Author: Rick Manning

As winter is soon to be here, it is time for the semi-hardy trees to go into protection. This usually is around the end of October.  Read helpful hints on how serval senior members protect their semi-hardy trees.Some of the trees that are semi-hardy and cannot withstand a Chicago winter are:Japanese UmeSatsuki AzaleaChinese ElmCedar ElmPomegranateCoast RedwoodHarland BoxwoodKingsville BoxwoodOliveTrident MapleThe club recommends that for these trees you:Keep these trees stored in a cold house, garage, or other protected areaStore them in an area that does not get colder than 20…

FEATURED TREE Hornbeam (carpinus) Type: This genus has approximately twenty-five species from Europe, central eastern Asia, and North America. They are deciduous trees or shrubs with simple, toothed, and alternating leaves. The bark may be smooth or scaly, gray or gray-green dependent on the species.  They are fairly undemanding and take pruning well. (Girogi, 83) Style: Hornbeams are usually grown as informal upright trees. They are also grown in groves or group plantings, root on or over rock, slanting and semi-cascade styles. (Owen, 29) (Samson, 66-67) Summer Placement: Partial shade in…

President’s Letter for October 2022 As a Board, we are winding down on 2022 but also gearing up for a great 2023. There are three meetings remaining in the year, with Jennifer Price kicking off the series with a penjing planting on a marble slab on October 5th.  Jennifer, in her role as Programs Director, is also in the process of lining up an interesting speaker for the November meeting.  And finally, we plan a casual and fun meeting with our friends and colleagues in bonsai at the Christmas…

Back around 1988, I  took my first bonsai class at Morton  Arboretum.  The classmates shared chippings. This group of potcularia (plus 2 more already under lights) are results  from these cuttings. Developing them and experimenting on them has given me much pleasure over the years with minimal investment.  Arlene Knapp

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH Outdoor: This is a time to be preparing for the coming winter. Decide where and how you will protect your trees; mulch bed, cold storage house, cold greenhouse, etc. Acquire any needed materials now so 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 days, particularly cloudy days. Fertilization…

WOOD-FIRED STONEWARE BONSAI POTS Wood-fired means these pots were fired by hand in a wood-fired kiln after loading the wares into the kiln and bricking up the door. You begin a small fire in the firebox, which you build up very slowly. At the start, you are aiming for about 50-100 degrees per hour for the first 16 to 18 hours. After 24 hours, the temperature reaches 1950 - 2400 degrees. The last firing we did, we fired for 41 hours. During this firing, we burned two cords of…

FEATURED TREE Pinus ThunbergiiJAPANESE BLACK PINEType: Japanese Black Pine is an evergreen conifer and is considered to be a two-needle variety of the Pinaceae genus.  Style: Any style except broom.Summer Placement: Full Sun. Spray foliage on hot days. Winter Placement: Protect against severe frost and cold winds.Watering: Water when soil becomes dry. Water sparingly in winter.Feeding: Every three to four weeks during the growing season.  Use acid-based fertilizers such as Miracle Grow. If you choose to feed more frequently remember to fertilize weakly weekly.  Use organic fertilizer cakes on more refined trees. Wiring: Wire in late…

By: Mark Skipworth, August 3, 2020 I am a beginner at bonsai. I joined Prairie State Bonsai last fall (Sept ?) with no prior experience. My first tree was a juniper left over from a bunch I bought for my son’s yard. (The Home Depot, originally $20 on half price clearance). I blissfully started chopping off branches one Saturday in October but stopped when I realized I had no idea what I was doing. I called a member of the club who graciously agreed to look at my mess…

Where did the summer go??  All of a sudden it is Labor Day with the nights getting cooler and people discussing bringing in their tropicals for the winter! We have three more General Membership meetings before our Christmas Party in December.  Let’s have fun while we get ready for a well-earned rest. August Shows: As predicted, August was a great month for bonsai.  PSBS presented its bonsai show at the Destination Asia Festival at the Morton Arboretum.  Thank you to the many members who showed trees, or worked at…

in Northeastern Zones By Pauline F Muth of PFM Bonsai Studio Reprinted with permission In the traditional sense of bonsai, there are no indoor bonsai. Bonsai artists created their masterpieces from the local species that could remain outside year round in their climate. Modern houses generally are not suitable for the growth of bonsai. Yet people today want to grow their trees inside their homes; so specialized botanical knowledge that allows people to grow houseplants must be learned and modified to work with bonsai. If we remember that the…