Author: Rick Manning

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…

Bonsai Security At one of the last board meetings we talked about an article for the newsletter pertaining to bonsai security.  Having had been a police officer and detective for thirty years I have had some rather unique insight into the “criminal mind” and how it works.  During my career part of my duties included conducting security analysis and evaluations of businesses and their physical structure.  When I went to burglary investigation school one of our homework assignments was to go out into the community as three-man teams and…

Outdoor: The cooler temperatures will help reduce the tree’s need for water, but we still need to monitor the soil moisture in each pot daily. All outdoor bonsai must remain outdoors at this time. Sometimes they are brought indoors on chilly nights because someone thinks they are protecting them from the chill. This is a wrong idea. The alternation of warm days and chilly nights is a part of what sets the tree into dormancy. The more times that this alternation takes place, the deeper the dormancy can become.…

Moving IndoorsBy Dan Kosta Many of us grow indoor (tropical) bonsai as well as the more traditional temperate type of trees. These trees will need to be brought indoors soon. Ideally the trees should be indoors two weeks before the heating system is turned on but this is a difficult thing to work out.By bringing the trees in early it reduces the “thermal shock” when they move from the outside to the inside. It is more of a shock if the tree is taken from a forty degree environment to a seventy degree one than it is…