Club News - April 2023
Annual Show – Saturday April 29 & Sunday April 30
@ Addison Elementary School in Palo Alto
It’s time for our annual show! During our two day event you’ll be able to see 60+ bonsai, demonstrations of how to create and care for bonsai and buy a bonsai for yourself. If you’d like to get a taste for what you might see at our show take a look at trees at last year’s show.
Current Santa Clara County Public Health Guidelines will be followed.
What You'll See
- Bonsai trees - formal display including stands, accent plants and scrolls
- Tours of the show by bonsai experts at 11:15 AM and Noon daily
- Saturday Demo @1:30: Oak demonstration by Michael Greenstein
- Sunday Demo @1:30: Kusamono demonstration by Barbara Phillips and friends
- Sales area for trees and pots
- Doctor Bonsai - get advice on your bonsai tree
- Benefit drawings - win a starter bonsai after after demonstrations
- Education Space - learn about and practice some of the skills we use in bonsai
- Film on pot firing - running continuously during show. By Richard Phillips
- Children’s Corner - guiding kids to create their own accent plants to take home
Hours
Saturday - Noon to 4pm
Sunday - 11am to 4pm
Location
Multipurpose Room at Addision Elementary School, Palo Alto
1045 Webster Street.
Parking is on street - Webster, Lincoln and Addison.
No Monthly Meeting in April
And no monthly meeting in May either because we'll be doing a special event at Filoli on May 20. We will be back at our usual location in June.
Monthly Tasks
Each month there are a number of tasks you need to do to your bonsai – from repotting, to fertilizing to spraying for pests. We have put together a checklist, customized for the San Francisco Bay Area to help you. This checklist is adapted from earlier work by Mitsuo Umehara.
This month: April Tasks
2023 Annual Show Update
Pre-show setup is Friday April 28 starting at 5 PM..
Kusamura’s Annual Bonsai Show gives members an opportunity to take stock of their trees and choose a couple of favorites that they’d like to share with each other, family, friends, and the public. Our show is well-attended and beautiful, thanks to Kusamura members pitching in as usual. We look forward again to this satisfying and enjoyable annual gathering—and the fine attention to preparing our trees to show their best. Our newer members, who may never have been to a show or participated in creating one, will be amazed!
Important change: Bring your show trees to the site no later than 9:30 AM on Saturday morning. Your sales, donation, consignment trees should be brought in at set-up on Friday evening.
Members Only
- First dibs presale of donated and consignment trees and pots on Friday evening
- Friday night pizza for those who help with set up
- Saturday and Sunday lunch for members (information forthcoming)
- Quick Strike celebration after show take down
Show Trees
- Show will include trees in development as well as developed show trees. We encourage all members regardless of level to participate in any way you feel comfortable.
- Members will be able to reserve club owned stands as needed in advance. Information to be provided soon
Sale Trees
Gentle Reminder: All members are encouraged to donate two trees or bonsai related items for the club sale. Value of $25 or more. New or first-year members are not required to fulfill this club obligation. Donations help cover show expenses, the largest item of our annual budget.
How to Sign up for Show Tasks Online
Sign into your KusamuraBonsai.org online account to access the club website, then from Members Only menu (on the top line) find Club Show Information.
Review the various Show Tasks for which we need member sign-ups. All members are expected to help with set-up on Friday night (starting at 6PM) and with take-down on Sunday afternoon (starting at 4 PM).
Sign up for as many additional slots as you can. There are more slots than members, so we need you more than once. Be an early bird to get the slots you most want! See below if you haven’t logged in lately or have questions.
Manual signup also available during March meeting.
ALL HANDS on deck for Friday night set up and for show take down (strike). It’s fun when we all work together, taking part in making our show spectacular! Oh, and did we say we are serving pizza on Friday!
Club Members - Before the Show
Members - Decide the tree or trees you want to show and if you will use a stand or accent plant.
- See the Show Tree Checklist for help preparing your tree.
- If you need to borrow a stand, see Club Stands. You can reserve online, it’s easy!
We no longer have access to a large collection of bonsai stands owned by the Plantings as those stands were offered for sale to club members in 2020 and 2021. We are therefore asking that any of you who purchased a stand that you do not plan to use for one of your show trees to consider offering it for use by other members that don’t have stands. Please bring them at Friday night set up.
Submit your tree information online by April 21 so a Tree Display Card can be printed for your tree. Or email Charlene Fischerdirectly.
We still need many more volunteers for the many tasks that make our show successful. For a description of tasks that need to be performed see Show Tasks and Show Sign Ups on Kusamura’s website. It’s easy to sign up online.
Saturday Moring
There is limited parking near the building. When you arrive to drop off materials, please use the small school parking lot in front of the building but afterwards move your car to street parking. We want visitors to be able to park in the parking lot during our show.
