Before we know it, the Philadelphia Flower Show will be opening. This month we're holding our Flower Show workshop, to prepare trees for the show and to informally review the criteria necessary for a good bonsai display. We'll be doing some trimming, wiring and grooming of trees as well as getting some advice on our trees.
Not all trees will be ready for exhibit, but if your tree falls into this category, bring it to the workshop anyhow for evaluation. You'll get some useful advice on development, styling, wiring, or preparation.
Please bring stands, scrolls, and accents that you plan to incorporate.
January's meeting should be lots of fun, informative, and productive. Please join us to work or to observe.

PBS Workshop
Date: Saturday, January 16
Location: Greater Plymouth Community Center
Time: 10 am -1pm

I hope that many of you come to the workshop on January 16th. Even if you are not entering a bonsai in the Flower Show or working on your own tree, watching others and listening to the suggestions that are given to them is a valuable learning experience. When I take workshops, I seldom get a lot of work done on my own tree because I like to listen to what the workshop leader has to suggest to others. I can always go home and work on my own tree later, but I can not hear valuable styling and growing information from experts at home.
With Flower Show time approaching I always start to think about the questions that are asked of us there. The most often asked question has been, "How old is that tree?" Since the age of the bonsai is rarely known, even by the owner, this has been a difficult one to answer. Several years ago Randy Naftal, Flower Show Chair, tried to provide information that would solve this. On the label for each tree, he added the category, "Time in Training". For some, this has only added to the confusion. First be aware that for most trees, the age is approximate. Few of us know the exact age of the tree. We may buy a "15 year old juniper" from a nursery, but is it exactly 15 years old? Trees are also collected or purchased from others, again age is approximate. We usually do know how long we have been working on a tree. If you buy a 15 year old juniper from a nursery as raw material and work on it as a bonsai for 5 years, then its age is approximately 20 years and its years in training would be 5 years. If you should purchase an existing bonsai try to find out how long the previous owner worked on it.
This brings up the matter of "owner" vs. "artist". If you have done all of the bonsai work on a tree, then you are the artist. If you buy a pre existing bonsai then you are only the "owner" for at least the first 3 years. This allows time for you to put your efforts into maintaining and restyling the tree; only then are you considered the artist. In Japan some owners never become artists. They purchase the trees but always have someone else work on them. Many bonsai "purists" say that you should never exhibit a tree unless you have owned it for at least 5 years.
I hope that more members of PBS will be willing to exhibit trees in the Flower Show. Displaying a tree is very rewarding after all the hard work and time that it takes to get a tree ready.
PBS has already raffled off one registration to MidAtlantic at the holiday meeting. In the upcoming meetings (January and February) there will be two more ongoing raffles for MidAtlantic registrations: one for PBS members who have never attended MidAtlantic and one for all PBS members. You will be able to buy tickets at the January and February meetings. The two drawings will be held at the February meeting. You do not have to be present to win, just make sure to put your name on the back of the tickets.

See you at the January workshop.
Linda

This month's program will feature a discussion on pine development presented by Berni Gastrich. Dr. Berni Gastrich created his first bonsai, a mugho pine, in 1971. It is alive and well and he will bring it to his lecture. He was a student of Yuji Yoshimura and has made several trips to Japan. Pine has always been a particular interest of his, and his lecture will focus on choosing, maintaining and developing pines of all kinds. He will particularly focus on how to create pines with short internodes and good density. This of course involves the development of short, dense needles, appropriate to the size of the individual tree. He will bring trees showing the progress of needle reduction over a period of years.
The development of pine bonsai is often a major stumbling block for the beginning or intermediate bonsai enthusiast, so Berni's program could go a long way toward helping leap over the block that many of us have or will encounter in deveoping our pine bonsai.
This month's drawings will complete our two special MABS raffles. You could be the lucky winner of a full registration to the MidAtlantic Festival in April!

No members' exhibit this month - no double raffle tickets.

