The Bonsai News of Houston

A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc.

Volume 42 Number 1
20122012

January 2013

IN THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Events
Repotting Workshop

Showcase of the Month

Winter berries: Nandina,
American Beauty, Pyracantha,
Winterberries and
Huckleberries

January Bonsai Care

John Miller

The Presidents Message

HBS Board Meeting
Summary
December 2012

Italian Stone Pine

as Bonsai

A very ancient Italian Stone Pine tree in its Mediterranean natural landscape (photo:The Internet).

HBS Monthly Meeting

The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 at
7:30pm, at the Houston Garden Center in Hermann Park, 1500 Hermann Drive. Refreshments
at 7pm.

Wednesday, January 2nd, Repotting Workshop. Bring your tools, wire, a pot
and a tree with a nice winter silhouette. No tropical bonsai for its the wrong time
of the year to work on them. For Show & Tell, please bring trees with beautiful
ramification, flowers, fruit and berries. The club will provide all the advices and
bonsai soil.

Upcoming Events
Saturday, January 5th, HBS Saturday Study Group at The Mercer Arboretum &
Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westfield Rd, Humble, TX 77338 (281) 443-8731 with Alan
Raymond and other mentors 9am 1 pm. No charge, refreshments provided. Lets have a
good turnout.

Saturday, January 5th, Dallas Bonsai Society will be hosting a lecture/demo on

Podocarpus from 9am Noon and Podocarpus workshops 1pm 4 pm with HBS guest artists
Alex Leong, Ken Credeur and others.

Saturday, January 12th, Japanese Black Pine Study at Timeless Trees, 9am - 1pm with

2013
Membership Renewal

Ken Credeur, $10. Refreshments provided. Focus on repotting, major pruning and wiring.
(Maximum 10 people, 7 spots open).

Wednesday, January 23rd, LCBS January workshop with Ben Oki. This is Bens first

visit to Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Bring Your Own Tree workshop and class will begin at 7
pm and conclude about 10 pm at Alan Walkers home - 916 Kirby Street, less than a mile from
I-10. Cost for the workshop is $20 for LCBS members and $30 for non-members. Subtract $10
for observer status.
HBS members who would like to carpool with the group and book a hotel room in Lake Charles,
please contact Ken Credeur, the organizer of this overnight trip.

January Bonsai Care

On New Years Day, many people make resolutions as to what they want to do
or not to do or what to change, etc. I do not care to do this as such but I like to
take the time, when a project slows down, to review its progress and to check to
see if it is still a viable option, or whether its direction needs to be altered. In
bonsai we need to evaluate both our trees and ourselves. Wintertime gives us a
good opportunity to do so, especially for the bare deciduous trees.

Winterberries of all colors

decorate the bare but most
spectacular bonsai fruit trees.

