Author: Rick Manning

Dear Members,As we look back on 2025, we closed the year with a wonderful holiday celebration at Larry Magee’s home in Wayne, Illinois, on Wednesday, December 12. We are truly grateful to Larry for generously hosting this festive gathering for the second year in a row. It was a pleasure to spend time together over good food and conversation, and the White Elephant gift exchange, as always, brought plenty of laughs and surprises. Larry also donated a beautifully crafted bonsai turntable as a door prize, which I was fortunate…

https://www.wigertsbonsai.com/Fort Myers, FL I will review some different bonsai nurseries outside the Chicago land area for something new. I have been to this nursery several times, and club member Jennifer Price apprenticed with Eric at Wigerts. The nursery is only open during weekdays but is a must-stop if you are in Southern FL. Wigert specializes in tropical trees. They offer everything from large quantities of starter material to high-quality large show-ready trees. Their website also has a wide offering and an excellent virtual tour of their impressive show-ready trees. Wigerts also…

Indoor: The mid-winter time period can be a crucial time for your indoor bonsai. This is often a period when there are many more cloudy days than sunny ones and trees at windows are receiving very low light levels. These trees will be doing little, if any, growing.  There also may be some yellowing or dropping of leaves due to the low light. Do not fertilize trees that are placed at windows. Also be aware that there can be cold drafts through the glass itself. You may need to…

Outdoor: All trees should now be tucked away in their winter housing.  Be sure to water as needed while in winter storage.  Do not fertilize.  Wiring should be checked carefully, and any loose or tight wires should be removed if not already done.  Many trees seem to have put on an exceptional amount of girth this season, so be sure to thoroughly check the wires. Do not repot at this time. Indoor:  All indoor trees should now be indoors. Be sure to water as needed.  The watering needs may differ…

Taken from October 1, 2025 ABS Newsletter Powered By EmbedPress

Hello,I hope everyone is doing well and had a wonderful growing season. For the first time, I am opening up the tree sales from the Chicago Botanic Garden bonsai collection to the local clubs. Historically, the sale has only been for volunteers, and they do a great job buying stuff up, so there was not much left. This year, we have 16 trees up for sale with a wide range of refinement and costs. The list includes both hardy and tropical trees. Most are med to small trees. There…

Dear Members,I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the beauty of the season with your trees.On Saturday, September 6, 2025, we were invited by the Village of Downers Grove to participate in their first-ever Tapestry Multicultural Festival at Fishel Park. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to introduce the art of bonsai and our club to the general public and share our passion with new audiences. We were able to attract five (5) trial members. At our September 10, 2025 general meeting, members brought in their challenging trees…

Outdoor: Be ready to put your trees into winter protection as soon as the weather dictates. A night temperature of 25°F is a good reference point for when the trees need protection. Remove the remaining foliage on deciduous trees and any weeds or debris on the soil before placing the trees into winter protection. Spraying with a general fungicide can be beneficial. Keep your trees well watered. The trees will use less water in the current cooler temperatures. Fertilization may be stopped at this point. Do not repot except in…

Outdoor: This is a time to be preparing for the coming winter.  Decide where and how you will protect your trees, such as a mulch bed, cold storage house, or cold greenhouse. Acquire any needed materials now so that you are not caught without needed supplies when it is time to store the trees. Keep trees outdoors on cool fall nights.  Do not bring winter-hardy trees indoors. Adjust watering to the changing temperatures. The soil is likely to stay damp longer on cool, and in particular cloudy, days. Fertilization…

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH Outdoor & Indoor:Watering is still a critical job at this time of year. Trees can dry very quickly on hot days. The roots can be damaged or even killed when the soil stays dry for too long, which can have devastating effects on your tree. Now is the time to switch to a low nitrogen fertilizer. The soil should be moist before the fertilizer is applied. Now is the time when trees prepare themselves for winter. Trunks and branches will thicken as materials are…