Blog

Dear Members,I hope this letter finds you well and enjoying the beauty of the season with your trees.On Saturday, September 6, 2025, we were invited by the Village of Downers Grove to participate in their first-ever Tapestry Multicultural Festival at Fishel Park. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to introduce the art of bonsai and our club to the general public and share our passion with new audiences. We were able to attract five (5) trial members. At our September 10, 2025 general meeting, members brought in their challenging trees…

Outdoor: Be ready to put your trees into winter protection as soon as the weather dictates. A night temperature of 25°F is a good reference point for when the trees need protection. Remove the 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 the current cooler temperatures. Fertilization may be stopped at this point. Do not repot except in…

Siberian Elm UlmusPumila Style: are usually grown as informal upright trees. They are also grown in groves or group plantings, root on or over rock, and slanting Placement: Full sun Watering:  Elms like a lot of water through the growing season, but don’t like wet feet. Use a well-draining soil. Most Elms don’t lose all of their leaves in the winter, although they are dormant. Be cautious not to overwater during dormancy. Wiring: Young Elm branches can be wired, but you need to check daily for wire biting in.…

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.…