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JANUARY BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
January's cooler weather means that your bonsai will more likely be subject to drying out due to wind and low humidity rather than temperature. A windy day with low relative humidity can evaporate just as much moisture from your bonsai as any hot summer day, so remember to check your bonsai's moisture daily. Do this even if it rained the day before.
You might consider starting some of your heavy pruning later this month. This would give the tree about a month prior to repotting to start healing before the roots are disturbed, thus increasing its likelihood of survival. Keeping this delay in mind will help you to plan your potting schedule. Actually, this is a case where patience is prudent and the heavy pruning and repotting should probably be done in separate years except with young, vigorous material.
Since potting season in southwest Louisiana starts next month, this is a good time to be sure that you have your potting materials ready. Study your trees and make your choices for containers. Order the pots right away to make sure you have the right pot at the right time. Get your rooting stimulant and any time-release fertilizers you might want to use in your soil mix. Prepare your potting soil making sure to screen out the fine particles to avoid soil compaction which can cause poor drainage and root rot later in the year. Get your soil components such as hadite, coarse sand (e.g. #2 blasting sand), Turface, small pea gravel, aquarium gravel, clay garden soil, humus or leaf mold, and sieved pine bark or redwood bark. See the article on Rudiments of Repotting by Jean Smith on pages 5-7 of the January 2011 issue of BONSAI NEWS for more on this topic or the article on Bonsai Potting Mixes or the Real Dirt by Don Waitkus in the January 2009 issue.
As I mentioned last month, you should remove the majority of the flower buds on your azaleas as they develop, keeping only two or three per branch. You will not be able to do this in a single session, because the buds don't emerge at the same time. Grasp the bud firmly at the base with your fingers or tweezers and give a quick twist to the side. Don't pull them off, because you may lose more than you bargained for. Also, remove spent blooms immediately after they fade, so that your azalea doesn't sacrifice the vitality it needs for development. Keep your azalea healthy and robust, feed it well into the fall with a high phosphorus fertilizer, and give it lots of sun. Your azalea will reward you with spectacular blooms if you do.
As in any month, check your wired trees for signs of scarring. Wire scars look very unnatural and are difficult to hide satisfactorily.
Check the arrangement of your trees and compensate for the lower angle of the winter sun. What used to be the hottest and brightest part of your yard may now be shaded part of the day. Look over your deciduous trees and turn weak sides toward the south or southeast, so that the dormant buds in these areas will be the first to break dormancy and grow in the spring.
Plan a field trip to collect bonsai material. Perhaps you will find a good spot to lead other club members. Let us know if you have access to an area where a small group of club members could collect.
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FEBRUARY BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
Beware of complacency. Arctic fronts can zoom in without warning (and contrary to predictions of the Weather Channel, etc.) and severely damage or kill those trees you've been letting enjoy the balmy weather. Elms typically sport with new leaves in late January in our neighborhood. Other trees have swelling buds. As delightful as it is to see this right now, it is really an indication that the trees may be less robust this year due to the brief dormancy period. These trees are at their greatest vulnerability for frost and freeze damage. A quick freeze after spring bud break will damage strong trees and kill weak trees. Forewarned is forearmed.
Typically February is the last month in which we can shape deciduous trees while they are still dormant. It is much easier to prune and wire trees in dormancy because the foliage is not there to hide individual branches and twigs. Be careful not to rub off any important buds as you work. If you are partial to lush foliage, you might find yourself less sentimental about cutting unnecessary branches while they are naked.
Look over your trees for any training wire which needs to be removed. As buds start swelling, so do the branches and twigs. Spring growth is often remarkably fast, particularly on relatively young material, and a branch can become scarred very quickly. Check any wired material for potential scarring at least once a week.
It's time to have your soil ingredients together for repotting. Our recent wet weather emphasizes the need to keep soil mixes light and quick draining. Make sure your soils are dry and sifted. Go easy on organic content for most trees. You can add nutrients in controlled amounts later by fertilizing. Vaughn Banting has made the following recommendations for soil mixes. "For deciduous material and most broadleaf evergreens use a completely dry mix composed of roughly one part leaf mold, peat moss or other decomposed organic material to three parts coarse soil, fine aquarium gravel or a baked clay particle such as 'hadite' along with two parts garden loam or unimproved potting soil.
All soil mixes need to be very dry, so that they can be worked in between the exposed roots and rootball of your tree. Dry soil worked in well with a chop stick or a pencil will eliminate dangerous air pockets.
For azaleas follow the above mix but increase the peat moss to four or five parts. Use only peat for the organic part of the mix as the slight acid reaction it provides is just what azaleas require.