Guest Artist: Berni Gastrich - Pine Program
Date: Friday, February 19
Time: 7:00
Location: Greater Plymouth Community Center

MidAtlantic Festival

The 2010 lineup for the MidAtlantic Spring Festival features an international cast of bonsai masters; Michele Andolfo from Italy, Charles Ceronio from South Africa, and Michel Phaneuf from Canada. These artists will be conducting lecture/demos, critiques, and workshops over the weekend.
Our focus this month will be on Michel Phaneuf.
Michel Phaneuf, born in the Montréal area, studied sculpture and painting at the Montréal Fine Arts School. He graduated from UQAM University with a degree in graphic concept and design. He has his own marketing company. Michel started bonsai in 1992. After a few years of training with David Easterbrook, he worked with many bonsai specialists from Europe, Japan and the USA. His involvement in the Société de Bonsaï et de Penjing de Montréal includes serving as a teacher, eight years on the board of directors, and four years as president. Michel has travelled to Europe to continue his training and give lectures with French and Italian masters, such as François Jeker, Michele Andolfo, Salvatore Liporace and others. Michel was one of the founding members of the Karamatsu Study Group in 1998 which meets in Montreal. He was a featured teacher at the American Bonsai Societies’ 2008 Learning Seminars in Texas. The titles of his lessons at this event were, “Shape and Movement (creating a bonsai),” “Initiation to Dead Wood for the First- Timer,” and “Dead Wood Tools and Techniques.” He has also given lectures and demonstrations to many United States bonsai organizations. In bonsai design what Michel loves most is creating bonsai with a lot of expression. He will present two lecture/demonstrations, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Also, on Saturday Mr. Phaneuf will conduct a critique of the exhibit trees; Sunday he will conduct a workshop utilizing Shimpaku junipers.This year, the Festival will be hosting the Joshua Roth New Talent Contest. Wouldn't it be wonderful if one of the entrants was a PBS member? Information will be available at our monthly meetings.
Every year MABS features a great exhibit of trees from member clubs. PBS members have some great trees. If you'd like to exhibit yours at MABS, contact your MABS reps, Jim Gillespie, or Jim Brant for details.
Dates for the Festival are April 16-18, 2010 , at the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa.
Registration folders should have arrived. If you didn't receive yours, please contact Jim Brant. Again this year , first time registrants and non-bonsai spouses may register for half price. Don't forget to register early, especially if you want to sign up for a workshop or critique.. MABS is a very good experience and a real value.

Future Meetings
February 28- March 7 - Philadelphia Flower Show - Exhibit Sitting
April 23 - Lecture/Demo - Charles Ceronio (tenative)
May 21 - Lecture/Demo - Sean Smith

President's Notes

Seasonal Notes

Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Competition

This month's meeting features one of the headliners of the MidAtlantic Spring Festival, Charles Ceronio. Charles is from South Africa, but has studied under American masters John Naka, Ben Oki, and Roy Nagatoshi. Several of his trees have been selected among the 100 Best in the World Bonsai Contest sponsored by JAL and the Nippon Bonsai Association. He was a headliner at Washington, D.C.'s World Bonsai Convention in 2005. He has authored Bonsai Styles of the World, which is regarded as the bonsai bible on styles, first published in 1999, with a second edition published in 2004. He has created six styles unique to South African material, but his favorite style is forest plantings.
Charles' material for this month's lecture/demonstration will be a Hinoki cypress, which will be raffled at the end of his program.
The evening's events promise to be entertaining as well as informational, an evening worth attending!

Bring a tree to exhibit -earn double raffle tickets!!

Guest Artist: Charles Ceronio - Lecture/Demo
Date: Friday, April 23
Time: 7:00
Location: Greater Plymouth Community Center

February Meeting

Our February speaker, Bernie Gastrich, provided us with a tremendous amount of knowledge relating to pines. Bernie's long experience with the development of fine pine bonsai was willingly shared throughout the evenings discussion. Lots of questions and great group participation made for an informative and delightful program. Many thanks to Bernie!
No plant material was raffled, but the two special raffles for a full MABS registration were won by Andy Klein and Myron "Kaz" Kazimer. Congratulations to both winners!

