citizens Center, Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9p.m. 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 Monongahela & McClure Ave. Because of Elections there will be no class Nov. 1. Class will resume Nov. 10 and run through Nov 24. For additional information, call Evelyn Christie 412-244-9280.
Nominating Committee Report: As the year winds down the nominating committee has been chosen and is trying to develop a slate of officers for 1999. Ralph Dukstein will be finishing his stint as treasurer and has indicated he does not wish to hold office for another term. Also, Herb Geisler must give up his tenure as vice-president/ program chairman. Therefore the committee will be accepting nominations for these two officers. Anyone interested in serving or learning what each office entails, contact Keith Scott at 412-247-5377.
Other Events
OCTOBER 17, 10a.m. to 5p.m.: BONSAI FLEA MARKET! 7910 Lincoln Road, Verona, PA. One Day Only! Rain or Shine. An opportunity to buy, sell, trade bonsai, training stock, tools, pots, soils, wire and countless other bonsai related products. This event is open to the public. If you are interested in table rental ($7.00 per table) call Keith (412-247-5377) Or Evelyn (412-244-9280). See enclosed flyer.
October 24, 7a.m. until: Bus trip to the National Arboretum Bonsai Collection! Arrangements for the bus trip to the USNA on October 24th have been completed. In the past high bus rental costs have precluded our having such a club function. For this activity the club must guarantee a minimum of thirty five (35) adults or the trip will be canceled. Therefore the cost per person will be subsidized so each attendee’s payment will be lessened.
| Particulars: | |
|---|---|
| DATE: | October 24th Leave Pittsburgh 7:00 a.m. from Lenzner Coach Lines Parking Lot: Mt. Nebo Road (see attached directions) The bus will be a deluxe coach with rest-rooms and VCR The bus will leave the Arboretum at 3:00p.m. and arriving in Pittsburgh around 9:00 p.m. Food stops will be made. |
| PRICE: | Members $15.00 Non members $30.00 Children under 16 $5.00 Make checks payable to P.B.S. mail to Ralph Dukstein, 256 Nedview Drive Bethel Park, PA 15102. CHECKS MUST BE RECEIVED BY RALPH no later than OCTOBER 6TH. |
This month’s missive presents some general thoughts on the on coming autumn and its nasty close relative, winter. In October’s report I’ll go into more detail as will I in November.
Now that days are shorter and temperatures more temperate, perhaps a few words should be said about repotting at this time of year. As one old bonsai practitioner noted, if he had to wait for the right time as pre and proscribed by a book not based on Pittsburgh’s conditions by a writer who has not been anywhere but his backyard, he would have only one tree.
Now is a good time to repot bonsai particularly if the tree is moved from a smaller pot to a larger one. Recall that since late winter the roots have become tighter against the sides of the pot. Putting a tree into a larger pot allows for more root growth, but more importantly the soil offers insulation against drying out over winter, for those who have found their plants for some reason not leafing out in spring Oftentimes the roots dry-out inside the pot. Therefore potting up can help reduce winter kill. Mulching a pot in over winter will also reduce winter kill.
These cool clear days are made for wiring and styling. The major benefit of wiring in autumn is that branch swelling has finished and a branch wired now will set fast and by spring the wire can be removed thus speeding up the training.
While I’m about it, bonsai possesses many old spouses’ tales; to wit, wire left on a tree over winter will conduct heat or its lack and injure the branch: nonsense! Maples watered in summer sun will not be damaged by the magnification through water drops.
But this is no myth. When repotting in fall try to work on a cool, cloudy day, in the rain if possible. Your chances of losing a tree from repotting will be nearly nil.
| Species: | Common name: | Honeysuckle |
| Botanical name: | Lonicera tartarica | |
| Japanese name: | Uguisu-kagura |
Varieties: The common Western Pennsylvania honeysuckle is the only one of a large family which lends itself so well to bonsai. The tree form in single or multiple trunks works well; the vine honeysuckle rarely does.
Advantages: Honeysuckle is readily available in open fields throughout Western Pennsylvania, particularly where the fields are not grazed or mowed for hay. It is easily dug and appears to do well in heavy clay soils. Also, the honeysuckle possesses smallish leaves and when cut back hard sends out growth from adventitious buds from some of the most aged-appearing shredding bark. And for bonsai practitioners, cutting back heavy roots never seems to even slow the plant’s progress. It blossoms well on new growth each spring and grows ferociously throughout the season.
Disadvantages: While many shrubby honeysuckle varieties are commonly available in garden centers, the wild form is the only consistently successful form. Therefor so many bonsaists feel intimidated by having to find collectable subjects. Also, as a small seedling or liner size plant the honeysuckle is nondescript at best. Another drawback is that if the honeysuckle is to be wired it must be done when branches are small and supple; if not, the subject must be trained by pruning - a long and many times frustrating procedure not many growers have the foresight not patience to accomplish.
Bonsai Potential: Your occasionally humble scribe has always had trouble with this category. I don’t like numerical loading. All plants have bonsai nature when worked on by someone who has what is needed to grow bonsai. Therefore my feeling is that the chances of finding and developing a good honeysuckle or pine or juniper ad. inf. are good.
Growing location: Full sun
Watering: Honeysuckle needs deep, saturation watering or it will not grow well. When growing the honeysuckle in a container, lacing the soil mix with an extra measure of humus will help keep the moisture level even.
Propagation: Honeysuckle will grow from cuttings and seed.
Fertilizing: Balanced fertilizer May to October.
Over-wintering: Needs little protection; tolerates snow, wind, sun.
Styling: Informal upright, clump, sinuous, windswept.
| Species: | Common name: | Tamarix |
| Botanical name: | Tamarix | |
| Japanese name: | Gyoryu |
NOTE: Do Not confuse tamarix with tamarack. Tamarix is a deciduous tree or shrubby tree while the tamarack is larch, a deciduous conifer growing wild throughout the world wide northern parallels on a line east and west of Minnesota.
Varieties: Tamarix comes in three varieties which take nearly microscopic examination to separate. Generally tamerix is referred to as Juniperina or Chinensis but little difference can be seen.
Advantages: Not many: it does produce nearly ethereal pinkish purple flowers and many will blossom more than once each spring and summer. Training the tamarix into a weeping style is most gratifying but must be done with great care.
Disadvantages: Not readily available. Extremely brittle when woody; difficult to wire; root system weak; prone to root rot; short life span.
Bonsai Potential: Not for the beginner; use old stumps with young shoots for better results.
Growing location: Full sun; do not allow tall weeds to grow around the trunk base.
Watering: The tamarix will grow in a wide variety of conditions but prefers high humus but well drained soil; treat is much like an azalea.
Propagation: Cuttings or air layers in spring. Branches several inches in diameter will root from an air layer and cuttings up to finger size will root readily.
Fertilizing: Balanced fertilizer May to October.
Over-wintering: Protect from sub zero temperatures; cut back summer growth in late fall for better growth and flowers next spring.
Styling: Clouded, informal; best as weeping.