The coldest nights usually come the last two weeks in January, but dont bet the
farm on it. Just watch the forecasts and check the lows (ignore the highs, they
are for people not plants). Have some plans in mind in case we have some
extreme weather.
Your primary job in cold weather is to be sure your trees are well watered before
going into a deep freeze. They will be losing water to evaporation but will not be
able to replenish it if the soil is frozen. Protection from high winds is also
necessary so the tops will not dry out. Sunlight is not necessary on deciduous
trees when they have lost their leaves. In fact, it can be bad for the tree because
it will heat up the trunk and soil and that could make the tree come out of
dormancy too early.
Tender or tropical trees that are kept indoors will be using more water to offset
the lower humidity. Soil will also be losing water faster through its surface. Be
sure to watch the indoor trees for insect problems. Most plant insects love a
controlled atmosphere like the indoors. Spider mites get the most attention here
because they do great in a low humidity and the lack of foliage spraying. Scale
can be an easily overlooked source of trouble. The flat green kind can be hard to
spot on the underside of leaves or tight against the stem. Indoor trees need to be
fertilized regularly and will require periodic trimming as they continue to grow
through the winter. Be careful that plants in a sunny window do not get their
leaves scalded.
Greenhouses are much the same as indoors. However, most greenhouses are
kept more humid. The higher humidity is to the liking of aphids and fungal
diseases. It may also result in your keeping the soil too moist with associated
root problems. Use you standard insect controls that you used last summer. I use
my organic foliar spray all winter.
Back to the outdoor trees. Any long warm spells during the month could activate
some of the insect problems but as a rule there are no special needs to look for
in January. Check trunks and branches for tiny scales. Spraying with a dormant
oil spray will kill adults, nymphs, and eggs of any trying to over-winter on your
trees. Some dormant sprays can be used on new growth but better results
overall will be obtained if you do it before St. Valentines Day. A weak lime sulfur
dormant spray will also get fungal spores and should be done before Feb 1 and
not at all if any green is showing. Just be careful with the lime sulfur follow label
directions closely.
In January, I would not recommend any feeding of outdoor trees. Any feeding
might cause them to start spring activity before the end of the bad weather.
After tending to the daily needs of your trees, take time to study one or two
thoroughly each day. January is an excellent time to start and remodeling
projects that may be necessary. While the trees are dormant, you have better
view of the branch structure. Do any need to be moved or removed? Do any
coarse branches need to be cut back to a smaller side branch for refinement?

Any long straight branches need wiring to give them motion?

Does the tree really need a drastic redesign? Also trim the
twigs back while you have them there.
Styling can be done at this time but no repotting, unless you
are going to keep the tree from freezing after that. Repotting
initiates new root development which is usually not very hardy.
Get a calendar of bonsai events in your club, city, and state.
There are many opportunities such as LSBF sponsored
events, the Shohin Society which meets 5 times in Austin,
possibly a suiseki group being formed so that you need to plan
which ones will give you the most help in your interests and at
your level of development. The lecture events and books give
you knowledge but without the practice under the guidance of
a good teacher at the various workshops, it will remain just
that: knowledge without producing any results. The workshops
develop the ability to foresee what will happen when you
remove and relocate branches and to have to confidence to go
ahead and do it.

excited that Donald Green and JoAnn Batey are handling

the details. We have most of the Committee Chairs
filled. We are looking for volunteers to help with all
aspects of the Convention.
It is time to work on those pines, junipers and
deciduous, while they are the most dormant. Repotting
is also a chore that is one of the most important things
we do. I believe that Ray has the January meeting topic
as repotting, so be sure to attend.
Thank you for your confidence in myself and the new
board. We will strive to serve you and further our
hobby through education and success. But dont forget
about having a good time!
Happy New Year,
Hurley

Houston Bonsai Society

Board Meeting Summary

John Miller
John Miller, who writes a monthly column for the Bonsai Society of Dallas
and Fort Worth Bonsai Society, has agreed to share his column with us. We
need to make adjustments for our warmer and damper climate, with earlier
springs, longer summers, late fall and erratic winters.

Presidents Message
by

HURLEY JOHNSON
HBS New President
The start of a new year is always a flurry of activity for
me and my family. We survived the hustle and bustle
of the Christmas season, many obligations to work,
family and friends. We got to spend some time with
our kids, and our friends. I even squeezed in a hunting
trip, while nobody was looking. Hopefully you have also
enjoyed some quality time with the people you really
like being with.
The state convention of 2014 is just around the corner.
The theme has been chosen: East Meets West, a great
theme to build off of. Over the next few months, we
will have a fun contest to determine the Logo that will
illustrate the theme.
We have already acquired three (3) sets of workshop
trees. We have a new batch of shohin Japanese Black
Pines coming in for the 2014 Convention. I am not sure
who the artists will be yet, but we already have material
selected for four (4) of the workshops. I am really

