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ELEPHANT TREEThis month I have chosen the Elephant Tree. There are 4 species that are commonly referred to as the elephant tree because of their swollen stems/trunksBoswellia papyrifera, native to northeastern AfricaBursera microphylla, native to the southwestern United States and northern MexicoPachycormus discolor, native to Baja CaliforniaOperculicarya decaryi, are native to Madagascar. Specifically the Toliara Province of southwest Madagascar. This is the one we will be reviewing as it is used the most for bonsai. Also called Jabily, it is a succulent deciduous evergreen tree in the Sumac (Anacardiaceae)…

Outdoor: Place trees in a maximum sunlight location. Make sure to water as often as needed. The trees must be watered more frequently, often daily, as the weather warms. Be sure to provide enough water at each watering to saturate the soil thoroughly. Fertilize regularly to keep the trees growing and to support the new growth. Pinch new growth as needed to increase the fullness of the foliage pads. Wire the trees as required but be careful when working around the soft new growth as it is easily damaged.…

Outdoor: All outdoor trees should have been removed from winter protection and placed on their growing benches. The trees should be receiving as much sun as possible. Watering needs will be high, and all trees will need watering at least once a day. Be sure to saturate the soil at each watering thoroughly.  It is good to send a blast of water through the foliage now and then to help dislodge any insects lurking. Keep an eye out for possible insect infestations. The soft new growth on the trees…

My name is Craig Cronquist.  I am the new president of the Society for the next two years. My bonsai journey began with a trip to Chicago Botanic Garden in May 2012 on the weekend, which happened to be the Midwest Bonsai Society’s show.  I asked a couple of questions of a member in an apron walking among the displayed trees, and he told me, “They have bonsai classes here at CBG.”  I signed up, and in August, I started taking classes with Ivan Watters, then the curator of…

by Larry Magee The tree I am working on is a collected Colorado blue spruce. It was wired in a windswept style several years ago and left to grow on in an Anderson flat to improve the roots and recover. I obtained a sizeable natural slab collected by Matt Turner in Colorado. I used a diamond hole cutter to make a nice-sized drainage hole and drilled extra holes for the tie-down wires. When I removed it from the training pot, I was pleased to see plenty of compact and…

Bonsai need a pot for survival. (Not always, I have grown root-bound trees without a pot, after a pot broke). The pot is in the translation of the word Bonsai. Strict translation is ‘tree planted in tray.’ Finally, I like to think of the pot as earth, or ground. The stand would be the frame.To go into Pots, we need to talk ‘art and design.’  Design elements for Bonsai are as follows, Harmony, Rhythm, Balance, Symmetry, Movement, Proportion, Space, Line, Formal, Informal, Masculine, feminine, Compatibility, and Asymmetry.You need to…

Reprinted by permission from the Iowa Bonsai Association Newsletter March 2022, Michael Hagedorn

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.…