Author: Rick Manning

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

Tree of the Month - April 2023 The Satsuki evergreen azalea is a popular bonsai plant that has been hybridized in Japan for over 500 years. The first Satsuki azaleas were likely natural hybrids of R. indicum and R. tamurae. These late-blooming plants feature 1 to 5-inch single flowers with a range of shapes, from rounded overlapping lobes to narrow wide-spaced lobes, with lobe edges varying from flat to frilled. The flowers come in a variety of colors, including white, pink, yellowish-pink, red, reddish-orange, and purple, with different color…

Introduction Different species of trees can withstand, and indeed, require varying extremes of temperatures. Bonsai enthusiasts should know the temperature requirements and limits of all the trees they are growing. Analysis All plant material, regardless of its origin, has been categorized in three classifications which directly relate to the origin of the original specie and it's growth habit. Temperate Zone Trees: These are trees that require dormancy and remain "outside". Deciduous trees usually lose their leaves and set buds for the following spring while conifers shed old needles. Subtropical…

WHAT IS MYCORRHIZAESubmitted by Leonard J. Wegryn February 26, 1996Terminology:Mycorrhizae- Is a collective term for several distinct kinds of beneficial fungi. Fungus is & Fungi are- A growth that forms during decomposition of organic matter. Pathogens- Are disease producing organisms,Symbiotic—Is a relationship of the structure built from the mutually beneficial interaction of the small absorbing root and a particular type of fungus, working as a team.What is mycorrhizae?In virtually every plant there is a hidden, almost invisible silent partner working to maintain the health and vitality of that tree.…

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Outdoor:           This is it, the busiest month in bonsai.Once the danger of temperatures in the low twenties or less has passed, it is time to bring your trees out of winter protection and into their summer homes. For trees in mulch beds, be sure that the mulch has thawed below the pots before lifting the trees out of it. Do not force trees from a frozen mulch bed, as significant damage can result. Watering requirements will increase, so be prepared to water more frequently. Fertilization…

YUZU (Japanese Winter Hardy Citrus) Yuzu (Citrus junos, from Japanese 柚子 or ユズ) is a citrus fruit and plant in the family Rutaceae of East Asian origin. Yuzu forms an upright shrub or small tree, which commonly has many large thorns. Leaves are notable for a large, leaf-like petiole, resembling those of the related makrut lime and ichang papeda, and are heavily scented. It is unusual among citrus plants in being relatively frost-hardy, due to its cold-hardy Ichang papeda ancestry, and can be grown in regions with winters as low…

Outdoor: These trees will need to remain in their winter quarters this month. It is often tempting to bring them out on that odd warm day that may occur this month. This is not advisable, however, as the weather cannot be expected to remain above freezing as yet. It may be necessary to water the trees if there isn’t sufficient rain or snow melt. Do not fertilize. Trees can be wired if they are accessible enough to be worked on. Indoor: Care continues the same as last month. Be…

What a Difference a Year Makes We had a great event on February 18th at Cantigny Park.  You may know that this is our third Silhouette Show at Cantigny.  The first was held in 2020, just a month before the pandemic shut down everything and everyone.  It was well-attended and we all considered it to be a successful event, particularly for the first time we had run the event.  There was no show in 2021, due to the pandemic.  We did run the show again in 2022, but the…

Collecting Bonsai What is it about Bonsai that so thrills the viewer? Is it the fact that a Bonsai looks so old? Could it be the "how does it grow in that small container?" How about the simple beauty of it? What is it about Bonsai that so thrills me? They say the first Bonsai were brought back from the wild. That a man, one day, so admired a tree along his way that he returned and dug it up. He then brought it home, planted it in a…