December 2012
The Board meeting minutes are not available at the time
of printing. They will be forth coming upon receipt.
Below is a Board Meeting Summary by HBS immediate
past president Alan Raymond.
There was a very brief board meeting. The prior months
minutes and the treasurers report were deferred because
Sandra and Anthony were absent. We discussed the need
to find a General Chairman for our 2014 state convention,
we requested that board members communicate to
Anthony any changes to the budget for 2013, and we
heard a proposal by R. Michael Lee for a permanent
bonsai exhibit at the HGC.
Since there was no nomination from the membership
during the last few months, the newly elected officers
were the same as those nominated by the Nominating
Committee in September and published in the October
newsletter:
President: Hurley Johnson
Second VP: James Stone
Treasurer: Anthony Cutola
Members-at-Large: Barbara Adams
John Williams and
John Edmondson
They were all elected by acclamation in the general
membership meeting before the Christmas Dinner.

Reuse, Recycle or Repurpose

Italian Stone Pine Christmas Tree
as Bonsai
Over my years as a 4H mom, having seen how thrash can
grow into a humongous burden for city planners and my
childrens generation, I became a responsible
environmentalist and a relentless advocate for the 4R's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Repurpose. I learned that these
environmental activities can be applied to more than
aluminum, paper and plastic. Besides composting organic
waste, instead of tossing the small tabletop Rosemary,
Lavender and Italian Stone pine Christmas topiaries, in
garbage cans destined for landfill, Ive decided to repurpose
them to keep them nearby, and reuse them the next
Christmas.
Two years ago, Hurley was gracious enough to host a
Rosemary workshop for the American Herb Society to
convert rosemary bushes to bonsai. Conic topiaries of
fragrant Rosemary took on many shapes under a dozen of
happy ladies, with Hurleys and Ken Credeurs guidance. The
one Rosemary Shohin I made survives but most of the ladies
in AHS lost theirs. Perhaps I know a little more than they
do?
The other Christmas trees I tried in that same season were
Italian Stone Pines. Their needles were already short,
appearing to be pre-trained as bonsai for many years. To err
on the cautious side, I experimented with three for the price
was very reasonable. The following summer was sizzling hot
and dry. Even in deep shade, the poor things put up a
vigorous struggle but finally withered and shriveled up.
Last winter, Ray Gonzalez asked me about my experience
with Italian Stone Pines to decide whether he should try to
bonsai one. I trusted that with 42 years of bonsai experience,
he would have better success, so I encouraged him to chance
a few dollars. He lucked out for the past summer, the
weather was quite pleasant and favorable.
Comparing our opposite results to extract lessons, Ray
thought it would be of interest to some HBS members for us
to share our experience and what we have learned.
Following is a brief article from Ernie Kuo of Buena Park,
California (in Journal of American Bonsai Society/Fall 1993).
Mr. Kuo is well known as an award-winning student of the
Magician Masahiko Kimura, probably the most famous
contemporary bonsai master in the world.

ITALIAN STONE PINE GOOD BONSAI

MATERIAL?
A couple years ago, I picked up a pinus pinea, commonly
known as Italian Stone Pine, from a local nursery for a few
dollars. What caught my eye were the fairly interesting trunk
(for a two-gallon nursery stock) and a mixture of long and
short needles. I have been keeping the tree in my raw
material area for observation for the last two years. By

An Italian Stone pine sold as a table-top Christmas Tree, wrapped

in dramatic gold foil (Photo from The Pinery)