If you plan to pot junipers, pines, cedrus, or other needle evergreens‚ use a mix of roughly one part organic material that has a minimal acid reaction, such as 'black cow' manure or leaf mold to five or six parts coarse sand or fine gravel with two or three parts garden soil." These are not the only successful soil recipes, but they will ensure a well drained soil.
You may want to start a little earlier on repotting this year due to the early budding of our deciduous trees. That seems to be a common occurance resulting from the atmospheric changes called the "greenhouse effect". It is better to have repotting done early enough to allow the roots to start regenerating before foliage appears. Decide which trees you will be working with first and plan ahead which pots you will use for each. Repot your early budding trees before late leafers such as cypress. Broadleaf evergreens can be done later, and evergreen conifers can be done last.
February is a good month to use dormant oil spray prior to leafing out. Don't spray oilicide if the predicted low is less than 45° . Keep the spray off evergreen material as long as the danger of frost exists.
February is still prime time for collecting. Primed as they are for their annual growth cycle, trees can withstand more trauma now than any other time of the year. After budbreak your risk goes up. If you have access to any area which may be collected, please call any club officer, so we can schedule a dig.
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MARCH BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
Our primary bonsai task for March here in southwest Louisiana is repotting. This is a job done best with the help of good records of what you have done to your trees in the past. I must admit that this is a case of “do as I say, not as I do”, for I usually keep pitiful records myself. If you have no past record to consult, you’ll have to visually inspect each of your tree’s root system for the heavy massing of roots in the drainage layer and generally dense rootage throughout the soil ball which indicates that the tree should be repotted. Younger trees tend to need more frequent repotting than mature plantings. The smaller shohin and mame bonsai will likewise need more frequent repotting than larger specimens. Most flowering and fruiting trees will need repotting annually. Evergreen and deciduous broadleafs are due repotting every other year usually. Pines, junipers, and other coniferous evergreens may not require repotting for up to four or five years. You will need to repot your deciduous trees before they leaf out, so do them before your other trees. However, if a tree will be flowering or fruiting this spring, delay repotting until after blooming. Later bloomers, such as pomegranate, can be repotted now. When you repot your azaleas, prune them drastically after the blooms have dropped. Make sure your potting soil is able to drain well by adding plenty of blasting sand and/or hadite to your mix. Go light on the organic material which will decompose and pack into a poorly draining soil mix as the seasons progress. Any fertilizer added to your soil mix should be slow release type. Make sure your soil is sterile, so you don’t introduce pathogens (fungi, bacteria, disease, insects) to your soil. Lastly, don’t forget that correct placement in the pot is paramount. This should be obvious, but I admit to having gotten so busy attending to other details that my bonsai winds up planted too high or in the wrong area of the pot or even with the front of the tree at an angle to the front of the pot.
We have our most active time of the year now with pruning and fertilizing duties as well. When you prune new growth after it has hardened off, make sure the bud closest to the cut is pointed in the direction in which you want the branch to grow. This will give you ramification which is more naturally interesting and allow training of small branches which are hard to wire without damaging them. Remember that pruning stimulates the plant’s natural growth hormones and, if done properly, results in enhanced health and growth of your tree.
Do not overdo it with your fertilizing. Avoid the appealing but false and dangerous notion that if a little is good, then more just might be better. This is a very dangerous attitude with any chemicals. It’s usually better to err on the conservative side with chemicals like fertilizer.
You can still use oil spray in March while the weather is not too hot and the insects are not usually so active as they will certainly become. Watch the weather forecast before you spray, however, to avoid temperature extremes.
Don’t forget to check your trees for wire scars frequently this month. Rapid spring growth can create problems seemingly overnight. Better safe than sorry.
It’s not a bad idea to photograph your collection again before it is all leafed out to help you study your trees for design problems. Black and white photos are particularly useful for this. Keep these with your record notebook.
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APRIL BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
Don't make the mistake of watering recently repotted trees too generously. Root rot can destroy a plant already traumatized by the repotting procedure. Instead of soaking the soil of recently repotted material, wet the foliage frequently to compensate for the way soft new foliage can lose moisture more quickly than the reduced root system can supply it. Learn to water your trees individually. Skip over trees that remain moist when you water, and give extra water to those which tend to dry out. (Proper soil preparation when repotting should minimize this problem.) Don't let the soil become bone dry. If the soil tends to stay too moist, consider repotting, because our climate tends to be so humid that mucky soil mixtures will kill most trees.
Watch out for aphids which are some of the first insects to appear in the spring. They can wreak havoc with tender new growth on your deciduous bonsai. Keep some Malathion on hand for prompt treatment when these bugs appear.
Many advise you to wait at least a month before fertilizing newly repotted material. Feeding can cause the tree to put out more new foliage than the reduced rootage can probably support. Also, it is easy to burn these roots with fertilizer when they're healing.
