Triangle Bonsai Society

Triangle Bonsai Society
Raleigh, North Carolina
November 2015
President’s Message
I hope all of you enjoyed Bjorn
Bjorholm's presentation at the
October meeting when he
used two of his videos to
explain the how and when to
work on three types of junipers and Japanese
maples. I'm sure those members who took
advantage to work with Bjorn in one of his two
workshops advanced their trees in the bringyour-own-tree workshop and those in the second
workshop added to their knowledge as Bjorn
focused on the Japanese black pine and fine
wiring techniques.
Bjorn travels extensively and the club may not be
able to have him back until early 2018. Keep
your fingers crossed for a possible late date in
2017.
I thought he was a great teacher!
TBS Meeting November 1st, 1:30 PM
Cooperative Extension Building
Wake County Office Park
The November meeting is upon us and Arthur
Joura, the curator of the NC Bonsai Collection
will be our guest artist. Arthur really likes to work
with trees native to North Carolina. This will be
an opportunity to learn about the use of one
particular tree native to almost all of NC, the red
maple, Acer rubrum. For those of you who like to
go out and collect trees this presentation will
inspire you.
Please visit our website at www.trianglebonsai.com
Upcoming Events
Event: Guess Speaker Arthur Joura
Date: Nov 1st
Location: Commons Building or Agricultural
Extension Service, Wake County Office Park 4011 Carya Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27610
Attention: Ceramics instructor Mark Gordon will
bring a big load of his bonsai pots to the
meeting this Sunday. He is discounting
them as he prepares to spend time out of
the country. The Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo
The first weekend in December (December 5 & 6), I invite you to take a pleasant drive to
Kannapolis, NC, which is about 30 minutes north of Charlotte on I-85 take the opportunity to visit
the Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo. TBS club members as well as members from other NC
clubs along with bonsai artists from New York, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia will be
exhibiting trees. More than 30 tables of trees will be exhibited and there are at least 9 bonsai
vendors who will be selling bonsai trees and bonsai related items such as containers. Owen
Reich, who studied in Japan and now is a bonsai artist in Nashville, will be doing a demo
Saturday morning at 11:00 AM. William Valavanis, an internationally known bonsai artist will be
there doing a demo on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM and Danny Coffey, who studied in Japan
and now a bonsai artist in Charlotte, will stage a demo at 1:00 PM Sunday. There is a dinner
and auction Saturday night that requires you to make reservations. More information is available
and reservations can be made online at: http://stevenzeisel.wix.com/winterbonsai.
Won't you please come, it's free to the public.
Annual TBS Holiday Party and Auction
On the second Sunday in December (December 13th) come to our holiday party and bonsai
auction. This is a special opportunity to buy trees and bonsai necessities at great prices,
and the proceeds help the club bring guest artists next year. This is an occasion when
members bring something savory or sweet to share with members. The club furnishes
drinks, eating utensils, plates, cups and napkins. Look around your growing area and check
your stash of bonsai containers and donate something to the auction. Remember, no credit
cards so fill your wallets with cash or bring your checkbook. By the way, better bring your
largest vehicle to carry home your bid winning items.
The auction will begin at 1:30 so bring your auction items and food by 1:00 o'clock so you'll
have time to survey the auction items and spot your favorite eats on the overflowing tables.
This December party is also the perfect time to pay 2016 dues. You can combine your
winning bids with your dues in one check so save postage if you mail the dues later.
Complete this form and give it with your check to the treasurer, Phyllis Donahue at the party.
Name _________________________________________
Address ____________________________________
City_________________ Zip ____________
Telephone
Home: __________________________________________________________
Cell: ____________________________________________________________
E-mail (to receive newsletter) _________________________________
Type of Membership:
Single: $35 ___ Family $50: ___ Senior (65+): $25 ___ Senior Couple: $40 ___
Relieve The Pressure:
Padding for Guy Wires
There are several web-based bonsai
discussion forums. Bonsai Nut is one of the
more popular with primarily experienced
bonsai hobbyist and several bonsai
professionals as well participating. You can
read the various post in the forum or become
a member and join in the often spirited
discussions. Bonsai Nut can be found at
www.bonsainut.com.