trimming and plucking, I have been able to keep the needles

short. Italian Stone pine apparently has two kinds of foliage,
the single-needled juvenile foliage and the two-needled
mature foliage. The mature foliage of Italian Stone pine
growing in the ground can be as long as eight inches in
length. Perhaps that is why I have never seen an Italian Stone
pine as a finished bonsai or referred to as bonsai material in
bonsai books and magazines. The juvenile foliage of this pine
is about half an inch long, seemingly quite suitable for
bonsai.
Reaching back to my bonsai experience on junipers, using
juvenile foliage for bonsai is not uncommon. Juniperus
chinensis Foemina and San Jose, because of their ease of
reverting to the juvenile form, are usually trained in the
juvenile form. In fact, they become the preferred kind of
foliage on these two find of junipers, Italian stone pine
apparently reverts to juvenile foliage very easily with the
maintenance commonly done to bonsai , such as constant
pruning and plucking
The long needles were removed together with the brown and
slightly yellow older juvenile foliage. The tree was then styled
by wiring After a few hours of work, although this is by no
means a finished bonsai, it has certain qualities that will
argue positively for the suitability of Italian stone pine as
bonsai material. Because of the shortness of the needles, it
looked well-proportioned even on this small tree of nineteen
inches tall. I can just imagine what a bonsai older and better
material can become, especially the collected material from
the mountains of Italy and southern Europe. Obviously one

can tell from the title of this article, I do not have all the
answers on Italian stone pines. Hopefully this article will
spark some interest in Italian Stone Pine as bonsai material
and start more dialogue on the subject matter.
I believe Mr. Ernie Kuo has learned a lot more about this
very nice bonsai material since, for this article was written
two decades ago. I would love to find out what has become
of his Italian Stone pine, but my research produced no sequel
article.
Rays Italian Stone pine, on the other hand, is doing very
well, especially with the touch & go freezing temperatures
weve been having this winter. It seems to me that pines
need freezing to have a true dormancy, even though they
dont shed their foliage like deciduous trees.

A dramatic backdrop of towering, umbrella-shaped trees

Before it was ever made into bonsai, the Italian Stone Pine
has been cultivated for over six millennia for its edible pine
nuts (Pignolias in Italian). This fast growing pine is a
common living Christmas tree in pot, and can be purchased
in the U.S. in post-holiday sales for very few dollars, but in
Europe, it has been long regarded as a very important
historical tree.
Called Umbrella Pin in Italy, Pin Parasol in France, Pinie
Schirmpinie in Germany, this Pinus pinea is planted along
avenues, squares and gardens, more often in endless rows or
forests on hills, by the coasts of Spain and Italy.

Roy Nagatoshis demo on conversion from Christmas tree to bonsai

on Debbie Ervins Italian stone pine forest. (Photo from Conejo
Valley Bonsai Society newsletter, August 2008 issue).

Before taking on the Italian name, this hardy member of the

Pineaceae Pine family originated in Southern Europe,
around the Mediterranean Sea from Portugal to Syria,
Lebanon and Turkey. This very resilient evergreen can
withstand strong winds from the sea, yet still bounce back in
symmetrical shape of a giant umbrella, to provide much
needed shade in these warm coastal areas. This beautiful pine
is a widely branched root system with gray to reddish brown
and furrowed bark.

No other species commands such reverence and royal

treatment as the pines, especially the Japanese Black Pine,
which for millennia has been regarded as the king of pines as
well as of bonsai. No bonsai collection can be complete
without at least a mighty Japanese Black Pine or more. Most
Japanese collections hold thousands of year old specimen,
many collected yamadori from the mountains.
In Asian cultures, pines symbolize steadfastness, unrelenting
courage, inexhaustible vitality and unwavering loyalty, but
above all, strength of character. They emerge triumphant
high above most other vegetation, on hills and mountains.
They are the last standing in snow storms or coastal floods.
More than other pines, the umbrella pine is a symbol of
victory over adversities and even death.

Picturesque umbrella standing tall, high on a windy sea cliff,

overlooking the Mediterranean sea (Photo: The Internet)

Almost in a class by themselves, far different than tropical or

deciduous species, pines require a completely different set of
techniques. They have different needs, respond slower than
many other species, and require more patience.

