Bonsai Notebook
Join us July 14 for another great demonstration and potluck dinner meeting at the home of Peter and Marissa Macasieb in West Covina (directions & address link later in newsletter) This event has quickly become a tradition for the club, and last year’s meeting at the Macasieb’s was the best ever.
The meeting will start at 6:00pm, an hour early, to have more daylight for our outdoor event. We will have a demo and raffle, and Peter’s demo tree will be in the raffle. Peter’s material will be a twisted California juniper, and it will be exciting to see a new masterpiece take shape from Peter’s artistry. Someone will go home with a fantastic tree.
Refreshments will consist of a potluck meal. The main dishes and beverages will be provided by the club and Marissa. Members and attendees are invited to bring a side dish, salad, or dessert.
It will be a fun summer evening. Don’t miss it.
Meeting Time and Place:
July 14, 2018 at 6pm
at the Home of Peter & Marissa Macasieb in West Covina
President’s Corner
In Marty Mann’s book, Bonsai Ideas, he has a chapter on seasonal care of bonsai trees. For July, he mentions that the hot days and cool nights bring about tip growth and long internodes. My junipers have been pushing hard and need cutting back to keep them from becoming bushes!
Marty says cutting back the tip growth will encourage shorter internodes and help secondary branching.
Along the lines of Al Rivera’s personal fertilizer mix, Marty Mann describes a basic mix of 75% cottonseed meal and 25% bone meal. He recommends increasing the bone meal in summer months to provide more phosphorus and potash.
Most repotting is stopped during summer months, but some trees can still be transplanted. You can repot ficus material, pomegranates, cotoneaster, wisteria, and pyracantha. Don’t over water, but also don’t let roots dry out completely. Ah… the mysterious balance of watering bonsai!
~Dave
June Meeting Highlights
Al Rivera created a beautiful shohin at the June meeting. His material was a San Jose juniper Al had grafted with Itoigawa juniper. Al said he works exclusively on his grafted trees. He prefers using only copper wire on his trees because he can use smaller gauge wire than with aluminum, and the copper sets and holds better. Al wrapped the branches with raffia and wired the trunk and main branch heavily for big bends. He emphasized wiring every branch and said a tree styling is not complete until every branch is positioned according to his image of the final tree.
Al did huge bends to bring the tree into the shohin size category, and he did a great deal of detail work. The finished product was a wonderful example of Al’s vision and artistry. Jerry Banuelos was the lucky club member who took home Al’s beautiful tree.
During his demo, Al said he makes his own fertilizer mix, and he shared the recipe. He mixes bone meal, blood meal, rapeseed (grape pomace), kelp, and fish emulsion; a lot of traditional bonsai fertilizer elements.
Jerry Banuelos was this nights luck raffle winner
Newsletter Update
If you have a knack for writing, a story to tell, a photo or something you would like to share in our newsletter please submit it to Lorraine & Dave prior to the 20th of any month at: [email protected]
Members Corner
We are hoping to form a new hospitality committee. Anyone interested in helping with the Club Potlucks, meeting refreshments table or the Annual Show kitchen please contact Lorraine for more information.
… lots of fun, a little bit of work and first look at all the wonderful treats…..
email: [email protected] cell: 909 595 9620
Upcoming Events
July 7-8
The Vietnamese Bonsai Society 20th Annual Show
Vietnamese American Temple
12292 Magnolia St., Garden Grove (Magnolia/ Lampson)
9am-5pm daily, demos at 1pm each day, vender and plant sales and an auction
Sept 5-9
Kofu Bonsai Kai Annual Show
at the Bowers Museum
2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana
Sept 29-30
San Diego Bonsai Club 53rd Annual Show
Casa del Prado Rm #101, Balboa Park
10a-5p daily, bonsai trees and related items on sale
Come Join Us
Next Meeting
Date: July 14, 2018
Time: 6pm
Location: At the home of Peter & Marissa Maciasieb, West Covina, Ca.
No Board Meeting July
2018 Monthly Meeting Dates
July 14 — Peter Macasieb (Potluck dinner meeting at the home of Peter & Marissa)
Aug 11 — Jason Chan
Sept 8 — David Nguy (Potluck dinner meeting at the home of David & June Nguy)
2018 Refreshment Schedule
July — Potluck, bring a favorite dish: a side, salad or dessert
Aug — D&L Miles, J. Martinez, W. Tsai
Sept — Potluck, bring a favorite dish: a side, salad or dessert