Just as I warned you last month, continue to inspect your wiring weekly during the rapid growth of spring. Girdling can occur very quickly once the growing season has begun. Cut off the old wire before you have scars, because wire scars make a tree look very unnatural.
Don't put off pinching and shaping. This is a big job made easier by starting early and being persistent. If you pinch often enough, the leaves will stay smaller and internodes shorter. Let twigs grow long enough to become firm (hardened off), but not so long that you have to start shaping all over again each time you prune. As a rule, when new growth has reached five or six leaves, then you trim back to two leaves. Branches in the apex area need to be thinned out to allow more light to get through.
This is the time to be pruning candles on pines. Consult any of several articles we've printed in this newsletter in the past on pines for this technique or check out John Naka's section on Black Pine in BONSAI TECHNIQUES I (p.150).
Keep up with weed removal, so you don't wind up with large weeds leaving their roots deep into your pot. These tend to come right back, and it messes up your soil surface to go digging after them. So, keep it neat on a regular basis.
You should also stay ahead of insects which are proliferating this time of year. Oil emulsion can be used for scale control, if you apply it only when the temperature will be no lower than 40°F or higher than 90°F during the following 24 hours. Also, don't use oilicides, if you have used a sulfur containing spray within the past thirty days. A systemic insecticide, such as Diazinon, Spectracide, or Isotox, is not a bad idea. However, use them sparingly, as they are extremely toxic, and while safe for your plants, will kill just about anything that moves. Use with care! Use insecticides carefully. Always mix exactly according to label directions. Don't waste insecticide and pollute our environment by spraying on a windy day or when rain threatens. Wear a mask when you spray. If you don't have a mask, don't spray.
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ROOT ROT
AND ITS CONTROL
by Zachary Smith
|
Author's note: I sent BONSAI JOURNAL editor, Jack Wikle, an article on Chinese privet which contained a reference to the control of root rot with Benomyl fungicide. Jack did what any good editor should. He rapped my knuckles (figuratively), and urged me not to make recommendations without having some basis for them. I strongly dislike being caught when I goof, and Jack refuses to let me get away with anything. The only revenge I could think of is this article. |
Of all the scourges of the bonsai literature warns about, root rot is perhaps the worst. It is fearsome because it occurs underground, out of sight, and invariably does its damage slyly. One day your bonsai is either simply dead, or its leaves have yellowed or wilted over a moist soil, this causing an inexplicable, rather hollow feeling in the gut.
There are references in the literature to the use of Benomylâ systemic fungicide as a means to eliminate or prevent root rot, specifically Paul Lesniewicz's book BONSAI: The Complete Guide to Art and Technique and at least one bonsai sales catalog. But how many of us have actual experience that it works? When Benomylâ is used periodically as a preventative measure (soil drench), the absence of root rot does not necessarily mean the fungicide has done the trick. Few of us would brave conducting the only valid test, that being to take a sufficiently large population of bonsai and treat half of them with Benomylâ while mistreating them all.
Following a good bit of reading and discussion with knowledgeable people, I have what I feel is a reasonably good understanding of just what root rot is and how the control measures work.
The fungus among us
There are many types of rot, most of them caused by fungi or bacteria. The ones we bonsaiists are most concerned with are caused by fungi of the family Pythiaceae, especially the genera Pythium and Phytophthora.
Since these pathogens are fungi, they produce spores, and in astounding numbers. We literally live in a sea of spores. Carried by water, air and other agents, widespread distribution is assured. So it's not exaggeration to say that root rot fungus spores are a component of soil in nature. Thus, the potential for root rot is always with us.
How it occurs
Root rot fungus spores require two things for proper germination: very high moisture levels and sufficient warmth. If moisture levels are not high enough, the fungus cannot grow or at least not well enough to complete its life cycle.
Once the root rot spores have germinated, they produce threadlike, food gathering structures called hyphae (the network of hyphae is known as mycelium). Since fungi cannot produce their own food, the hyphae attack a tree's feeder roots out of simple necessity. What better place to find the rich source of carbohydrates the fungus needs than structures which gather and store food for an organism the size of a tree? Feeder root tissue is digested (rotted) by enzymes for use by the fungus. When the root rot mycelium is sufficiently large and enough moisture is present, reproductive bodies are produced (sporulation) and the cycle repeats. (Mushrooms are the reproductive bodies for certain fungi, but not root rot.)
It is interesting to note that the mechanism by which root rot kills trees is exactly the same as that by which mycorrhiza benefits them. The difference is that mycorrhiza acts in a symbiotic fashion, providing certain nutrients (especially phosphorus), while it takes the carbohydrates it needs without causing excessive destruction of tissues.
