Author: Rick Manning

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTHOutdoor:This is a very busy month for the bonsai grower. The trees can be taken out of winter storage once the temperatures remain above 30 degrees at night (do you remember the last time the temperatures were below 30 degrees at night?). Once the trees leaf out they will need to be watered more often. The rising temperatures will increase the need for water.Fertilization can begin but be careful that it does not contain excessive nitrogen. Too much nitrogen during spring growth can cause the…

OLIVE TREE    The Olea Europaea (Olive) and Olea Europaea Sylvestris (Wild olive) make great bonsai. The wild type of olive tree is the ancestor of the cultivated olive tree. These trees belong to the Oleaceae family and originate from the Mediterranean coast. Their Latin name "Oleum" means oil, and their fruits obtain olive oil.Olive trees are evergreen trees or shrubs. It is a very slow grower opposite last month's Tree of the Month, the Eucalyptus.Wild Olive trees are smaller than cultivars. The wild olive's leaves are much smaller, rounder with…

Our April meeting, on April 6th, will be our second in-person, live meeting, since COVID forced us to have Zoom meetings. The College of Dupage it will be in Room TEC 103B. Check for details here: https://prairiestatebonsai.com/event/april-general-meeting/ Your dues are overdue! Membership dues became due on March 1st. You can now payyour  dues through our website. Here’s the link: https://prairiestatebonsai.com/membership/ You can still print out and mail in the membership form. There is a link to the PDF of the membership form at the bottom of the above page.…

My experiences in Collecting Bonsai I began collecting trees in 1985 when I visited my parents in northern Michigan. The cost was a major factor in this decision. I brought between 35 – 70 trees home each year. I sold off 90 percent of these to buy tools and pots. I also did urban collecting and development collecting. Development collecting is getting permission to collect on a property that is about to be developed for building. The first folks I collected with knew about these developments and would get…

Good news! Our March meeting, on March 2nd, will be our first in-person, live meeting, since COVID forced us to have Zoom meetings. The College of DuPage is allowing us to get back to our old room, in the Tech building, Room TEC 103B. Check for details here: https://prairiestatebonsai.com/event/march-general-meeting/ On to dues! Membership dues become due on March 1st. You can now pay your dues through our website. Here’s the link: https://prairiestatebonsai.com/membership-account/membership-levels/ You can still print out and mail in the membership form. There is a link to the PDF of…

Outdoor: The situation here is the same as it was last month.  Leave trees in winter protection and water as needed. Do not fertilize. Deciduous trees and pines may be wired. If your trees can be moved you may bring them indoors for up to eight hours for work. Be aware of possible flooding in in-ground cold frames.Indoor: Sunlight has been scarce lately so be sure to give indoor trees as much light as possible. Trees at windowsills could use some supplemental artificial light to compensate for the cloudy weather. Check…

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 move these trees back from the window…

The Desert Rose Adenium obesum is also known by the names Sabi Star, Kudu, Mock Azalea, Impala Lily and most notably the Desert Rose. It is a long-lived plant and in the right conditions it can live for centuries, five hundred years is not uncommon. It is native to Africa, the Middle East, Madagascar , Southeast Asia, and Thailand. It is not a rose. It is a drought-deciduous succulent shrub. Adeniums, as they are commonly known, are actually more related to Alamandas, Oleanders and Frangipanis.  Being a sub species…

Acting President’s Message Welcome to 2022. Hopefully, we will return to reasonably normal life this year. We will be having a ZOOM meeting in February. Then the plan is to be back to “in-person” meetings after that. We will be holding the Silhouette Show at Cantigny on February 12th. This is our first event in over a year.  We will be notifying you of any changes to the Covid Protocol that may be made in the coming weeks. This is a chance to show off the tree structure of…

Out of sight is not out of mind. Ask how many killed 1 st tree. Why? Tell of your own experience using potting soil. Loved tree to death by overwatering. Will discuss soil, substrate, what’s the difference; qualities of substrates; organics and inorganics in substrate mix; physical properties of substrates; watering and chemical properties.1) Soil (growing medium or substrate) is the most important part of growing healthy roots. (The secret sauce)2) Field Soil. Dead or alive? Both – beneficial living organisms in the field soil feed on dead roots…