Newsletter November 2021

Bonsai Notebook

Meeting Time And Place:
Nov 13, 2021 at 7pm
Longo Toyota Meeting Room
El Monte, CA 91731

The November 13 meeting will be held at Longo Toyota in El Monte at 7:00pm. Our guest demonstrator will be Mel Ikeda. Mel was at the GSBF Rendezvous last month and demonstrated a raft-style bonsai that later sold in one of the many event auctions. He will work on another juniper raft at our meeting. He has added additional details to his traditional raft which everyone will enjoy.

Mel grew up around bonsai, learning from his father at the family’s Ikeda Bonsai Nursery. He also studied with John Naka, Harry Hirao and Khan Komai. He belongs to many bonsai clubs including California Bonsai Society and Nampu Kai. He has been very active with the Golden State Bonsai Federation and their annual Bonsai-A-Thon, where he regularly conducts a demonstration.

Mel has taught the art of bonsai to many students over the years, and he will share his knowledge and expertise with us at our meeting. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a master.

President’s Corner

We are now into the holiday time of year. Fall colors are showing in our deciduous trees, and leaves are beginning to cover the ground and our pots. It is time to clean up debris on our benches and prepare for winter.

Tropical trees may have to be sheltered when temperatures drop below about 40 degrees, or leaves may get burned by the cold.

The designs of our deciduous trees will be more evident in the winter months when leaves have fallen. You can refine your trees with pruning and wiring, but be careful of brittle branches during this season.

This is a time when watering can be cut back from the heavier watering of summer. Check the soil below the surface for moisture to help with your watering habits. If your soil is quick draining, it helps avoid the dilemma of too much versus too little water.

Anytime you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via the SABS website at www.sabonsai.org

~Dave

October 2021 Meeting Highlights

October started with the GSBF Rendezvous in Santa Nella. Bonsai enthusiasts from all over were finally able to gather together and enjoy a weekend of bonsai events. We had a full schedule of demonstrations, critiques, auctions and vendor sales. The weekend provided hope that we will continue with our traditional meetings, shows and related bonsai events.

Our October club meeting back at the Arboretum featured Lindsay Shiba as our guest. He demonstrated the development of a rock planting. Lindsay started by explaining and demonstrating the construction of a large 12’-15’ rock using smaller rocks. He used dense rocks that had pockets in them for planting. He said soft, crumbly rocks could break apart and not hold up over time. Lindsay cemented the rocks together using liquid cyanoacrylate (super glue) dripped on a mixture of 60% Portland cement and 40% sand. At the joint where the rocks touched each other, he poured a thin layer of the dry cement mix then dripped the cyanoacrylate until the mix was saturated. The cement set hard within seconds to create the rock bond.

Lindsay cemented his constructed rock into a shallow oval bonsai pot using the same process. He used a “muck” mixture of clay soil in the rock pockets and then planted various small trees, mosses, and assorted small plants. He also planted moss around the base of the rock inside the pot to complete his work. Lindsay’s efforts produced a very appealing visual image.

Our meeting raffle ended with Jim Pelling winning the beautiful rock planting.

Members Corner

The newsletter, updates and better quality photos are always available on our website www.sabonsai.org

Many of you have questions about Club dues. For all who paid in 2020 prior to the close down, your membership will remain current thru Dec 2021. For those of you joining in 2021 your membership will extend until Dec 2022.

Upcoming Events

Jan 22-23, 2022
Baikoen Kenkyukai 58th Annual Winter Sillouettes Show
L.A. County Arboretum, Ayres Hall, 10am-4pm

Feb 4,5 & 6, 2022
California Shohin Society Seminar 2022
Santa Nella, CA.

Thank You To our October Raffle Table Donors

Bob Alderette, Jerry Banuelos, Y.S.Farn, Mike Kelly, Dave Miles, Robert Sencer & Frank Yee….. And to all who so generously purchase tickets.

Come Join Us

Next Meeting:
Date: Nov 13, 2021
Time: 7 pm
Location:
Longo Toyota Meeting Room
3534 Peck Road
El Monte, CA 91731

2021 Monthly Meeting Dates

Nov 13 — Longo Toyota– Mel Ikeda
Dec 11 — no meeting for the holidays
Jan 8, 2022 — Louis Camarota location TBA

Refreshment Schedule

Nov 13 — B. Alderette, S. Cook, J. Anthony
Jan 8, 2022 — M Dizon, E. Janza, M. Kelly

2022 Refreshment Sign ups will be available at the November meeting