A recent Bonsai Nut discussion began with
the question “Whenever someone posts a
picture of a guy wire, I always see this loop of
padding around one or both ends so that the
wire doesn’t bit into the bark. Can anybody
tell me what it’s called? Thanks.” The many
and varied responses are typical of the
bonsai community. But they are worth
exploring and may provide new ideas for
your use.
First what is a guy wire and why does it
require padding? We are all familiar with the
wiring of tree trunks and branches. And on
tender trees with more severe bending we
normally us raffia, electrical tape, vet wrap or
something similar to protect the bark of the
tree. More sever bending of branches often
requires running a wire around the branch
and then typically down to another branch of
even the edge of the pot. This puts a great
deal of pressure on the bark, so some
cushioning is needed to spread the pressure,
thus lessoning the damage to the bark. See
image below.
Ribbon Winners from the 2015 NC State
Fair
Novice Division
Shohin
1.
Barbara Holmes - Ivy
2.
Ricky Barbour - Harland Boxwood
Deciduous
1.
Dave Huffman - Bougainvillea
2.
Barbara Holmes - Musk Maple
3.
Ricky Barbour - Ilex
Evergreen
1.
Barbara Holmes - Elaegnus
2.
Hook Horton - Juniper
Open Division
Shohin
1.
Joe Noga - Seigu Elm Forest
2.
Merritt Barnett - English Boxwood
3.
Barbara Holmes - Boxwood
Deciduous
1.
Joe Noga - Pyracantha
2.
Don Kimball - Bougainvillea
3.
Barbara Holmes - Japanese Maple
Evergreen
1.
Don Kimball - Japanese White Pine
2.
Michael Markoff - Juniper
3.
Joe Noga - Shimpaku Juniper
Best in Show
The Judge decided there was a tie between Don
Kimball's Japanese White Pine and Michael
Markoff's Juniper. The Judge's solution - Award
the Pine 1st place and the Juniper 2nd place but
add Best in Show to the Juniper.
People's Choice
Joe Noga's Shimpaku Juniper was the runaway
winner
The materials used to cushion the tree from the pressure of the
wire fall into two categories, purchased or re-purposing on-hand
materials. See figure 2. Let’s begin with the materials that you
may have around the house.
If you are like me you probably save just about everything.
“You know I just may need that someday”, is what I hear myself
often saying. Well one of those things is an inner tube. Cut
into small squares or rectangles these make great cushions
and are very durable. And these can be used with any size
wire.
Another item you will find tucked into here or there in my shop
are old hoses and soaker hoses. When cut into short lengths and slit, these are great to use for any
pressure. You may have to trim some to make them small enough to fit the branch.
There are copious numbers of items you can purchase in hardware, Wal-Mart, Target, etc. or the big box
stores such as Lowes or Home Depot. In the plumbing or irrigation section you should find plastic tubing.
Normally the smaller, more often used tubing is clear and the larger sizes are often black. The tubing is
inexpensive and comes in different sizes so you can ensure the wire can pass easily through. As with all
tubing, hoses, etc. a few minutes in hot water will soften them up so you can more easily work with them.
Just cut whatever length you need to fit around the branch and slip the wire through.
I personally like to use clear plastic aquarium air tubing. You can get it at pet stores or Wal-Mart, etc. It is
very inexpensive. However, check wire size as these are often only one size, kind-of-small. Just cut
whatever length you need around the branch and slip the wire through. I also use it on wire when
anchoring trees into pots if the wire could dig into the roots or trunk. It should last 2 years or more with
deteriorating.
If you know anybody who is on oxygen, they often replace their tubing every month or so. It is similar to
the aquarium air tubing. Folks on oxygen have been known to supply their whole club with tubing.
Another type of silicon tubing is fuel tubing from various hobbies such as R/C planes or model cars. You
can get several feet of it fairly cheap at most hobby shops, and it is available in different sizes so you can
match it to whatever size wire you will use.
Another item found in the big box stores is Screen Spline, which is used in window screens. It comes in
different gauges. Normally it is black and has a small hole down the center. Being black and not shiny it
is much less noticeable. Again just make sure the wire you are using will fit.
