Club News - December 2017
Meeting - December 15 @ 7PM
Holiday Party - Club Members Only
Our December program will be a holiday party to socialize with fellow club members and their families.
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: December Tasks
Club Looking for Trees to Purchase
The club would like to purchase more trees to work on at our three potting parties in addition to trees that members are donating. If you have a beginning or pre-bonsai tree that you would like to SELL to the club for $20 to $40 then contact Lynne at (650) 207-8163 and she’ll arrange for them to be picked up or you can bring them to the potting party on December 9. We will be buying the tree (not the pot) so when it is repotted, owners can have the pot back.
Soil Making Party, January 20
Please join us on Saturday, January 12 from 9 AM – 12 Noon. Participants will have the opportunity to purchase soil at club cost. A big “thank you” to Tom Romer and Armand Navabi for helping to obtain components prior to this date.
November Meeting Recap
John Thompson (JT) gave an informative over view on Fall/Winter care, and in the second half followed up with a lively hands-on workshop. Many brought trees and questions.
Your trees are in transition as the days grow shorter, temperatures begin to drop and the angle of the sun changes exposures. Living in the Bay Area, we are lucky to have the mild Mediterranean climate. I say lucky as there are only five regions, and those make up only 2% of the world that are Mediterranean climate. In this climate we can grow just about anything. As such we still must be watchful of changes. October and even November can experience heat waves mixed with possible rain and cooler days. Trees in the heat can begin to sprout. These young tender sprouts will freeze when temperatures drop. Resist pruning to not encourage early sprouting and allow your trees to prepare for dormancy even if it is only partial. Leaves on deciduous trees can be removed once they turn color and start to drop. If they do not remove easily, you may cut the leaves just above the petiole.
Energy changes can cause growth and elongation to resource conservation. Moves sugars and starches from shoots to vascular system>pulls chlorophyll from leaves into vascular system before leaf drop>sets up storage of energy for push in the spring.
In our climate, plants do not really fully shut down, so you need to provide food and of course water.
Once leaves drop reduce and remove old fertilizer and re top dress if not going to be repotting. Fertilize in fall to 50 degrees, then switch to a low nitrogen fertilizer 0-10-10 or at least cut your Miracle Grow or other higher nitrogen fertilizer to 25% until spring when our temps at night are above 40 again. Your trees are still active and require some food even now. JT mentioned Miracle Grow contains many of the micro and macro ingredients your trees require, just be sure to reduce to 25% so not to over stimulate as it is high in nitrogen. Some nitrogen is ok in our area. Fish powder in bags, or liquid is great.
Generally deciduous trees will require less water now, while your conifers are a bit more thirsty. When you water, water thoroughly - don’t just give a sprinkle. Watering throughly also provides air to your roots.
A deep pot does not mean the tree will stay wetter. Container height affects the relative amount of water versus air. With the same media, the perched water table occurs at the same height, regardless of the container size. Short containers will have the same perched water table as large containers, thus a greater percentage of container volume is filled with water. This explains why a standard 5-gallon container will hold less water than a 5-gallon squat container.
One big cause of death is dehydration and then a freeze. Too much rain or bad draining pot? Watch and prop one end up then after a few days, switch to prop the opposite end up allowing water to drain out the other side. If your pot does not drain well you may end up drowning your tree. Remember roots need air. Moving water through the roots is healthy, but standing water causes anaerobic bacterial damage. Your soil will smell bad and be spongy and may cause roots to rot. And don’t forget to turn your trees.
Fruiting and flowering trees should be transplanted by Dec 15th, then protect from frost. Do not prune maples if they bleed. Test first and wait until this does not occur.
Good care over the winter will make for happy beautiful trees.
