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Outdoor: This is a time to be preparing for the coming winter.  Decide where and how you will protect your trees, such as a mulch bed, cold storage house, or cold greenhouse. 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…

Dear Members, I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the beauty of summer with your trees. At our August 6 general meeting, we were treated to a wonderful presentation on Kusamono by Young Choe. She shared the art of using tropical plants to create Kusamono, both as stand-alone displays and as accents to bonsai. To close, she created three elegant arrangements in record time, which were raffled off to delighted members. It was an inspiring and memorable program. Our annual bonsai show, held in partnership with the Destination Asia Festival…

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…

Dear Members,I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the beauty of summer alongside your trees.At our recent general meeting, on June 4, 2025, members had the opportunity to buy and sell bonsai-related items. It was a great success—an excellent way to find unique tools and pots, clear out your shelves, and connect with fellow enthusiasts. Thanks to the strong turnout and positive feedback, we plan to make the Bonsai Garage Sale an annual tradition.We also held our Annual Picnic on Sunday, June 29, at Blackwell Forest Preserve—our first…

If you ever see a weird orange gummy bear-like thing growing on your juniper, you likely have apple trees nearby and apple rust. The first time I saw this I had no idea what I was dealing with!Cedar-apple rust is a common plant disease caused by the fungal pathogen Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae. It infects members of the Rosaceae and Cupressaceae families, primarily apple, crabapple, eastern redcedar, and other juniper species. Cedar-apple rust is a widespread disease across the continental U.S. and is a common issue for apple producers due to…

 Indoor: If possible, these trees will benefit significantly from summer outdoors. Ideally, they should have all been moved out by now, but there is still time if you have not already moved them out—water as needed. Watering will depend on the weather, the location of the trees (sunny or shady), the soil, the pot size, and other factors. In many cases, however, daily watering will be needed. Always check the moisture content of the soil before watering. Fertilization should continue. Check wires for tightness. Repotting may be done at…

Littleleaf LindenLittleleaf linden is a European relative of American basswood (Tilia americana) that is widely planted in the United States. Leaves are simple, alternate, and dark green. They are smaller than the leaves of American basswood, but are also heart-shaped with finely toothed margins. Flowers are very similar to American basswood, with clusters of 5-11 small, yellow-green blooms and similar colored bracts. Female flowers develop into winged nutlets that fall from the tree midsummer.Honey bees are very attracted to littleleaf linden flowers, and linden honey can be high value.…

Dear Members,I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the beauty of spring with your trees.At our recent meeting, we were treated to a fantastic demonstration by Elle Nieto-Brodnick on styling a Shimpaku Juniper. In just 90 minutes, Elle transformed an untamed tree into a beautifully styled bonsai. It was both inspiring and educational. A heartfelt thank-you to Elle for sharing her time, expertise, and passion with us.To top it off, the styled tree was raffled off—and congratulations to Annie Krzysko, who won it!Looking ahead, we’re excited about…

Why is my bonsai suffering?It could be your water! Is your tree suddenly turning brown, wilting just looking sad? There could be all sorts of causes but a new one we have discovered here at BC Bonsai is our water.We learned several years ago from a water plant administrator that here in the mid-west we have an aging water pipe system and there are several ways to keep the lead from sluffing off the pipes, so we do not get poisoned. Water plants use Chemicals that coat the pipes…

Outdoor: Place trees in a maximum sunlight location. Make certain to water as often as needed. As the weather warms, the trees will need to be watered more frequently, often daily. Be sure to provide enough water at each watering to thoroughly saturate the soil. 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 as needed, but be careful when working around the soft new growth as it is easily damaged.…