April 2018 Meeting this Sunday 15th, West End Hall Castlemaine from 11am
Founded 2001 Incorporated 2002
Presidents Notes
Paul Showell President. 54 705545 Helen Wheeler Secretary 54 762286 David Rojo Treasurer 0458 811 205 Newsletter– GoldfieldsBonsaiSociety GBS Facebook page
Hello Members, Autumn has arrived and the nights are getting cooler. Although we have managed to escape them being up in Merimbula. I managed a visit to the small leaf fig I discovered a few years ago. After a tough year in 2017 it was good to see a lot of new growth this season and the avocado trees are full of fruit as well. Although it has been dry for the last couple of months at least. Last month we were treated to one of Diederik’s masterclasses. A Cedrus atlantica was subjected to some undercutting of the main branches to improve the angles against the trunk. It was very informative and Helen has provided a good description on the next page. I hope you are looking forward to a busy weekend in bonsai as well. BSV have a sale day Saturday morning and VNBC have their exhibition Sat and Sun as well as our meeting on Sunday as well. David will be giving us a summary of his time involved in bonsai and follow up with a demonstration of thread grafting. That’s enough from me, I hope to see you on Sunday for another enjoyable day. Paul Catherine has compiled the following article, we look forward to regular contributions from members. Banksia as Bonsai Banksia .integrifolia grows in many locations in the wild from the coast to the mountains. It can be 25 metres high or a windswept specimen on an exposed headland. Its leaves are large, long and smooth edged but as a bonsai, the leaves can be small, blunt and toothed. This is because the constant trimming forces the tree to put out a juvenile form of leaf that is most suitable for bonsai. The leaf is still strong and vigorous and not deformed or delicate in any way. Frequent potting, fertilising and trimming enables a very quick growing, thick trunked tree that can bud back on old wood very well. Repot bonsai Banksia about every 12-18 months. But rather than doing a heavy prune on top and bottom, just slippot it into a larger pot. This is very useful in mid-summer as you can avoid excessive dry outs by just putting it into a larger pot after lightly tip pruning and teasing out the roots lightly. Always fertilise well at each pot change, i.e. Osmocote and mild, liquid fertiliser. If you live in warmer areas, you may be able to pot on nursery stock every six months to achieve quick growth. In cooler areas it may be necessary to allow more time in each pot size. Pot in early summer to avoid excessive new growth going into winter; its soft new foliage can be badly damaged by frost. Avoid potting in winter and early spring as the tree just sits and sulks until the warmer weather arrives so there is no advantage. In fact, sitting the plant in a larger pot in wet conditions for 3-6 months may encourage root rot, die back, etc. …..cont. page 3
March Meeting Diederik demonstrated a technique by which a tree can be made to look much older. He used a cedar. 1. The tree must be healthy and growing 2. Make sure that the tree is tied into the pot 3. Begin work with the first branch 4. With a sharp small bonsai saw undercut the branch at its junction to the trunk three quarters through 5. Carefully push the branch down so that the cut areas meet cambium to cambium 6. Tie wire branch to a secure point, protect the branch by covering the wire with plastic tubing where it is touching the branch 7. Seal the entire area of the join with wound paste 8. Work your way up the tree from branch to branch
Pam has said that she will show us how to make the grow bags she has for her bonsai. They are very practical, lightweight and can be made to suit any tree size.