This ancient species of gymnosperms - umbrella pine, with

its arched crown, a characteristic of the evergreen trees of
the Mediterranean, has to adjust to the climate dry, hot
summers, mild and wet winters in this area. It thrives

however in any poor soil, rocky or sandy, even in dry and

salty climate.
Roy Natagoshi recommends styling the Italian Stone pine as
Nature intended. In cooler months, Fall or Spring, its safe to
dead-head all the apexes, round off the tops and reduce the
long branches. Cut the branches back to short shoots about
inch to inch in length with a few needles. To allow the
pine to re-establish its vigor, leave it in a large container for
a few years in a sunny location and let it grow freely.

2013 Membership Renewal

Dont forget to bring cash or checks to pay for the membership
dues this January meeting. If you will not attend, just fill out the
Membership Application and mail it with a check payable to HBS.
Even if you are renewing, please complete a new 2013 form. We
need to update your mailing information so youd receive the
newsletter.
Membership dues are still $25 for individual and $30 for family
memberships. For family memberships, please list all your family
members names on the application. If you would like to receive
your newsletters via US Postal Service, please add $5 to offset
some of the club's costs for printing and mailing them to you.

Houston Bonsai Society

2013 Annual Membership Application
Please fill out and mail in or bring to a meeting.
Todays date: ____/____/2013
Membership Type: (Select one)
Individual ($25.00) ____

Family ($30.00) ____

Membership Classification: (Check all that apply)

New member (s) ____
Renewal
____
Local Member ____
Out-Of-Town ____
Vendor
____
Bonsai Club ____

Ray is not sure when his Italian Stone pine will start
producing cones with edible pine nuts, but the anticipation is
exciting. I learned that the cylindrical, long and yellow male
flowers will crowd at the base of the young shoots, while the
female flower cones stand upright. The brown edible pine
nuts usually ripen in the Fall of the third year after
flowering. Many Mediterranean cuisines use pine nuts for its
nutty flavor, delicate crunch and for its nutritional and
medicinal properties. They are known to aid digestion, boost
the immune system and alleviate kidney as well as stomach
problems.
My dear HBS friends,
Ray and I hope you find the bits of information and
photographs of a very common Christmas tree as enjoyable
as we have. If you personally have tried to repurpose an
Italian Stone pine, do share your experience with us all. Our
success rate would increase exponentially with each wise tip.
It would be really wonderful to see another pine addition to
the list of bonsai trees that thrive in our Texas climate.
Since pines are often thought to be the pinnacle of bonsai
horticultural accomplishment, it would be a worthwhile
victory to acclimatize such a beautiful and pre-miniaturized
pine for our collection.

Shawn Nguyen

Contact Info:
Name______________________________________________
Address____________________________________________
City________________________________________________
State___________________ Zip_________________________
Home Phone

(_____)______________________________

Work/Cell Phone (_____)______________________________

email_______________________________________________
_____ I would like to receive my monthly newsletter via email
_____ I would like to receive my monthly newsletter by US
Postal Service. (Please add $5 more for cost).
_____ Do NOT publish my information to the general
membership.
Payment amount enclosed $_______________
Paid by: Cash ____ Check____ #_____________
Mail To:

Houston Bonsai Society

P.O. Box 540727
Houston, Texas 77254-0727

For more information, go to www.houstonbonsai.com

Convention Chronicle #7

Tree Ring Circus April 11-14, 2013

New Braunfels, Texas
Our website is now up and running:
www.lsbfconvention2013.com
I hope everyone had a terrific holiday season and got to
enjoy friends and loved ones. One of the most enjoyable
events for me each year is to see the extended Bonsai family
across the state and region at our annual conventions. I
can't tell you how much I truly enjoy them!
For our upcoming convention, we've put together an
outstanding visiting artist line up: Walter Pall, Colin
Lewis and Erik Wigert in multiple exiting workshops!
We've added additional workshops and funshops with Texas
talent that shouldn't be overlooked, and I'd like to introduce
these hard working folks:
Chuck Ware will lead a workshop styling Parrot Beak, a beautiful
tropical with a unique flower.
Terry Ward's workshop will be with the Hillier Elm, a small, tightleafed cultivar that is excellent for bonsai.
Yvonne Padilla will be working with Natal Plum Boxwood Beauty,
a variety that has tight round-shaped leaves and will make nice
smaller bonsai.
Alisan Clarke, trained in Japan, will teach Ikebana, an artform that
works with balance, proportion and form.
Sheila Ward gives Kusamono a delicate touch, and will lead
participants in how to put together one of these beautiful
plantings, often a companion to bonsai, using her own handmade
pots.
Donna Dobberfuhl, an international sculptor and artist will teach
her group how to look at our bonsai, to find the lines & form, and
style them with paper and pencil before cutting a skill used by all
the best Bonsai artists!
Bill Boytim a tool and safety expert will have his students learning
the best ways to clean and sharpen their Bonsai tools in a hands-on
class. We also have
Peter Aradi, a national suiseki scholar, who will give a critique and
discussion on the Suiseki in the Exhibit.

Registration begins January 1st, and don't forget that the

cutoff for the early registration lowered rate ends March
15th.

Joey McCoy
Convention Chair

From The Editor

Like no other year in my life, 2012 was a wakeup call. If you
are reading these lines, your world like mine did not end.
Metaphorically speaking, I had hoped it did last December 21,
and in its place, a brand new one would be born, a kinder,
more loving and compassionate New World.

Please join me and promise ourselves to spend the rest of our

days to share the plentiful blessings we received, especially
our joy of bonsai with others, not because the world may end
tomorrow but because bonsai art is the most peace loving way
to transform it into a caring, nurturing and gentle one for our
precious offspring. My first grandchild was born this past year!
As our sister clubs in Austin and San Antonio are finalizing the
LSBF 2013 convention plans, its time for HBS to engage full
throttle in preparation for our Houston 2014 convention. It is
my wish that each and every member will step up and lend a
hand to our Convention Committee with your talents and
knowledge. Collectively, we are powerful and invincible.
As HBS editor, every month I also need your help, not just to
gather all the news and bonsai photos for our on-line gallery
but also for material of interest to club members. When sharing
personal experiences with favorite types of bonsai, success
tips and even suggestions, together we will enrich our
newsletter and make it more beautiful, stimulating, fascinating,
amusing and entertaining.
Please send in your contribution to the HBS editor at
hbs.news@yahoo.com before the 15th of every month.
May the New Year in a New World bring you and your loved
ones, including your bonsai babies, great joy, vibrant health,
abundant prosperity and overflowing happiness.
Shawn Nguyen

Calendar of Events

2013

JAN 2

HBS monthly meeting - Repotting Workshop

Bring your own tools, pot and a tree that
shows a beautiful Winter silhouette.

JAN 5

Saturday Study Group at the Mercer Arboretum

& Botanic Gardens, 9am 1pm. 22306 Aldine
Westfield Rd, Humble, TX 77338 281- 443-8731
with Alan Raymond and other mentors
No charge, refreshments provided.

JAN 5

Dallas Bonsai Society hosts a Podocarpus

Lecture/Demo 9am Noon, and Podocarpus
workshop 1pm 4pm with HBS artists Alex Leong,
Ken Credeur and others.

JAN 12 Japanese Black Pine Study at Timeless Trees,

9am - 1pm - Repotting, major pruning and wiring
with Ken Credeur, $10. Refreshments provided.
JAN 23 Lake Charles Bonsai hosts lecture/demo with
Ben Oki at Alan Walkers home, 916 Kirby in
Lake Charles, Louisiana 7-9pm. Its only a short
3-hour drive but totally worth it to meet a
legendary bonsai master.
FEB 6

HBS monthly meeting - Bonsai growing media

and soils with Scott Barboza and Ken Credeur

FEB 9

Saturday Study Group at Timeless Trees,

9am-1pm. No charge, refreshments provided.