Author: Rick Manning

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…

ROOT PRUNING AND REPOTTING Purpose: Root pruning removes heavy, old, and excessively lengthy portions of the root system. The effect is to limit the growth of the tree by limiting the size and spread of the root system and revitalizing the tree by creating an increased energy level through the development of new and more numerous feeder roots. This results in developing a dense network of fine roots and branches. It also serves to allow a bonsai to be replanted back into the same container as it initially reduces…

Outdoor:  Be ready to put your trees into winter protection as soon as the weather dictates the need for it.  A night temperature of 25°F is a good reference point as to when the trees need protection. Remove 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 cooler temperatures. Fertilization may be stopped at this point. Do not repot…

Below are a few comments by volunteers at the Asia Festival on  Saturday, September 25th.It was great. We all had a great time. We had an acre of room, lots of trees and we were the first thing people saw as they came in. We may have picked up some members and if we could actually have in-person meetings I do believe at least a dozen would come. But I am exhausted and hungry and my feet hurt.It was indeed a great event. Much better than we expected. Thanks…

GARDEN WALK 2021 The first day I went to see Phil's trees. He lives very close to me, on the North side of the Zoo ( I am on the South side).  As always his trees are beautifully presented and polished to perfection. Every time I see his trees there is always something different and unique he is presenting. This year it was just the total package. I loved learning about them from the knowledge he freely gave as he guided me through each of his trees..Then Sunday I took…