News
May 2023 Newsletter
PO Box 2682, Olympia WA 98507-2682
www.olympiabonsai.org *** https://www.facebook.com/OlympiaBonsaiClub/
It's Time To Get Involved
Volunteers are needed to run the July Auction! Anyone who is interested in making this event the best that it can be should come to the organizing meeting on June 1 at 7 pm. Location: Hoh River Brewery at 2442 Mottman Rd SW. If you are interested, let Sam L know.
Olympia Bonsai Club still needs a librarian, no knowledge of Dewey Decimal required!
Board meetings are open to all members. The next meeting will be July 6th at Hoh River Brewing at 7 pm.
DUES
Membership dues make it possible for the Club to host visiting bonsai artists like Dave De Groot styling a Mugo pine at our April meeting. If you haven’t paid up for 2023, dues are $30 for an individual and $40 for a couple (quite a deal compared to Seattle or Portland). Please mail your checks to Eduardo M at Olympia Bonsai Club, PO Box 2682 Olympia, WA 98507.
MAY SPEAKER
Next Thursday, May 11th, we welcome Scott Elser, one of the instructors from the Bonsai Society of Portland. One of Scott’s pines won Best Conifer in 2008 and 2010 at the the US National Bonsai Show and Best of Show, the National Award, in 2012. As always we are looking forward to learning from him.
MAY WORKSHOP and MAY BONSAI TASKS, complements of Joe K
For the workshop in May we will be covering air layering as well as how to make a portable hot house for your summer cuttings.
It looks like spring has finally arrived but in this unseasonably cold May your plants may be struggling a bit and way behind in their spring development. May is a time of the year that we usually get somewhat of a breather for at least the first couple of weeks of the month but it doesn't look that way this year. With that said I have laid out some tasks that are usually performed during May, most of them in the latter part of the month. It all depends on the needs of your individual plants. The tasks are an accumulation of recommendations that I have compiled from a variety of sources and that have worked well for me over the years.
Complete any unfinished candle pinching (or shortening) on five needle pines.
Complete any unfinished candle pinching on shore, mugo , Scots, and other two needle pines.
Decandle/shorten branches on Black Pine.
Complete pinching of any unexpanded buds on short leaf conifers such as spruce or hemlock. And of long internodes on Japanese Maples.
Elms and other broadleaf trees can be trimmed
Fertilize the last time before decandling Black Pine.
Stop fertilizing satsuki until after blooming.
General fertilizing can be started or continued on all other trees.
Clean and groom companion plants.
Begin treating junipers for tip blight, pines for needle cast and azaleas for blossom blight. Inspect for any insect infestation you may have and treat accordingly.
May is a good time to air layer as well as ground layer.
Depending on the development of the tree you may begin to defoliate some broadleaf trees by the end of the month.
Finally, your plants should be actively moving nutrients back and forth and in doing so causing the branches and limbs to begin swelling. Because of this, any wire that you may have on your plant may begin to cut into the wood. Pay close attention and/or carefully remove the wire to prevent unsightly wire scars.
BONSAI PONDERINGS
The question last month was how large can a tree be to be considered a Bonsai?
The answer again depends on who you are asking. For me it is simple, if it requires more than two people to move it or the height is over 48 inches, it is no longer a Bonsai. Again that is only my opinion. Feel free to disagree.
This month’s question: When selecting a tree from nursery stock what do YOU personally look for before purchasing it?
SAD NEWS
A Celebration of Life is scheduled for longtime member Gaylen Swearingen who passed away in early February. It is scheduled for Saturday May 13th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at:
Premier Best Western
620 South Hill Park Drive
Puyallup
LAVA/SOIL/PUMICE ORDER
Running low on ingredients to repot your trees? The club has plenty, offering not only lava rock but pre-sifted pumice and bags of pre-mixed soil. Please contact Kent R. and make arrangements to pick it up directly from him (971-236-3641 or warlordkentax@gmail.com.)
PLEASE RETURN YOUR EMPTIED LAVA BAGS TO KENT FOR RE-USE
2023 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May Meeting
5/11 7PM / Lacey Community Center
May Workshop
5/20 10 AM - 2PM / North Olympia Fire Station
June Meeting
6/8 7PM / Lacey Community Center
June Workshop
6/17 10 AM - 2PM / North Olympia Fire Station
July Meeting
7/13 7PM / Lacey Community Center
July Workshop
7/22 10 AM - 2PM / North Olympia Fire Station
August Meeting
OBC picnic, tentative
September Meeting
9/14 7PM / Lacey Community Center
September Workshop
9/23 10 AM - 2PM / North Olympia Fire Station
October Meeting
10/12 7PM / Lacey Community Center
October Workshop
10/21 10 AM - 2PM / North Olympia Fire Station
November Meeting
11/9 7PM / Lacey Community Center
November Workshop
11/18 10 AM - 2PM / North Olympia Fire Station
December Meeting
Date TBD - Mauro Stemberger, Italian Bonsai Artist
Officers
President - Sam L.
Vice President - Darrell A.
Secretary - Kent R.
Treasurer - Eduardo M.
Workshop Volunteer Coordinator
Gerry O.
Past President
Gerry O.
Board of Directors
Cole N.
Logan H.
Matt C.
Librarian
Volunteer Needed
Webmaster
Logan H.
Newsletter
Beth R.