Club News - December 2018

Meeting - December 21 @ 7PM

Holiday Party - Club Members Only

Our December program will be a holiday party to socialize with fellow club members and their families.

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.

Club Potting Party on Sunday, December 9

Remember our first potting party for the 2018 show will be Sunday, December 9 from 10AM – 4PM at the home of Mark O’Brien, 661 Coleman Ave, Menlo Park. When arriving, Mark asks that you walk down the long 679 Coleman Ave driveway and go thru the gate on the left to enter his back yard. Heavy items can be driven to the gate and carted from there. We will work on material that can be repotted in the fall. That includes fruiting and flowering trees, junipers, pines if protected afterwards, and boxwood and olive if you live in the South Bay.

Club potting parties are held to work on trees that will be sold at our annual show in order to raise funds to support the clubs’ on-going monthly activities and pay for future show expenses. Each club member is kindly asked to donate trees or bonsai related items for sale at our 2019 annual show. First year members are asked to donate at least one tree while we ask longer-term members to donate three trees. By bringing trees you’ll donate to the potting party you can get assistance with styling as well as use club-provided pots, soil and wire.

Those of you babysitting club owned trees, you are kindly asked to only bring trees that can be worked on at this time of year. If you are donating cash or other items vs. trees, the club still needs your help with the club owned trees.

The potting parties are a great way to meet other members of the club and gain more experience in the techniques for styling, pruning, wiring, and potting/repotting a bonsai. Newer members will have the option to pair up with a more experienced member to learn the process.

Soil Making Party, January 12

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

We were still under a Spare-the-Air day because of the tragic Butte County wire fire so it was great to see so many of our members turn out that night! Members brought in a variety of trees that included Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana), Yew (Taxus), Azalea, California Pepper Tree (schinus molle), Needle Juniper (Tosho), Rosemary, Juniper Procumbens  ‘Nana’, Ceonothus (California lilac) and Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifolia). Jonas Dupuich discussed how to improve each of our trees. He suggested alternative bonsai pots to consider for some trees. He offered last minute prep work for showing each tree. 

All of us should be removing moss that has the potential to climb up the trunk of a tree especially during the rainy season and damage the bark. Jonas discussed using a spot-cleaning gun for removing green algae that can build up on deadwood. A spot-cleaning gun is far more efficient and faster than using just a toothbrush and water. I looked up spot-cleaning guns online and would argue that this is something you may want to put on your holiday wish list!

Remember that pines continue to grow during this time of year, so don’t forget to rotate them as well as other trees.

The club thanks Jonas for a really fun and informative meeting.

Newsletter Editor: Rita Curbow