July 2015 - Houston Bonsai Society

The Bonsai News of Houston
A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc.
Volume 44 Number 7
July 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Events
Pedro Morales’
Lecture/Demo
On a
Brazilian Rain Tree
Showcase of the Month
Exotic Tropical Bonsai
0July
Bonsai Care
John Miller
Gede Merta’s unique Pemphis Acidula – Bali, Indonesia (Photo from his blog)
The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be on Wednesday July 1st at the
Cherie Flores Gardens Pavilion in Hermann Park, off of Hermann Park Drive, Houston,
TX 77030. Refreshments at 7 PM, meeting starts at 7:30 PM.
Wednesday, July 1st, HBS Monthly Meeting: Lecture-demo by Pedro Morales on a
large Brazilian Rain Tree which will be raffled off at the end of the evening. For Show &
Tell with Ray, please display your most exotic tropical bonsai.
Upcoming Events
President’s
Letter
Tropical Trees
For
Houston
Hurley Johnson
Thursday, July 2nd – Sunday July 5th, Tropical School Year 1, with Pedro Morales,
at Timeless Trees, 9AM – 5 PM. Classroom in the morning, hands-on workshops in the
afternoons. Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday. See ad for more details.
Saturday, July 4th, TENTATIVE Saturday Study Group at Mercer Botanic Garden,
9AM– 12 Noon - depending on number of people planning to attend. Free, refreshments
provided.
Friday, July 17th, LSBF Texas Tour Speaker – Owen Reich’s lecture-demo 6 - 9 PM at
Cherie Flores Gardens Pavilion in Hermann Park.
Saturday, 18th, LSBF Texas Tour Speaker – Owen Reich’s workshops 8-11AM and
afternoon 12-3PM at Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter Drive, Houston,
TX 77042 - (713) 266-8193, off Beltway 8, between Westpark Drive and Richmond.
$40 per session. Please sign up with Pete Parker or Terry Dubois.
Saturday, July 25th, BYO Tree Workshop with Rodney Clemons at Timeless Trees,
morning session 9 AM-1 PM. Afternoon: 1 - 5 PM, each session: $40 or $75 all day.
Saturday, July 25th, 2015: LABS 2015 will be hosted by the Louisiana Bonsai
Society in Baton Rouge. Details TBA by Lowell Tilley, event chair at ltilley@cox.net.
July Bonsai Care
July and August are the two most stressful months for bonsai in our neck of the
woods. Most healthy trees can take the full sun on their foliage, but the high
ambient temperatures and the heating effect of the sun on the pots and soil
create temperatures on the roots that they are not designed to cope with. Trees
with thin leaves like the Japanese maple, Acer Palmatum, that are under-story
trees, will probably scorch in full sun. They can also suffer from chemical burn
from some fertilizers and insecticides which can be more damaging in the heat.
Tropical Wonders
(Photos from the artists’ websites and blogs)
I cannot give you a precise To-Do list since your backyard is different from mine,
but you should be sure that the sun does not hit the pots directly. If you use a
cover of any kind, be sure that the side of the pot is protected also. A loose
weave cover that allows air flow is preferable to solid paper or foil. A solid cover
or box over the pot would create an oven type enclosure. There should be room
for air flow around the pot. A 30-40% shade cloth over pines, junipers, and elms
and maybe 50% over maples would be ideal. And don’t forget to provide
protection on the west side, from the hottest afternoon sun.
Check your water practices. Normally I prefer to water heavily in the evening.
That gives the plant all night to renew itself without losing most of its water to
evaporation. Then in the early morning, they get a quick foliage spray and
wetting the surface of the soil which may have dried out overnight. This was what
I did while working. Be sure to do the double watering bit - water thoroughly so
that the dry soil particles will get moistened and after a few minutes water again
so that they will soak up fully.
Pots out in the sun can get pot pretty hot. Not only does this dry out the soil very
fast but the tree roots cannot live in a hot soil. A temperature I have heard given
is 120 degrees that will kill roots on most plants. An article by Dr. Bill Cody
suggests that his experiments show that an afternoon watering at 2pm will go a
long way to keep the soil temperature in a desirable range, while a box close
around the pot does little to protect it. Therefore I now try to water at 2 pm to cool
and refresh the roots and again after sundown to get the night started right.
When the humidity is low, I mist my junipers in the evening. I believe the story
that in the wild, junipers open their stomata in the cool of the evening to absorb
any dew that may occur and close in the heat of the day to conserve moisture.
The other species may get a foliage spray in the morning.
Also watch for signs of insect problems. The spider mite will always be near.