Kusamura Participation at Filoli - May 20, 11AM - 4PM
Instead of having our normal Friday night meeting in May, Kusamura will be holding an event at Filoli on Saturday, May 20 from 11 AM – 4 PM. This will be an opportunity for Kusamura to introduce the art of bonsai to members of the visiting public at Filoli that may have never known anything about bonsai before. Along with the club specific activities, you will be able to tour the Filoli mansion and gardens and see Filoli's special bonsai display that will be shown throughout the entire month of May. Special activities going on May 20 will include:
- Bonsai demonstration by Michael Greenstein 11 AM-12:30 PM
- Bonsai critique at 1:30
- Display of bonsai from Kusamura members between 11 AM–4 PM
- Information table about bonsai and becoming a member of Kusamura Bonsai Club
Kusamura members will receive a free electronic ticket to visit Filoli for that day. We are hoping that many of you will want to attend and participate in the various activities. But your 2023 membership must be in good standing in order for you to get in for free that day. So pay online via the club website if you have not done so yet.
More details will be provided in the May newsletter regarding how you can participate that day
Beginning Workshop - Sunday, April 16
For advice on trees, access to a wide range of bonsai tools, and a fun and informative time come to the home of Richard and Barbara Phillips for our monthly Beginners Workshop. We have made several changes to the format and no longer have a morning and afternoon session, so please RSVP with when you think you will be arriving so we can plan. To sign up for the workshop, or for more details, contact Richard at rp261@aol.com.
This month we’ll prepare trees and discuss stand and accent selection for the “In Development” section of the club show.
Note: there will not be a Beginners Workshop on Sunday, May 21.
Intermediate Workshop - Cancelled for April
Our usual date, Saturday a week after our scheduled meeting, conflicts with our show. However, we plan to have an Intermediate Workshop in May.
March Meeting Recap – Marsha Mekisich – Maple Spring Care
Note: Because of an outbreak of Covid among several of our members this meeting was conducted by Zoom.
Here are Marsha’s slides.
At our meeting on March 17, 2023, Marsha Mekisich shared her experience and knowledge of maples. What many of us took away as most valuable is that trident maples (acer buergerianum) and Japanese maples (acer palmatum) should be treated quite differently. First she made clear the differences between the two: the leaves of a palmatum has more than three lobes, whether with or without a palm. Those without a palmatum are dissectum. Maples with three lobes are trident. There are many varieties of Japanese maples, Tridents being most vigorous and dissectum more hybridized so least vigorous. Dissectum are not usually seen as bonsai. An exception in care is the Lions Head or Shishigasira, which has a dense tight growth habit.
Pinching and Pruning: In early spring, pinch out the tiny leader as it emerges in the Japanese maple, but allow the trident to extend, pruning back only after new shoots elongate and harden off. This is the major distinction in treatment of the two kinds of Japanese maples. Tridents should be pruned back to two leaves, and if the tree is healthy and producing so many leaves that they are shading out interior and lower leaves, they may be defoliated or partially defoliated, which can produce a second flush of growth. This practice will also help with ramification. Pinching Japanese maples and defoliating tridents help create secondary growth. On the other hand, Japanese maples which are inherently weaker than tridents should never be fully defoliated. Weaker trees should be allowed to blow out until they regain health. Maples should not be fertilized or pruned until shoots have hardened off. You can tell when maples have hardened off by examining the texture of the leaves, which will be less tender, tougher, and even in some cases waxy.
Auxins: Marsha then explain auxins (a class of plant hormone) and their roles in guiding the growth and health of a tree. Understanding the role of these hormones helps us to understand when and why we pinch or prune. By doing so, we redirect energy to other parts of the tree, promoting bud back, smaller leaves, shorter internodes, and ramification. It is important to observe closely how your tree responds, so you can determine how and when to pinch or prune, to shape and control overall energy balance and the tree’s development.
Other pruning and wound care: Look for opportunities to remove all but two buds/shoots at any one junction, to avoid knuckles of growth. Also remove those growing downward or backward. Be careful about rubbing away buds that you think you will not want; in some cases you may want to save one to cut back to when you remove an elongated branch with long internodes. Once growth has hardened off is also a good time to tend to wounds, while the tree has strong health to promote healing. Use Top Jin sealant to heal and seal wounds and apply Kirikuchi-Naoru - Putty or DRESS Callus Dressing – Karusmate as well to larger wounds . Other pruning can also be done after growth has hardened off: dead or diseased branches, inward or downward growing branches, crossing branches, thick or out of scale branches. Leave a stub when cutting a branch as maples are notorious for die back; clean up next Spring.
Repotting of Maples: The best time is once buds begin to swell. Trident maples can tolerate removal of all old soil and up to 50% of root mass. Japanese maples and older maples should be handled more carefully. The soil mix should maintain more moisture, so a 2|1|1 or Aoki mix is preferred.