OK jumping to the bottom line – you can use just about anything to cushion and protect the tree. Folks
have been known to use half a cork, after notching it to fit the tree. Others have folded cardboard, but of
course its life is limited. And items from the kitchen, such as plastic drainage mesh and plastic or rubber
containers or stoppers from the sink. How about using an old toothpaste tube? Others just whittle an old
branch to fit and protect the tree from the wire pressure. And perhaps the oddest was the use of old
serpentine belts from car engines. They often have groves on one side that the wire can bite into to help
keep it from slipping.
Yup bottom line is that you can use just about anything that will spread the pressure out for the surface
directly under the guy wire to the surrounding trunk or branch. Make sure the wire fits. Of course
aesthetics will vary from “I don’t care how it looks” to “it must not attract any attention”. Often with
appropriate padding we find that we can use smaller wire that is less obtrusive. Of course when more
tension is needed, you’ll need thicker wire and wider padding. The life of the various padding material
varies greatly, so ensure you use a padding which will last as long as you expect to need the wiring.
Figure 3 illustrates some used wires with tubing used to cushion the tree.
Thanks again to the members of Bonsainut.com for the ideas described here.
And happy tension wiring. May your wire always be tight.
November To-Do’s
Here are some of the key activities in caring for your trees during the month of November. These are
for the central Carolina area, Zone 7/8, but remember the micro-climate in your backyard may vary. Be
on the alert for sudden warm spells which may induce new growth. All new growth that will not have a
chance to "harden off" should be removed. You can find more complete monthly care guides at the
Triangle Bonsai Society Monthly Care site at http://www.trianglebonsai.com/monthly-care .
• Remove all wires from deciduous trees to prevent damage due to sudden spring growth next
year.
• Watch your watering carefully and do not overwater. Do not water if the soil in the containers is
frozen. Wait until midday when the soil thaws. Do not allow bonsai to go into a hard freeze in a
dry condition. If you cannot water, provide protection against freezing. Preferably you should
water before freezing temperatures set in.
• All seeds and fruit as well as leaves from deciduous trees should be removed.
• Spray bonsai trees with a dormant spray to protect against overwintering insects and fungi.
Dormant oil spray Neem Oil Extract is easy to use, but be certain to read the label thoroughly and
completely before using any product to avoid any damage to your trees.
Quince should definitely be root pruned, and re-potted before the first hard-freeze of winter. Other
plants can also benefit from minor root pruning and re-potting at least 2 weeks before the first hardfreeze of winter, such as: Apple, Cherry, Peach, Hollies, Mountain Laurel, Camellia, White Pine,
Pyracantha, Azalea, and Yew. You can delay this activity into December and January if you plan to
over-winter your bonsai in an area or cool (above 32 and below 70F) structure where winter
temperatures will not drop below freezing.
Do not trim or pinch new growth this month. You can prune the branches of only a few trees this
month. They include: Beech, Hinoki Cypress, Trident Maple, Peach, White Pine and Quince.
At this time of year you want to provide nutrients in the soil for root development without starting new
top growth. Do this by using a zero or low nitrogen fertilizer. You can fertilize the following plants
before the first hard freeze and water thoroughly: Apple, Crabapple, Hinoki Cypress, Hawthorn,
Hemlock, Juniper, Podacarpus, Pomegranate, Pyracantha and Quince.
Only Spruce and Azaleas should be wired now. Azalea main branches and trunks can be wired this
month and the wire can remain until spring. Be careful to not wire small branches as they may grow
too quickly and suffer wire damage. Check the wire, if any, on all other trees to ensure it is not cutting
into the tree.
Remember for a more complete list of activities check out the Monthly Bonsai Care at http://
www.trianglebonsai.com/ or ask one of our more experienced members.
2015 TBS Event Schedule
Date
Guest Artist / Presenter
Theme
Nov 1
Arthur Joura
Arthur's choice
Dec 5th - 6th
Winter Silhouette Bonsai Show
Kannapolis NC
Dec 13
Holiday Party and Auction
Holiday Party &Auction