Tidbits from Bernie Gastrich's Lecture on Pines

Developing pines is all about controlling energy:
Nutrients from the soil
Within the tree to control the length of candles and needles
Advantages of Black Pine
•Fast growing
•Rough bark with great texture
•Drought resistant
•Dark green needles
Developing young pines:
• With the exception of literati we need to develop massive trunks and good taper.
• Consider what good taper is by standing under an old tree and look up-see apparent taper
developed by the RR track illusion of taper.
• Develop the illusion of apparent age
• Look for the signs of age and develop them in the tree
• Georgia O'Keefe said “ Do not duplicate the tree, duplicate the emotion of the tree.”
• To develop the young pine bonsai:
1. Put the young tree in a large container with gritty, well drained soil
• Large particles allow good absorption of water and nutrients and their release as needed.
• Turface or akadama is good, granite is not, bark uses up nutrients as it decomposes
• Root must grow to promote and support top growth.
2. Fertilize very well. Liquid Fertilizer works well.
3. Grow in full sun - 8-10 hours of full sun is ideal.
4. Grow full candles in spring.
5. Just as needles begin to show, cut the full candles off.
6. Continue to fertilize into fall. The tree will develop more quickly and form excellent vascular
tissue.
7. Develop the low branches as bonsai but grow out the leader and then cut it back to 2 lower branches. Develop one at the new leader and one as the branch. Tilt the
tree to develop curves.
8. Use sacrifice branches in the back to develop girth.
9. Avoid spoke branches.
10. Do not be concerned with needle length during the development of the tree. The tree needs all the food produced in the needles for development.
Black Pine Miscellany
•Always grow in full sun.
•Heavy fertilizing means it needs more winter protection.
•Black pine is hardy to 10 degrees F if it does not get wind or sun during storage. Frozen soil means the tree can not replace moisture lost by wind and sun, so do not water frozen soil.
•To collect pine or other trees:
•Since roots are likely spread far out, you will lose feeder roots when you collect
trees.
• If possible, partly root prune each spring with a sharp spade for a couple of years to
develop new feeder roots before you collect it.
• Plant the collected tree in coarse soil in a wooden case.
• Never bare root pines- you risk a 90% chance of failure. Leave some of the old soil.
• Use wedge soil removal when transplanting. Clean the wedge all the way to the trunk and then replace the soil.
• When the buds on the ends of the branches first begin to swell and the roots start showing little white nodules, it is an ideal time to repot. Once the tree is repotted, it should be kept in an area above 40°F., out of the sun and wind for the first 2 - 3 weeks to allow development of the fine feeder roots.
• Mycorrhizae is vital to pines. It is needed so the pine can get the best use of nutrients.
• A good soil mix for pines is the standard 3 part soil (turface, granite and pine bark) mixed with up to 1/3 akadama. Do NOT use peat moss in the mix as it will keep the soil too moist and may encourage root rot. The akadama in the mix tends to retain the nutrients and actually acts as a time-release agent.

Once the Black Pine is Developed (mature)
• Water well and fertilize in the spring. Liquid fertilizer.
• When the needles appear and begin to separate, fertilize once more and :
• Remove all of the smallest candles
• Leave a stub equal to the thickness of the candle of the medium sized candles
• Leave a stub 2 or 3 times the thickness of the largest candles
• Do this all on the same day
• The removal of the candles will help insure the development of shorter candles in the second growth of candles.
• The stub has to dry back. As the smallest have no candle, they will develop first.
• From this point on use fertilizer without nitrogen.
• Three weeks later, candles will begin to appear...hold back carefully on water.
• Since Bernie uses automatic watering, he makes a partial cover out of Al pie plates to restrict some of the water from reaching the soil.
• In the fall, fertilize with a medium nitrogen fertilizer like organic cakes. This works well as the organic cakes will only work when the temperatures are warm enough. Start this when the color of the new needles changes from light to dark green. This will only strengthen the tree.
• In the fall, 3 and 4 year old needles will turn brown and fall off. In deciduous trees, energy is stored in the roots while in pine some energy is stored in the roots but much is stored in the needles. Thus in fall we work at balancing energy by:
• Removing all but 4 or 5 pairs of needles in energetic clumps.
• Remove less in medium strength clumps.
• Remove none in weak clumps.
• It takes 3 years to develop short needles in black pine.
Dormancy
• Hard to tell in pines so go by your deciduous trees
• Take care not to let temperatures go above 40 degrees F for extended periods. This will break dor mancy.
• Do not put into winter storage too early.
• Do work in winter. Listen to the branch when bending so you do not destroy the wood. It will not heal in winter. You can wire in winter, but leave the hard bends until spring.
Diseases and pests of black pine
• Needle Cast
• Spray with Daconil all spring every year. It can take 2 years for the infection to show up so treat preventively.
• Mealybugs and aphids
• Spray when seen
• Dormant oil is effective
• Saturate when you spray
• Red Spider Mites
• Use a strong blast of water to remove
• Saturate with Keltane or another miticide if needed
When Shopping for Black Pines:
• Look for trunk thickness, taper, and Curves
• Expect to pay for them
Five Needle Pines
Advantages
• Naturally short needles
• Can be more delicate in structure
Treatment
• Remove 1/2 to 2/3 of the candles when they fully extend as the needles begin to show
• If you want lessened growth, remove part of the candle.
• Do not use nitrogen in the spring. Use Nitrogen in the fall when the needle color change occurs... organic cakes are good.
• Do not water heavily in spring to hold back vigor.
• They will tolerate to 0 degree F.
• Wind and sun are winter enemies.