After 4-5 years, the tree will have grown larger and matured enormously. At this point you could do a heavy root prune and heavy top prune and move down into a much smaller pot. This will emphasize its beautiful trunk, branches and leaves. Then, follow the process of moving to larger pots each year again. In pot culture, if your Banksia is not potted and fertilised regularly, it will of course become pot bound, hungry and thirsty. It may at this point put out proteoid roots that enable it to scavenge even the smallest amount of food through these super-fine roots. If, however, at this stage you were to heavily fertilise the plant it may take up too much fertiliser and die. So at repotting time remove any proteoid roots you may see (they might look like a mycorrhizal fungus, which they are not) and start with mild, but regular fertiliser including 'Native' Osmocote in the potting mix and Maxi Crop as a liquid feed. Potting mix would include a course to large sand or fine gravel to aid drainage, but fine enough for the very fine Azalea-like roots - typically 50% sand/gravel or more mixed with a standard potting mix (no peat). The mix doesn't need to stay sopping wet. It’s better to water more frequently than risk root rot etc. As a young bonsai B.integrifolia will have a smooth grey-green trunk but with age it will be grey but rough and furrowed, Branching and structure of the B.integrifolia happens very quickly and can also be lost quickly. Develop a rounded, multi-point apex that will help slow down growth. Sometimes you may trim the top 2-3 times as often as lower down and if you don't, you may lose ramification or even entire branches. The tree is very apically dominant so it must be kept very short at the top. A pointy apex is right out of the question. Luckily however, it buds back freely on old branches, trunk and around any removed branches. So if you lose structure, you can easily restore or dramatically change its appearance in a short time. Trim strong vertical growth back hard, but allow sideways growth to elongate and thicken. B.integrifolia will take light wiring but I only ever wire heavily in an emergency (artistic emergency?). If you wire downwards, the branch will immediately lose vigour whereas a branch nearby could double or triple its size if growing horizontally or lightly upwards. If you must, for artistic reasons, wire a branch down, then at least wire the tip up and allow it to grow freely and then cut back hard later. Wire will also mark very quickly if the tree is growing quickly. Keep lots of branches as this helps build up a quick canopy and diffuses the growth over more growing tips. Keep pinching very frequently. Another trick to maintain an outline is to trim the apex back to a 2nd or 3rd leaf or leaf whorl and then, after it has rebudded and grown on, cut it back to the 1st or 2nd bud; thereby making it do it all again. Also at the apex of dormant branches and near the base of new branches, there are a series of little ear-like structures that can grow buds if trimmed back to this point. They are, in fact, false leaves that protect the buds while they grow. This is useful as it allows us to trim much more compactly than you would first imagine. Mature B.integrifolia grows mostly in a whorled structure of 4-5 leaves but this system breaks down under heavy pinching. It can be alternate, opposite, alternate sets of 2 or 3, or whorled on 2+3 type structure. It makes no difference to the trimming regime; just keep pinching frequently and to outside or downwards facing buds if you have the choice. If you are trying to force lots of new buds on old wood, then do not repot at the same time. It re-buds quicker if left alone. Make sure it is well fertilised and in a sunny spot. Place on a turntable or turn each day to encourage growth all over. Banksia integrifolia will look good in any style of bonsai, from upright styles to cascade, even in fairly formal Japanese mode. It is a most adaptable Banksia that is sure to give lots of pleasure. From the newsletter of ASGAP's Australian Plants as Bonsai Study Group, December 2002.
Mauro Stemberger Tour 2018 (BFA) June 23rd and 24th Senior Citizen Hall, Golden Square, Bendigo
31st AABC National Bonsai Convention in Melbourne This event will be hosted by Bonsai Northwest 20 – 23 July 2018 at Mantra Bell City, Melbourne, in partnership with Association of Australian Bonsai Clubs Ltd. The true highlight of the convention will be our headline international bonsai artist, Bjorn Bjorholm. Registration and payment close 1 July 2018. For more information go to Bonsai Northwest.
Goldfields Bonsai Society Program 2018 April 15th—David, his bonsai journey and demonstration on thread grafting. May 20th—Guest—Gerard Schoofs talk on Natives as bonsai June 17th—Possible exhibition in Daylesford? July 15th—Making muck, matching trees to pots? August 19th—Simon urban yamadori? September 16th—Visit a members collection—Warren’s in Bendigo and nursery visit October 21st—David talk on Azaleas. Preparing trees for the exhibition.
November 3rd + 4th—Exhibition. November 18th—Christmas Breakup
Meeting this Sunday 15th Hall open from 11am.
Bring Lunch. Bring some Autumn colour or interest for the display table. Make sure you bring a tree or two to work on. David will be giving us a talk on his journey in bonsai and a demonstration on thread grafting