Monthly Archives: April 2024

Dear PSBS Members,I hope this letter finds you well and still basking in the camaraderie and knowledge shared at our recent General Meeting and Repotting Workshop. It was truly heartening to witness the collaboration and dedication among our members, especially in the nurturing and care of our beloved bonsai trees.I extend my sincere gratitude to Larry Magee for his insightful demonstration on repotting techniques, and to all those who participated in the workshop. Special thanks are also due to Linda Camp, Jim Beck, Phil Malhoit, and Larry Magee for…

 Once plants have leafed out it is time to start fertilizing. See the guide below that Larry Magee gave us last year and use a calendar to record when you fertilized and …  Wire cutting can happen very quickly during the spring, so check at least weekly.  The apex – it’s always growing much stronger than the rest of the tree and thus thickens much faster. Any place that you made sharp bends. The more the tissue is damaged, the more repair that is needed and that is where it…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgpYcxCAGeYOutdoor: All outdoor trees should have been removed from winter protection and placed on their growing benches. The trees should be receiving as much sun as possible. Watering needs will be high, and all trees will need watering at least once daily. Be sure to saturate the soil thoroughly during each watering session.  It is good to send a blast of water through the foliage now and then to help dislodge any insects lurking. Keep an eye out for possible insect infestations. The soft new growth on the trees…

Here is a photo from Page 15 of this ABS Journal. It shows Chris Baker's tree planted in a brake drum and the accent plant is in a pot made by Phil Malhiot.

Spring is the time for field collecting or what bonsai hobbyists generically call yamadori, which is technically trees collected from mountains  There is no calendar date to start collecting; the signs that it is time to start digging trees are bids swelling on deciduous trees and crocus and daffodils sprouting  The reason for this is the science of trees  I will give you the middle school version of this science lesson, but if you want a more in-depth version, check out one of the Ryan Oniel videos at the…