Stopping the rot
The key to our first line of defense against root rot is to prevent germination of the spores. When we prepare our bonsai soil mixes, the first consideration is always, always excellent drainage. Without this we know our bonsai will, at the very least, grow poorly. They may choose not to grow at all, or they may die. Since trees do not require the excessive moisture that fungi do, a fast draining soil is ideal to prevent the germination of spores. (Preventing germination of spores this way does not kill them. The most well adapted of all reproductive bodies known, some spores can survive for literally thousands of years.)
How about sterilizing your soil? This will certainly kill any spores present, but there is nothing to prevent new spores from "reinfecting" the soil once your bonsai have been potted. Over the span of three to five years, the potential for root rot will surely have returned. Sterilization of a poorly draining soil is, therefore, ineffectual. In addition, sterilization not only kills the root rot pathogens but also soil pathogens which attack root rot fungi. (Yes, they have their own enemies.)
Chemical fumigation of soil (with agents such as methyl bromide), besides being a hazardous practice not recommended for the home gardener, is of little use for the same reason as sterilization.
The use of fungicides
As noted, there are bonsai literature references recommending Benomylâ fungicide, a product of the DuPont company, to combat root rot. I contacted a plant pathologist at DuPont to ask about this usage for their product.
Benomylâ fungicide (sold under the trade name, BenlateÔ) is primarily useful in controlling fungi on the exposed parts of a plant, particularly the leaves. In fact, the primary intended application for BenlateÔ is the control of black spot on roses and other ornamentals. (Zelkova is one bonsai species susceptible to black spot.) Other applications include use to control brown spot on various types of fruit. Although it is called a systemic fungicide, Benomylâ is more correctly thought of as a localized systemic. When applied to a plant's foliage, for example, it will absorb into the leaves' conducting tissues and provide internal protection there (and kill fungus which has invaded the leaves).
BenlateÔ product labels do not indicate any effectiveness for Benomylâ in root rot control, nor does DuPont recommend such use. There are other fungicides on the general gardening market, such as Captanâ, but none are recommended for use against root rot.
I spoke with Vaughn Banting about controlling root rot with fungicide. He indicated that there are products which can be used as soil drenches to kill root rot fungi, but they are not commonly available to the home gardener. Such brands as Banrotâ, Truebanâ, and Subdueâ are specifically targeted to kill fungi of the Pythium genus. These may be obtained by contacting a horticulturist or a nurseryman, but should not be thought of as products for casual use in root rot prevention. If used against root rot fungi, these products will also kill any mycorrhiza present. They are your last defense. (Their high cost alone precludes frequent use.)
Summary
In bonsai there are always pests and diseases with which to contend. Many can be avoided while others must simply be fought as best we can. Root rot is a particularly destructive disease, but is also one of the most easily prevented. As Vaughn pointed out, root rot is most likely to occur when a plant is under stress. Poor soil drainage and the resulting wet conditions cause feeder roots to die and allow root rot spores to germinate and grow on the dead tissues. Or the bonsai gets too dry and feeder roots die, then you water and again the spores germinate and grow.
Particular attention should be paid to soil composition, as this is the best way to regulate moisture levels. Experience has shown that proper bonsai soils should be 50% solid, 25% liquid, and 25% gas. When this ratio is maintained, root rot is extremely unlikely to occur.
As part of a practical approach to root rot prevention, don't be afraid to adjust your repotting schedule, if your bonsai are not draining properly after watering. Be careful to avoid over-watering.
In the end, the best way to control root rot is to prevent it from occurring.
Reprinted with permission from BONSAI: Journal of the American Bonsai Society, Vol. 24, No. 3, Fall 1990, pp. 8-9.
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MAY BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
May is a busy month for bonsai growers. Spring growth is hardening off, and we must get serious about cutting back some of the long shoots on our deciduous trees and pinch back unwanted growth on junipers. You will need to prune the upper, apical area of your deciduous trees more thoroughly than the lower branches to provide more light to reach their inner branches. This allows photosynthesis (and, hence, budding and branching) to occur. Also, the upper branches tend to thicken quickly which would disrupt the taper and proportions your bonsai needs to maintain the appearance of age.
Add new soil to pots if soil has eroded due to rain or an increased watering schedule. Patches of moss can help reduce erosion problems. I’m still looking for a way to keep the blue jays from pulling up my moss and pecking at the trunks and roots of my trees. I used to think they were stealing it for their nests, but then I noticed that they are simply contrary and just leave the moss scattered on the ground under the benches. I once read that they are seeking cool moisture and that a nearby birdbath would distract them ... not so! A greenhouse offers protections, and I have found that placing screening cut to fit around the trunk and anchored by the pot is pretty effective as a deterrent. Just make sure that it is a loose screen which doesn’t deflect water.