Others to look for are scales of various forms, aphids and mealy bugs.
Preventative medicine is best, spray on a regular schedule. By the time you see
signs, the damage is already done, especially from spider mites. I use the
organic foliar feed (with 1 Tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp,
molasses and 5% apple cider vinegar per gallon of water) to control all these.
You can use some of the other organic controls or a chemical according to label
directions. Read the label directions carefully. Do not apply oil based
chemicals to buttonwoods. A hose end sprayer does not work very well, its
droplets are too large and you have little control over where it goes. Use a pump
sprayer with a fine spray and cover both top and bottom of leaves.
When checking the results on your plants after spraying, remember that the
spray usually will not remove the ‘evidence’ of problems. The webs will still be
there after the mites are killed. The shells of the scale will be attached to the leaf
or stem. These will have to be removed by hand, by a jet of water or some other
way. A soft toothbrush works well on the scale shells.
There is no damage from this leftover evidence but it
prevents you from seeing any new infestation that may
occur.
The humidity in summer varies quite a bit but when it
sticks around for a few days, look for fungal problems to
appear, mildew being the most prevalent. Black spot will
show up if the foliage stays wet very long. Foliage
watering in the morning usually is not a problem because
the water drops dry pretty quickly. Treat with potassium
carbonate which you can find at any nursery with a decent
organic section. There are several chemical sprays
available too.
As a rule we do not feed our trees enough. Since the soil
mix we use has very little nutrient value, we must make up
with our fertilizer practice. Water soluble fertilizers will be
quickly washed out. The best “rule” I have heard was
given by Matt Ouwinga who primarily grows trident
maples.
Matt’s rule:
A. Apply organic fertilizer balls each 6 weeks. Discard old
balls.
B. Apply fish emulsion every two weeks.
C. Apply liquid plant food on alternate weeks.
You can fertilize with most organic type fertilizers without
worrying about burning the roots in hot weather. Do not
use hi-powered types such as bat guano or one made
heavily with chicken manure unless you use them very
lightly. If you use chemical types, follow the label. If they
do not specify any temperature restrictions, try using a
weaker solution than normal. Without a lot of organic
material in your soil, you should use a weaker solution but
more often to provide a more even feeding.
growing season starts so they can still be in a pretty good
shape.
Your trees keep growing and they, too, need their periodic
beauty treatment. Keep the ends trimmed and the stray
shoots cut out. It’s not that bad when you can sit in the
shade with a big lemonade and really enjoy being with
your bonsai. That way you will have your tree ready for the
fall show or you will be ready to enjoy it when the change
of seasons gives it pretty colors.
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 Message
Sorry to repeat some of this information, but I just
want to make people aware. Donald Green, our
HBS Past President, recently suffered a fall that
resulted in a “severe jolt to his spinal cord”. He has
had surgery and is doing well. He is expected to
start Rehab soon and hope to recover well, but it
will take some time. Please keep Donald, Diane,
and the rest of his family in your prayers.
Many spring flowering plants will be setting buds for next
year’s flowers. Azaleas will set theirs toward the end of
July. If you prune tips after that time, you will remove the
new buds.
Donald has always been one of my mentors of both
the horticultural aspects of our hobby, and the
leadership and guidance of a large volunteer
organization. His gentle tone and patience, which
made him a superior College Professor bled over to
make him a great leader within our club. He
worked at inclusion, instead of exclusion of the
many individuals, nationalities, languages, and
different skill levels that comprise our organization.
Now that night temperatures are staying above 60
degrees, you should think about repotting some of the
tropicals. Most tropicals do well with an annual repotting. I
would emphasize to check the wires on your trees and
also see that the drains are not blocked in any way.
Especially check them after a rain to be sure that your
pots drain properly. Keep the tropicals trimmed as they will
be growing like crazy. However, if you want flowers on
those that produce on the end of the twigs like
bougainvilleas, pomegranates and crepe myrtles, you will
have to forgo the bonsai shape to let them flower. These
species should be pruned more drastically before the
The Texas Tour Speaker, sponsored by LSBF, will be
Owen Reich. His demo will be on Friday July 17th
evening at the Hermann Park Garden Center (where
we normally meet) from 6-9 PM. The demo is free,
and the tree will be raffled off at the end of the
demo. Raffle tickets are usually $1.00, but you have
to be present to win. Workshops will be on
Saturday July 18th, at the Tracy Gee Community
Center in Southwest Houston, 3599 Westcenter
Drive, Houston, TX 77042, near the intersection of
Beltway 8 and Richmond (713-266-8193). Morning
workshops will be from 8 – 11 AM, and the
afternoon workshops from 12 Noon – 3 PM. The
cost of each workshop is $40. Pete Parker and Terry
Dubois will have the sign-up sheet at the July 1st
meeting. We still have spots open.
