| Bonsai Basics Class 2007 Unless stated otherwise, Class meets on the third Tuesday of each month at St. Christopher's Church in Roseville. (See second map under Maps to Our Meetings.) For questions, contact cherylsykora@aol.com All MBS members are welcome at Class! SCHEDULE BELOW Why Bonsai Basics? By Cheryl Sykora, Bonsai Basics coordinator With the busy schedules most people have these days, why take the time to attend Bonsai Basics? Most people new to the art of bonsai ask themselves, “Will I get enough out of yet another bonsai session to make the time spent worthwhile?” The answer to this question is “yes." Bonsai is a complex mix of horticulture and art. It can be learned by a combination of published reference material and videos and personal experience (generally through the death of trees). Bonsai Basics will speed up that learning process through interaction with more experienced MBS members in a class setting. The classes include some short lectures and lots of hands-on activities. Participants are encouraged to bring some of their own trees for the hands-on activities. For those of you who cannot make all the sessions, or are already familiar with some of the topics, or have a specific interest in some of the topics but not others, attendance at all of the sessions is not required. Handouts for all the classes will continue to be available through the schedule. May 15 - Plant Propagation This Class will concentrate on plant propagation topics including: Air layering - Grafting - New Growth Trimming - Fertilization Session will include demonstration by experienced members showing air layering and grafting techniques. The specific information for trimming different species of trees will be provided. Session will also include a discussion on the various types of fertilizers, seasonal use, and sources. Hope to see everyone with an interest in the subject at the May Class. June 19 - Spring Pine Care – Decandling, etc. July 17 - Collecting Basics August 21 - Junipers September 18 - Wintering Over in the Midwest October 16 Fall Care – Needle Thinning, Fertilizing, etc. November 20 - Tropicals, Indoor Bonsai December 18 - Diseases, Pests, Prevention All Pines are not alike with respect to care and development. In June, we will go through spring care for a few of the Pines such as black, five needle, ponderosa, mugo, and red. For those of you with an interest in collecting trees from urban areas or the wild, in July we will go through some of the basics of collecting trees and care while they are acclimating to pot life. Juniper care and styling will be covered in August. For those of you with Junipers, this would be a good time to develop your Juniper styling techniques while improving your wiring skills. September is not too early to start thinking about wintering your trees over. A presentation on wintering over is on the schedule for September. In October, we will cover fall Pine work including needle pulling, fertilizing, etc. For those of you with interests in trees other than Pines, we will cover fall soil surface cleanup, deciduous leaf removal, etc. November, when outdoor bonsai are in dormancy, we will concentrate on those trees that are kept inside at least during the winter months – tropical bonsai such as ficus, buttonwood, bougainvillea. A discussion on pest control and fertilizers will be the topic for the final class of the year in December. We will wrap up with a discussion of the topics for the year and what MN Bonsai offers for your development beyond the basics. Back to Home Page |
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| Photos from the spring Bonsai Basics Classes. Thanks to Randy Davis, RSD Photos. |
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