It’s hard to judge just how much water to give our trees, especially this time of the year. I’ve been at this for over thirty years and still have so much to learn. Too much water is as bad as too little. The key to watering is to touch the soil to see how it feels; visual observation can be misleading. Ideally, you usually want the soil to be loose, crumbly, and moist and feel cool to the touch. As a rule, when the soil feels dry, water enough to make the whole root ball moist, then don’t water again until the soil feels dry again on the surface. This doesn’t mean bone dry, and moist doesn’t mean soggy or saturated. You will need to recognize and acknowledge your tree’s specific, individual needs. Bonsai will need less water when they are dormant or recently potted or repotted. They will need more frequent watering when they are in smaller pots or in sunny and/or windy weather. Try to group your trees on their training benches so that those with similar watering needs are together. Try to provide the best possible environment for each bonsai, taking into consideration that junipers and pines prefer less moisture than deciduous material. If you’ve let your bonsai become completely dry, resist the temptation to soak it, which would probably put it into shock. Instead, revive it gradually with misting and superficial watering along with wind and sun protection the first day until you can water it thoroughly the next morning.
Now that your azaleas are through blooming, prune them severely. Don’t forget to leave more growth at the apex where they are less vigorous. The spent blossoms should be removed completely, so that the azalea can use its energy producing new foliage rather than going to seed.
Fertilizing should be safe this month for most of the trees which you repotted earlier this spring. Try to stay up with your pruning schedule, so your trees don’t get out of hand. Take time to study your pines and maples and other opposite branching trees for the proper pruning choices at each node. Don’t leave both branches growing at any node, or you will have swollen, knobby areas which rob the branch of taper and grace.
New foliage seems to want to grow straight up, especially on material new to training. Rather than just clip off everything which is growing in the wrong direction (Lingnan style training), wire first, then prune. This will help you avoid wasting so many small branches. You’ll need a lot of the smaller gauges of wire for this (#16-22 for copper or 1-1.5 mm for anodized aluminum). Use a sealant on the larger cuts to reduce loss of moisture from open wounds.
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JUNE BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
Continue to check for wire that was applied earlier to see that it isn't starting to girdle your branches. In particular, inspect any upper branches that have long and vigorous growth, because they will thicken much faster than you realize. Wire is best removed when the bonsai and soil are relatively dry in order to prevent root damage, because the tree will usually be shaken in its pot during this procedure.
If your junipers are looking poorly, they may be suffering from attack of red spider mites. These are sucking insects which can cause extensive damage or even death. Because the mites themselves are so small, you usually recognize their presence by the damage they have already done. You can check for the critters by holding a white piece of paper or cloth under the foliage and tapping the branches. If you see small dots of red which move, you need to treat for red spider mites. Juniper foliage shows damage by first fading to a dull, mottled green which turns to yellow then to brown quite quickly. Mite damage will affect an entire branch or more, including the growing tips, which distinguishes it from the natural browning of inner foliage. Treat spider mites with any of a number of insecticides, including malathion, kelthane and isotox, by spraying twice, several days apart, using two different effective insecticides. Adding a "sticker", such as Metro's Spray Booster or Volck Oil, or a drop or two of dish soap, such as Joy, will help increase the effectiveness of the poison.
Watch for aphids on crape myrtle, crab apple, quince, pyracantha and the new growth of many other trees. Aphids are a small green to yellow sucking insect about
1/16" long. You can treat for aphids with malathion (57% emulsifiable concentrate) or Orthene (15.6 soluble). If you are opposed to using poisons, use Safer Soap, but more often. A weekly preventative spraying with Acti-Dione PM for powdery mildew on your crape myrtle is preferable to waiting for the problem to arise.Continue pinching and pruning back new growth to encourage twigging and compact growth in your bonsai. Also, try leaf pruning vigorous deciduous trees in order to get a new crop of smaller leaves. This will help keep your foliage in better scale with your small bonsai.
If you suspect root damage on your maples, possibly from a winter freeze, let a lot of the new growth remain on the tree in order to help rebuild the root system. Overpruning Japanese maples is one of the biggest contributors to maple decline. Go ahead and remove twigs with long internodes, but not at the expense of the tree.
If we have our typical June rains, a lot of fertilizer will be leached out of your pots, so continue your feeding program.