Tropical Bonsai
Plans are coming together for the LSBF Texas
Learning Seminar, slated for October 9th and 10th, at
the Kingwood Community Center. The guest artist
will be Matt Reel. His focus will be on Bunjin style
and displaying Bonsai correctly. There will be
lectures/ demonstrations, workshops, a bonsai
show, and vendors. Since this is a slightly smaller,
simpler event than the State Convention, it will start
at about Noon on Friday. We will have program
flyers at the July and August meetings. Make plans
to attend.
Houston
for
Over the last several years, Pedro Morales with his
Tropical Bonsai School has introduced several species
into the Houston area. Some are Puerto Rico natives, and
some grow throughout the Caribbean. Most are great
candidates for our coastal Zone 9 B climate, with a
minimal amount of winter care. So here are a few to
consider adding to your collection.
Pedro Morales will again be having his 4-day
Tropical Bonsai School at Timeless Trees. It is a
great way to learn and work on your stock here in
the Houston area. See details in the advertisement
this month.
Don’t forget our HBS Saturday Study Group will
meet at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens on
July 4th, (if we have enough people interested.) It is
free to all club members and family. It will begin at
9 AM and last until about Noon. Refreshments are
provided.
Hope to see you at the meeting, on July 1st!
Hurley
A very exotic Pemphis collected tropical bonsai by Gede Merta,
a self-taught Bonsai artist in Bali ( Photo from his website)
One of the best and easiest species is Neea, commonly
spelled "Nía" although the botanical name is "Neea" and
its full Latin name is Neea buxifolia. Neea is a stiff, twiggy,
yet “wire-able” shrub native to Puerto Rico.
It is in the same family as the Bougainvillea. Neea grows
to fifteen feet with a trunk circumference of five to six
inches in the wild. The leaves are about one quarter inch
long, narrow, and oblong, with short petioles.
The tree is especially attractive during the growing season
due to the deep red color of its new shoots. The bark is
gray and smooth. Neea bears small flowers in spring and
summer followed by little, red fruit when mature in the
summer.
Neea grows similar to Yaupon Holly in that the new
branches grow everywhere and in all directions. The
growth is usually dense and undisciplined. This pattern is
a challenge at first, but with attention the close growth of
the twigs, it is great as bonsai, especially because it is
also very hardy, and has very little problems with pests or
diseases.
It can be trained into many styles. I have been most
successful with getting a new tree, wiring it hard once, and
then using “clip and grow” method from then on. Like
Chinese Elm, they send out long shoots, which need to be
trimmed regularly. I prune them at least twice a year.
Neea should be grown in filtered sun. They will tolerate a
minimum winter temperature of 40 degrees, so you will
have to put them inside, or in the garage a few nights
when the temps drop too low. The soil should be well
draining, and allow the soil to dry out in between watering.
Check out timeless-trees.com and get on the mailing list for
weekly classes, workshops and Tropical Bonsai School
offered by very knowledgeable artists and masters. Huge
selection of tropicals, conifers, evergreen and deciduous prebonsai and bonsai as well as pots, tools, supplies and soils.
Because of their very small leaf and dense foliage, they
are also great for shohin.
Welcome Quality Feed & Garden in downtown Houston. Ken
Cousino is ready to help HBS with all bonsai supplies.
Come stock up on bonsai soils, pesticides, fungicides and
fertilizers. Don’t forget to ask for a 10% HBS discount.
The only problem with this tree is poor healing of large
cuts. The cambium heals over just a small amount, then
quits, resulting in large scars. So you need to plan for that
and make sure the severe cuts are in the back, or part of
the design.
Hurley Johnson
Timeless Trees Bonsai Nursery
Rosenberg, Texas
Calendar of Events
2015
JUL 1
HBS Monthly Meeting: Lecture-demo by Pedro
Morales on a large Brazilian Rain Tree, at Cherie
Flores Pavilion in Hermann Park. Refreshments at
7pm, meeting starts at 7:30 pm. Demo tree will be
raffled off.
JUL 2 – 5 Tropical School Year 1, with Pedro Morales at
Timeless Trees, 9AM – 5 PM, $375 per
person. Classroom learning in the morning, hands-on
workshops in the afternoons. Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday. Pedro usually cooks Puerto
Rican treats on Sunday. Classes provide:
Refreshments, coffee, juice, lunch, and snacks as well
as aluminum wire and bonsai soil.
