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SEASONAL TIPS AND TECHNIQUES> Spring was very pleasant with no late frost. Still it was a little dry. We had damp days but not much rain when it was all added up. The last week or so has turned very hot. This has discouraged growth extension on may of my trees by causing the new tips to wilt and shrivel in the heat. This is one of nature’s ways to prune and to keep tops in balance with roots. If you experience wilting tips on prebonsai, it is a good sign that there is more top than the roots can support. One can fix this by watering more frequently, moving the plant to a larger pot, or by selective pruning of foliage (both old and new) on the plant. On prebonsai it is very easy to let too much growth occur in the spring rush. When the heat comes, it is important to prune out the excess which you want removed rather that letting nature make those decisions for you. This is the right time of year for such pruning.
Although it is too late in the year to do airlayers on most bonsai material, it is not too late to try to root some cuttings. I did 200 azaleas last week and will do more before June is gone. For hard to root species, removing half to three quarters of the foliage on each cutting seems to help greatly. This reduces transpiration thus making it a bit easier to keep the cutting hydrated until roots form. Remember that those cutting which do root will need a bit more protection than normal for the species as new and immature roots are more vulnerable to cold damage.
Insects may start to be a problem for your trees at any time. Lace bugs have appeared earlier than normal on my azaleas. On the other hand, aphids have been scarce. Perhaps the large number of fat skinks in the bonsai have eaten the ants and thus restricted the proliferation of aphids. In the next week or so, Japanese beetles are due to appear too. Remember to use pesticides only when necessary and the strictly according to the label instructions.
This is the perfect time to repot satsuki azaleas. Early spring is also good but right after blooming is traditional. I find that this is a great time for wiring as well. The wood seems a little easier to bend (without breaking) at this time than in late winter. Pruning wounds treated with Elmer’s yellow carpenter’s glue heal unusually well. It seems to keep the wound from drying out. Once an azalea wound dries out, healing is very slow.
Fertilizer programs should be under way on most deciduous bonsai and black pines. Other pines, such as Scots, ponderosa, and five needle, will have shorter needles if fertilization is not started until the new needles harden off. That will happen in Late June or early July. When that time arrives, it coincides with the time for removing the new shoots from black pines. This will stimulate the black pines to make new small buds which will then open and produce a new crop of shorter needles before fall arrives. In recent times, I have been mostly using acid forming azalea/camellia fertilizer to offset the government mandated alkalinity of our city water.
For those growing two needle pines, now is the time for a preventative spraying with a fungicide such as Daconil. Another dose in about four weeks should give protection against the needle cast fungus which can slowly kill a two needle pine over a two or three year period if not promptly treated. Spraying these pines with lime-sulfur sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas is also helpful in preventing needle cast fungus or curing it if the plant is not too badly infected.
RANDOM OBSERVATIONS> I continue to be amazed at the things one can see if the eyes and mind are open. While wiring azaleas in the studio recently, I saw motion on the ground out of the corner of my eye. Looking closer, it was a wasp walking along the path carrying a long green worm underneath like a WW II torpedo bomber. The wasp went to a pencil sized hole in the ground and went down the hole with the worm. In a few minutes, the wasp reappeared without the worm. She then searched the ground, found a bit of debris slightly larger then the hole, and placed the debris over the hole as a cover. Then the wasp perfectly camouflaged the covered hole with dirt and sand and flew away. The wasp almost certainly laid eggs in the worm so it can be food for the wasp larva when the egg(s) hatch. This is an example of why one should be very careful about spraying without good reason. In many cases, there is something in the yard which will eat the things that are trying to eat your plants if you can tolerate a little damage while waiting for the predator.

NATIONAL BONSAI ORGANIZATIONS> Most of us have certain charitable activities that we support with financial gifts each year. I would ask that you give serious consideration to adding two bonsai organizations to your giving list.
There is an immediate need for support at the American Bonsai Society. A variety of factors have put ABS in a severe financial crisis. The mission of ABS is to support and spread bonsai through education activities in North America. It produces a full color bonsai magazine. For those who have previously been members, the magazine is greatly improved in quality and is striving to do even better. Additionally, learning seminars are presented annually around the USA and Canada to provide intensive learning opportunities for beginners and more expert bonsai practitioners alike. It would be a great loss to the bonsai community in North America if ABS should be forced to cease its activities. Joining ABS will entitle you to a year’s worth of the magazine and help with the financial concerns. Joining and making an additional contribution (tax deductible of course) will elevate you to near sainthood in the American bonsai community. There is no limit to the amount of contributions. Annual membership is $40. Send your checks and mailing information to:
Gloria Duncan, Executive Secretary
American Bonsai Society
PO Box 351604
Toledo, OH 43635-1604
The National Bonsai Foundation is another good candidate for your giving list. The NBF is a 503(c) charitable organization established to create and sustain the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in cooperation with the U.S. National Arboretum. The art of bonsai is supported through the museum and its masterpiece displays and educational programs. Support ranges from basic membership ($35 for a calendar year) to as much as one may wish to contribute. The address is:
The National Bonsai Foundation
3501 New York Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
More information is available on the National Bonsai Foundation web site.