The end of May through the first part of June is usually
the best time for air layering plants like maple and pine. Now the sap is running and the bark is "slipping", air layering is much safer. Air layers to be removed this season should be limited to fast rooting material, such as elm, maple, willow, etc., and only to younger branches that do not have a lot of foliage to support. If you air layer older or larger branches, or any conifer, do not attempt removal until at least next spring or later. Refer to the excellent article on Layering by Dave DeGroot in the May 2009 issue of BONSAI NEWS.-o0o-
JULY BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
The greatest stressor of your bonsai this time of the summer is likely to be heat and dryness, so take special care with your watering chores. If your trees are in full sun, their soil will dry quickly and may require watering two or three times daily. However, don't just soak the soil at each watering, or else you may wind up with root rot. The soil may be adequately moist in your broadleaf trees, but they may wilt due to moisture loss through their foliage. In this case it is better to focus on lowering the tree's temperature. This is best done with shade from wood lath, reed screen, or shade cloth. If your soil is still moist, but the foliage shows wilt, water the foliage from all angles without soaking the soil. This means spraying the underside of the foliage. Also, you can lower the temperature by wetting the outside of the containers, the display or growing bench, and the ground surface below to take advantage of evaporative cooling. Your shohin or mame may need to be placed on shallow trays of wet gravel or into larger containers of shallow sand or hadite. Even in summer heat, trees in large, deep containers may not need to be watered every time you water your bonsai. Material that has been potted for the first time this spring may have a lot of the original, dense soil remaining in the root ball. This can cause poor aeration and subject your bonsai to risk of root rot, even though your trees in good soil become parched daily.
Your bonsai containers must be on stands or benches so cooling air can circulate around them, so never allow them to sit directly on a paved surface in direct sun. Take notice of wind conditions in regard to your watering, because a constant wind can have a worse drying effect than the sun.
Don't forget to rotate your trees periodically to ensure evenly distributed growth. Light is very important to growth and must be evenly distributed, so your trees won't show the distorting effects of phototropism.
This semidormancy during July and August also means that fertilizer should be reduced or stopped. If your trees are not using the nutrients, then bacteria, algae, fungi, viruses, and other undesirables probably will. Of course, if a tree continues to put out new growth, it will benefit from continued feeding, so be selective, and consider switching to half strength or time release fertilizer.
Speaking of fungi, this is a time when they start showing up in force. Powdery mildew attacks crape myrtles. Elm, birch, and black gum are susceptible to leaf spot which must be stopped to prevent serious defoliation. Maples are already suffering from leaf burn [see article on BROWN LEAF TIPS by Steven Hendricks in the July 2009 BONSAI NEWS on pages 4-9], spotting, and curling. Benomyl
Ò is a good general purpose fungicide. Ortho's FunginexÒ makes a pretty good substitute and is easier to mix into a sprayable solution.-o0o-
AUGUST BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
Don't let powdery mildew attack your crape myrtles or leaf spot weaken your elms. Treat them with a fungicide such as benomyl, Funginex, or Consan as recommended in last month's column. Reduce your risk of fungus attack by making sure your bonsai are not crowded together. Moving air helps alleviate the danger of overly wet bonsai by carrying away excess moisture from the foliage and the soil in the container. However, be careful that the hot summer winds don't over-dry your bonsai. Wind and sun can quickly destroy an entire season's twig development on some trees by killing off the smallest branches. Wilt seems to hurt bald cypress and Chinese tallow the most. Your Japanese maples and crape myrtles will tolerate a little wilt but then partially defoliate.
Check your soil for erosion. Your bonsai's surface roots will dry out and die if erosion is not corrected. Don't make the mistake of simply placing moss over the erosion. This will stop further erosion, but the soil must be replaced first.
Remember that we are in the middle of hurricane season. We've been lucky here in Lake Charles in recent years, but you should have a plan for protecting your bonsai, if we should be so unfortunate as to have a big storm.
Giving your trees plenty of space should also help you watch out for insect pests. Early detection and treatment is the safest approach, and you are more likely to overlook problems if your bonsai are crowded together. Also, you will be more likely to maintain tidy, hygienic conditions with your trees adequately spaced.
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SEPTEMBER BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
September is a good time to prune back hard on material which needs the height reduced or has become overgrown and lost its shape during the summer. Our climate allows plenty of time for new growth to develop and harden before winter dormancy. As the daylight and temperatures diminish, soil temperatures accommodate renewed root growth and development, so you will notice that many of your bonsai have begun putting out new growth. Although it is safe to transplant most trees this month, you should avoid any reduction of root mass. As you continue to cut back new growth, make sure it has hardened off or matured.
As cooler temperatures encourage increased growth continue fertilizing, but reduce the nitrogen content. Phase out use of high nitrogen fertilizers such as blood meal or fish emulsion. Instead, use cottonseed meal, bone meal, or liquid manure. Cottonseed and bone meal are solid fertilizers which are better mixed into the soil rather than spread over the surface. Surface placement works, but it will kill your groundcover and leave a crusty residue. The liquid manure needs time to decompose thoroughly and should be virtually odorless when it is usable.