JUL 4
TENTATIVE Saturday Study Group at Mercer
Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 9am– 12 Noon depending on number of people planning to
attend. Free, refreshments provided.
JUL 17
LSBF Texas Tour Speaker – Owen Reich,
Friday July 17 evening: Lecture/demo from 6-9 pm at
Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion at Hermann Park.
Saturday AM workshop from 8-11 and PM from 12-3
at Tracy Gee Community Center, 3599 Westcenter
Drive, Houston, TX 77042 - (713) 266-8193, off
Beltway 8, between Westpark and Richmond Drive.
JUL 18
Please register early for the workshops ($40 each $80 all day) with Peter Parker and Terry Dubois.
2015 Kathy Shaner Seminar
October 16rd – 18h
in Buda, Texas
* Seminar *
* Home-cooked Dinner *
* Bring-your-own-tree Workshop *
Registration starts in July.
To register for the event, please
email ckmurphy2000@gmail.com.
Gift giving for the bonsai lovers on your list or yourself is easy
with Pineywoods Easy-Care artistic bonsai. Ask Larry and Judy
to send you photos to choose from. Shipping is available.
Summer is here at JRN Nursery II. Come enjoy the exotic flowers and
tropical bonsai. Don’t forget the 10% HBS member discount.
JUL 25-26 Rodney Clemons’ Bring Your Own Tree Workshop
(BYOT) at Timeless Trees, from 9 AM- 1 PM, $40
each session, $75 all day.
JUL 25
LABS 2015 hosted by the Louisiana Bonsai Society in
Baton Rouge! Details TBA by Lowell Tilley, event
chair at ltilley@cox.net.
SEP 18-21 2015 International Convention & Asia-Pacific
Bonsai Conference in Guangzhou at the Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall and the Guangdong Science Hall,
hosted by BCI and Guangzhou Government. For
details, visit http://www.gzbci2015.com.
Visit artist Andrew Sankowski at the Mossrock Studio & Fine Art Gallery
for the finest gifts and custom bonsai pots in any shape, form and color.
SEP 19 SSOT 2015 MEETING SCHEDULE Annual business
meeting and select trees for the October 9 & 10 LSBF
Seminar exhibit in Houston, plus a hands on/how-to
workshop led by Steven Hendricks and Alisan Clarke
with material acquired by Alisan.
SEP 26 Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens Fall Show.
Vendors are invited to sell their plants and goods.
Cost: $50 (Vendors keep the rest of the
proceeds.) Contact Carol Scraper: 832-233-6563.
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.houstonbonsai.com
HBS Board Members
President
1st Vice President
in charge of Education
2nd Vice President
Secretary
in charge of Membership
Publicity
Treasurer
Hurley Johnson
Scott Barboza
hurley@all-tex.net
markyscott@me.com
Dean Laumen
Barbara Adams
drlaumen@bechtel.com
adams.barbara1@embarqmail.com
Eldon Branham
Anthony Cutola
elmo4635@aol.com
acutola@gmail.com
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - E
Member at Large - E
Nandita D’Souza
Vern Maddox
Wayne Malone
Clyde Holt
Brian Gurrola
Ron Ahles
ndas27@gmail.com
vmaddox1@comcast.net
wayneamalone@gmail.com
cmholt11@comcast.net
bgurrola@gurrolareprographics.com
carolahles@sbcglobal.net
Delegates
Past President
LSBF Delegate
LSBF Alternate
BCI Ambassador
TTSBE Representative
Alan Raymond
Peter Parker
Terry Dubois
Donald Green
Alan Raymond
amraymond@suddenlink.net
peteparkerbonsai@yahoo.com
tdubois1@comcast.net
donald.green12@att.net
amraymond@suddenlink.net
Refreshments
Website/email
Newsletter editor
C.J. Everson
Gary Teeter
Shawn Nguyen
c.j.everson@comcast.net
houstonbonsai@gmail.com
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
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Tropical Bonsai School
with Pedro Morales
First Year Class (Year of the Saw)
July 2nd – July 5th
Classroom portion
Thursday, 9 AM – 6 PM
Hands – On Work
Friday, Sat. and Sunday
9 AM – 5 PM
held at “Timeless Trees” in Rosenberg, Texas.
Four days of intensive instruction, lecture, videos, and hands-on work
with world renowned Bonsai artist Pedro Morales.
Just bring your tools and wire. Lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, is included.
Hotels and restaurants close by. We will assist you with arrangements.
The best instructional value in the U.S.
$375.00 per class
Contact Hurley Johnson to sign up, 832-526-5962 or hurley@all-tex.net.