Marsha then gave an update on the Kusamura maple which the club is following through its revival and further development. In its recent repotting Marsha removed thick coarse roots and most of its potting soil; she changed the front and tilted the tree forward. She also showed us how she uses a small level on the rim of the pot to be sure she positions the tree when pot is level.
Wiring and Style: The best time for this work is the early fall when the tree is not swelling with growth or after new growth has hardened. Wire can cut in very quickly on fast growing, tender maples. Use aluminum wire and watch closely to avoid the scars of wire biting.
Watering: Maples like slightly moist soil always; do not let them dry out. Usually a maple needs to be watered at least once a day, but this depends on many factors so monitor accordingly. A top dressing of mountain moss helps to prevent soil breakdown, promotes surface roots, and provides some protection from heat.
Fertilizer: High nitrogen fertilizer is good in the spring for young trees in Development phase (Osmocote, Miracle Grow). Trees in Refinement phase should not be fertilized until after shoots have hardened off and even then only moderately with low nitrogen, organic fertilizer (something like Bio Gold with supplements of liquid fish and kelp). Maples should not be fertilized in the heat of summer; fertilize lightly again in the fall to promote root development.
Placement: In spring maples should be placed in full. But in the heat of summer maples should be placed in partial shade or under shade cloth (30%-40%) and you need to watch for signs of heat stress.
Those who were present at this meeting will not forget Marsha’s caution to pinch and prune Japanese maples quite differently from trident maples.
Pinch out that tiny new spring shoot in Japanese maples and don’t touch tridents until they harden off.
We all appreciate Marsha’s clarity and thoroughness in her presentations. She gives us everything she has got, which is more than aplenty. She is characteristically generous always.
For more details see the video recording - Marsha Mekisich – Tips for Spring Care of Maple Bonsai
There are 400+ varieties of maples. Below are photos of a few.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id="111" gal_title="Maple Varieties"]
Final Potting Party Recap
Despite starting the day with another downpour, 18 members attended the final potting party. High fives to Christoph Dressel, Mark O’Brien, Charlene Fischer, Lynne O’Dell, Gabriel Lobo, Jenn Tan, Idris Anderson, Rita Curbow, Michael Gremillion, Hal Jerman, Walker Fogarty, Yee-Yie Fogarty, JC Zhang, Lakshmi Myneni, Radha Krishnan, Katherine Glassey, and Royal Hansen who all worked on some large trees and repotted smaller trees under the protection of Christoph’s garage and oak tree. Michael Greenstein also stopped by to pick up trees to repot at his home. We ended up working on around 20 trees and sold a fabulous old pomegranate with a twisted trunk. Thank you to Rita for the donuts and to Christoph for the space and the best part of the day was a surprise, fresh from the oven, onion and cheese sourdough bread made by Laura Dressel. Who could ask for more as the sun came out midday while we all enjoyed this treat.
Intermediate Workshop Recap
Our first Intermediate Workshop of the year was held at the Cubberly Community Center in one of the classrooms, and although we didn’t have rain there was a very cold breeze and we appreciated being able to work inside. The workshop was attended by Dave Curbow, Lynne O’Dell, Katherine Glassey, Jenn Tan, Lakshmi, and Mitu Bhargava with instruction from Gordon Deeg. This was the perfect opportunity to apply what we learned about spring maple care in this month’s meeting, and each participant brought several Trident Maples and Japanese Maples in a variety of development and refinement stages.
Recommended Videos
As we prepare for our own annual show, I thought you might like to overdose on videos and photographs of spectacular trees in spectacular shows around the world. I was fortunate to visit this year’s Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition in Tokyo, and I know that pictures cannot capture the experience of in-person viewing, but the quality of these videos and photographs is quite high and I think you will enjoy browsing among them as you prepare your own trees for Kusamura’s annual show later this month
The 97th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition (video)
Many images and videos of Parts 1 and 2 of the 2023 Kokufu Bonsai Show. This is the best quality video I have seen of the trees. You experience the show as a visitor, with all the Japanese labels, but there are some subtitles, which we who visited did not have. Beautiful shots of the trees.
Prize-winning trees from the 94th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition (blog)
Couldn’t resist including Jonas’s commentary on the 94th Kokufu winning trees!
Trophy 2023 (formerly Noelanders Trophy) (photographs)
This is the biggest and best bonsai show in Europe. Terrific photographs of terrific trees. Can you discern a European style?
Best of the European Bonsai San Exhibitions 2015-2019 (video)
Bonsai Empire
12 minutes
Video Link
Another great European Show. Highlights of the show over five years before the pandemic.
2023 Miniature Shohin Bonsai Exhibition, Kyoto, Japan (video)
Dave in Osaka: Travel Japan
1 hour 43 minutes
Video Link
Beautiful displays of beautiful little trees!
Newsletter Editor: Jenn Tan