As always inspect your bonsai for insect and disease damage. Go looking for symptoms and catch them early. When the damage is readily apparent, often it is too late to fix it. (I was reminded of this the hard way just last month!) Watch out for fall caterpillars. Your best strategy is to pick them off your trees and destroy them rather than resorting to chemical intervention. Check your trees for scale by looking for leaves which are bright yellow along the veins on the top and a white scale visible on the bottom side of the leaf. Two tablespoons of 50% malathion mixed with a gallon of water should get rid of the scale. If the scale persists, repeat the treatment in a week or resort to an oil emulsion. If you use an oilicide, be sure the temperatures are sufficiently low, spray only the undersides of the leaves, and protect the tree from direct sun and heat for about a week after spraying. Hit powdery mildew as it occurs with a fungicide (Bordeaux mixture, Benomyl, Fertilome Liquid Fungicide, Consan, Ortho Funginex, Acti-dione). Likewise, for the Anthracnose fungi which turn leaves black to purple and
makes brown to yellow spots. During wet weather the leaf spot disease can really mess up the appearance of a previously attractive bonsai.Speaking of wet weather, the heavy rains associated with hurricanes or tropical depressions so common this time of year can make your foliage chlorotic (yellow leaves). This occurs because the available iron becomes diluted or leached from the soil. The chlorosis will clear up normally when drier weather returns, but you can help by using a fertilizer with chelated iron in it.
The fall collecting season is coming soon, and the club is looking for locations to dig. Field trips are probably the most fun activity we can have, but in recent years the fear of liability has kept most landowners from permitting groups to use their land. If you have land in a wild area that you think might contain collectable specimens of pine, cypress, oak, elm, hornbeam, water elm, etc., check it out and then contact Dennis Corley about leading a fall collecting trip. These are fun, educational, and provide the best source of aged specimens for bonsai training. So, don't let the lawyers ruin all our good times.
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OCTOBER BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
October marks the ending of summer weather in our part of the country. Since we don't really have a fall season, we must make adjustments in the care of our bonsai to compensate and prepare them for winter dormancy. Although the temperatures may be slow to moderate themselves, the daylight is gradually decreasing. Morning temperatures are getting lower. All this signals the tree to slow growth and move toward dormancy.
This is the last month to apply fertilizer, and it should be low in nitrogen, so that you don't delay dormancy or encourage any soft, new growth which would be easily damaged by early frosts. Do not fertilize any deciduous trees that have already begun to drop their leaves.
Start reducing your watering. Keep the soil just moist. October tends to be our driest month (although a late tropical storm can change all that), so it should be easier to control how much water your bonsai receive. It will help to remove most of the moss which is still on your bonsai. This will also permit better aeration of the soil, thus aiding root growth .
You may repot in October, but don't reduce the rootage significantly. Although cooler autumn temperatures encourage faster root growth compared to when soil temperatures are kept high due to the summer heat, you must allow the root system to recover adequately before freezing weather arrives or the tree can be damaged or killed. We've had some very mild winters lately, but don't be lulled into a sense of complacency. As with most matters, it's better to err on the side of caution.
Check all wired branches for girdling especially as fall is a time of year when branches grow rapidly. Some branches don't leaf out to their tips in the spring if imbedded wire has been allowed to remain during dormancy. New wire may be applied during October, however. As leaves drop from the deciduous trees, it becomes easier to wire them. However, you will need to be more careful due to the brittleness which occurs as sap goes down.
As the afternoon highs drop below the 85SYMBOL 176 \f "Symbol" F mark it will be safe again to use oil sprays for scale and other insects which might otherwise spend the winter on your tasty bonsai and proliferate in early spring. Use a good fungicide such as Benomyl, Ortho Funginex, Fertilome liquid fungicide, or Consan to stop mold growth.
Start making plans for wintering your bonsai. Don't wait until the weatherman starts talking about "the three P's" to think about how to protect your bonsai. Your tropicals will soon need to start making the transitional moves to a greenhouse or indoors in a sunny window. They will absolutely need to be protected from any frost which means no exposure to temperatures less than 40SYMBOL 176 \f "Symbol" F. They will thrive if you can maintain temperatures in the sixties or above. The rest of your bonsai need protection from wind and temperatures in the "hard freeze" range (below 25SYMBOL 176 \f "Symbol" or 26SYMBOL 176 \f "Symbol"). Usually putting them on the ground with a clean, sterile mulch on the south side of a heated building will be
adequate. A greenhouse can be ideal. Personally, I used move most of my trees in and out several times each winter depending on the forecast. But this necessitates being alert and available to do this. An unheated garage or storage building will usually suffice, since the trees don't need much light during winter dormancy.Don't forget
to bring some bonsai related items for the annual auction at next month's meeting. I already know of several very desirable prospects planned for the auction. Several of you will be needing material for workshops, and this is a great place to find it. Also, this will be not long before Christmas, so you may be able to help the club and get some gifts for others (and yourself) at the same time. Although this is a bonsai society, all items donated need not be bonsai related. Oriental objects d'art, services, food items, etc. are welcome and appreciated. Use your imagination and bring your checkbook and have a great time!-o0o-
NOVEMBER BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
Be sure to clean up the fallen leaves from your display area. To allow them to compost on your benches just encourages insects and disease to take up residence in the area.
