Author: Rick Manning

Dear Members,Our general meeting on October 2, 2024, featuring the Iron Bonsai competition between three experienced artists, Phil Malhoit, Larry Magee, and Elle Nieto-Brodnick, was a tremendous success. Each artist styled a raw Shimpaku Juniper tree in under two hours, and the results were impressive. Members voted, with one tree receiving 14 votes as the top choice, while the other two tied for second place with 11 votes each. All three beautifully styled trees, along with other items, were raffled off, and we saw record participation in the raffle!Due…

Dear Members,While I was away on vacation, I heard that our general meeting on September 11, 2024, was both informative and engaging. Members had the pleasure of participating in a pot-making workshop led by one of our past presidents, Mr. Don Lindstrom. He skillfully guided participants through the various steps of creating bonsai pots. These raw pots will be fired off-site by Don and returned at the next meeting to be distributed to the participants. A special acknowledgment goes to Don Lindstrom for sharing his skills and passion for…

Korean Hornbeam Bonsai, Carpinus Turczaninowii Photo by: https://valavanisbonsaiblog.com/korean-hornbeam-3/The Korean Hornbeam Bonsai, Carpinus Turczaninowii, is a captivating tree with a unique appearance. Its small leaves and delicate branching growth pattern give it a graceful and elegant look. The tree is especially known for its stunning display of orange-red leaves during autumn, adding a vibrant touch to any bonsai collection.When fully mature, the Korean Hornbeam Bonsai can reach heights of up to 10 meters. However, it’s important to note that over time, the tree’s branches may become weak and lose lower branches.…

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 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 with a very low…

This article will cover the techniques that I use for late fall maintenance on my double flush pines such as Japanese Red and Black Pines. You may want to consider adapting this to your circumstances depending on the tree and the stage of development/ramification it is in. Do not perform this technique on trees that are in a weakened state or that are not healthy. In early September the new buds that have formed at the tips of the candles should be reduced to two buds. I try to pick…

Yuzu is a type of winter-hardy Japanese citrus tree (read more about It in this article: https://prairiestatebonsai.com/tree-of-the-month-march-2023/). It is very similar to lemon trees. Since the plants are so rare and impossible to purchase in the USA, I decided to grow my own! I purchased a Yuzu fruit imported from Japan at the local Japanese supermarket. I sliced it open and began to extract the seeds.  Having read an article online previously on how to grow citrus from seeds, I did a test of completely removing the skin of the…

Dear Members,Our general meeting on August 7, 2024, was both informative and engaging. We had the pleasure of witnessing a captivating demonstration by Jennifer Price, who skillfully planted Chinese Elm trees on a feather rock. Larry Magee assisted her, meticulously preparing various elements, including gluing the rocks onto a round ceramic pot. The result was nothing short of impressive, with Jennifer expertly explaining each step of the process. We had a great turnout from PSBS members, and the arrangement was later raffled off. The raffle also included a petrified…

Koto Hime Japanese Maple Photo by International BONSAI Koto Hime Japanese maple originated in Saitama Prefecture in Japan. The foliage is generally light green and is crinkled along the edges. Of all the maple cultivars Koto Hime Japanese maple has the smallest foliage. The leaves of Koto Hime Japanese maple are closely spaced which means that there is an abundance of adventitious vegetative buds, even on old wood. This is an excellent characteristic for drastic pruning thick trunks and branches for developing or remodeling bonsai.Most maples have an opposite leaf…

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…

Keaki (Japanese Elm aka Zelkova serrata)Keaki or Zelkova serrata (Japanese: 欅 (ケヤキ) is a species of the genus Zelkovanative to Japan, Korea, eastern China and Taiwan. It is often grown as an ornamental tree and used in bonsai. There are two varieties, Zelkova serrata var. serratain Japan and mainland eastern Asia, and Zelkova serrata var. tarokoensis (Hayata) Li on Taiwan which differs from the type in its smaller leaves with less deeply cut serration on the margins.A medium-sized deciduous tree usually grows to 30 m (98 ft) tall. It is characterized by a short trunk dividing into many upright and erect spreading stems forming a broad, round-topped head. The tree grows rapidly when young though the…