OTHER PINES can be treated as Black Pine or 5 Needle Pines
Black Pine 5 Needle Pines
Pitch Pine Scots Pine
Mugo Pine Limber Pine
Red Pine

MUGO PINES
• Very Hardy
• Natural short needles
• Can be kept outside all year round
• Treat like Black Pine
SCOTS PINE
Retains the needle length they start with
PITCH PINE
Have great bud back but lighter green color
LIMBER PINE
• Cold hardy
• Very bendable
• Not happy in pots...use over sized pots
RED PINE
• hard to develop taper
• lack low branches
• great for literati

Future Meetings
May 15-16 - PBS Exhibit at the Japanese House. Fairmount Park
May 21 - Lecture/Demo - Sean Smith
June 27 - Annual Picnic/Auction - Old Mill Bonsai Studio

President's Notes

The PBS display at the Philadelphia Flower Show was a very popular exhibit as usual. My thanks to all who helped: Chairman, Randy Naftal, the set up/tear down committee, the sitters and those who displayed. It takes the efforts of a lot of people to put on the exhibit, but we should feel proud that PBS is part of the largest indoor Flower Show in the US.
Shofuso, the Japanese House, has again invited us to display bonsai in its beautiful setting. In the past we have done this in the fall. This time they have invited us for the weekend of May 15th and 16th. We will be setting up from 9 to 11 on Saturday, May 15th and the exhibit will end at 5 on Sunday, May 16th. Trees, accent plants (if available) and stands will be needed. If you are willing to display a bonsai or to sit at the exhibit, please contact me.
My thanks for all of your concern when I was taken ill at the February meeting. I am feeling fine now and looking forward to our April Meeting.

MidAtlantic Festival

The 2010 Spring Festival will soon be here with an international cast of bonsai masters; Michele Andolfo from Italy, Charles Ceronio from South Africa, and Michel Phaneuf from Canada. These artists will be conducting lecture/demos, critiques, and workshops over the weekend.
Every year MABS features a great exhibit of trees from member clubs. PBS members have some great trees. If you'd like to exhibit yours at MABS, contact your MABS reps, Jim Gillespie, or Jim Brant for details.
Your attendance at MidAtlantic directly benefits PBS, as excess monies from the event are returned to the member clubs based upon attendance. These monies allow PBS and other member clubs to provide programs that are interesting and instructional for their members. As a member club, PBS has responsibilities for the Festival - the Silent and Live (banquet) auctions. Helpers are needed for the Live auction, so if you're attending , see Jim or Linda to volunteer.
Dates for the Festival are April 16-18, 2010 , at the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa.

Directions to the Greater Plymouth Community Center

From Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276)-Take Exit 333 (Norristown - old exit 25). At the end of the ramp, turn left onto Plymouth Road. At the light, turn right onto Germantown Pike West. Continue approximately one (1) mile, through five (5) traffic lights. At the sixth light, turn right onto Jolly Road. The Community Center is on the right at 2910 Jolly Road.
From Blue Route (I-476)-Take exit for Germantown Pike West (Exit 20). Continue on Germantown Pike west for approximately one (1) mile, through six (6) traffic lights. At the seventh light ti right onto Jolly Road. The Community Center is on the right at 2910 Jolly Road.
From Route 202-Follow Route 202 to Germantown Pike. Travel EAST on Germantown Pike, through five (5) traffic lights. At the next traffic light, approximately half a mile, turn left on Jolly Road. The Community Center is on the right at 2910 Jolly Road.