If you didn't remove most of your moss last month, get to it now. Clean up your bonsai by removing moss and weeds before you put them into their wintering areas.
We are likely to have our first freeze late in November or early December. Frost will be ever more likely this month. In Lake Charles we have a freeze on record as early as October 30 just a few years ago, so get your trees into their wintering area. Your tropicals should be all moved in by now.
You can do a lot of wiring in November, since girdling won't be a problem until early spring. Your deciduous trees have small, tight buds which won't be disturbed by wiring right now. In the spring they will be swelling and more easily broken off. Their branch structure is so clearly visible now that the leaves have dropped.
Do not do any nitrogen fertilization in November, because your trees are going dormant and don't need feeding. Avoid pruning deciduous trees unless they have dropped all their leaves. If they still have foliage, pruning is likely to encourage production of new foliage which wouldn't have time to harden off and would cause the tree to weaken from the loss of energy used to produce the foliage. If you must prune after dormancy, then be certain to seal the wound. The tree won't produce any callous tissue during dormancy, so an untreated wound is very susceptible to moisture/desiccation problems as well as insect and disease attack. Allow for some dieback by cutting further out on the branch, if you must prune. You may, however, continue to pinch back junipers which don't usually become dormant until early January in our climate. If you haven't done candle pruning on your pines, do it now.
Your azaleas will do better in the spring if you remove most of the buds now. Leave three to five buds on each branch for spring bloom on very healthy, well-formed azalea bonsai. Remove all the buds from developing or weak azaleas. If you allow the azalea to bloom heavily, it will be so drained of energy afterwards that it will be weak and vulnerable. Grasp the bud firmly with your fingers or tweezers and bend it sharply to the side. It will snap off easily and leave the rest of the tissue undamaged. You may have to repeat this later, because the flower buds do not form at the same time.
Don't forget to keep records of your bonsai. A written record with sketches and photos will remind you of important training chores and when they were done. Your record should include the bonsai's common and botanical name, when and where you acquired it, a description of the size and approximate time of acquisition, and the dates of training procedures and repotting. Your record book will help you with your bonsai inventory and maintenance. For those of you who have a computer and/or access to the Internet, there are a few software programs on the market designed to help you organize your records. Try any of these web addresses (URLs):
http://otetsudaiqt.sourceforge.net/
http://www.gsbf-bonsai.org/sw.htm
http://www.davea.us/b_software.html
Most are fairly user friendly, but you still have to enter your data regularly for them to be of much use to you.
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DECEMBER BONSAI TIPS
by Alan Walker
Although your bonsai require very little attention this time of the year, don't neglect them in the rush of December. Root rot can become a big problem, if you haven't modified your watering procedure from the summer. Make sure that you water only when your bonsai's soil has gotten on the dry side. Your deciduous trees are not transpiring when their leaves have fallen, and the cool temperatures do not promote much evaporation, so your trees are not using much water. If you've been collecting and had to prune your newly collected material, be sure to seal all the cuts. They won't really start to heal until dormancy ends and by the exposure to winter winds will draw moisture from the wounds faster than the traumatized root system can replenish it. Coat all the cut areas with Calsmate or some other sealant to give that new addition a chance to survive.
December is a good time to rewire, since the branches wont begin to swell with growth again until dormancy ends. Be careful with your deciduous material, though. Even though they are denuded and easier to wire, there is less sap in the branches now, making them more brittle. Your pines, junipers, and most other evergreens are still fairly pliable. As always, remember to use wire that is harder to bend than the branch it is to train. That way you won't need to put your branches at risk from over bending in order to get the correct angle to stay. Also, the heavier wire will be less likely to scar the branch, if you don't notice the branch thickening in time.
Prepare soil now for the potting season. There are so many things to do in the early spring, that any early preparation done now will be appreciated then. Tag any trees which will need repotting. Now is the time to order pots, so they'll be there when you need them.
The slow winter season is a good time to photograph your bonsai. Look up the article by Dan Barton on pages 6-7 in the May 2001 issue of BONSAI NEWS. Your deciduous material is fully exposed, and there's nothing like a black and white photograph of a tree to reveal flaws in the branch arrangement. This can be your blueprint for pruning in the spring. Your photographs may also reveal a better front or potting angle. Keep these photographs with your record book. It can quite rewarding to look over your bonsai records and not how your trees have progressed over the years. Bring your records to one of our general workshops or the meeting to get suggestions from other members for shaping and design. If you're afraid of being pressured into cutting more than you want, just having photos or sketches can save your from regrets and still allow you to get the input from others.
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