John and George Egert provided an afternoon demonstration, turning a perfectly good nursery plant into the beginnings of a bonsai.

Enjoy the Albuquerque Botanical Gardens this Mother’s Day weekend.  Stop by the bonsai show (immediately on the right as you enter the gardens) and vote for the People’s Choice Award for the most popular tree.  Maybe one of these will be your favorite.  (Click on the thumbnails for a closer view.  Click again and see the full-sized image.)

Visions of the American West, sponsored by ABS and BCI, will be held in Denver from June 21-24, 2012.  Information about the contest is available online at http://absbonsai.org/   or they can contact me directly at natureetours@gmail.com  Information about the general Denver convention is available at:  http://bonsai2012.org/

See you in Denver,

John Wiessinger

Joshua Roth New Talent Competition Coordinator

Watering: Trees in the cold frame will not need much water, but do not let them dry out. Keep slightly damp. One time during the month, water with mild solution of MirAcid again. The trees planted in the ground will need more water; probably once a week , depending on winds. The winds will dry out the soil very rapidly. Water in the morning.

Fertilizing: Start adding some nitrogen in weak solutions. Use some phosphorus for flowering and fruit trees.

Spraying: Spray with dormant spray up to the time deciduous trees are budding. Discontinue after buds appear and control insects with other products. Watch for black aphids now. Check just beneath soil level at base of trunks on fruit and flowering trees for borers. Use borer crystals immediately.

Trimming & Pruning: Prune out winter damage as soon as it can be determined what is alive. Seal cuts not only to keep sap in, but to keep infection out. Save scions for mid-April (see April, Grafting). Keep in damp paper towels in refrigerator.

Repotting: If buds have appeared on deciduous trees, repot now before the leaves open and before the plant flowers. Evergreens can wait as long as the end of May. If repotted last year, they may not need it this year. This depends entirely on the growth pattern of the species. Place the newly repotted trees back in the cold frame until the first part of April.

The last month of the calendar winter. The weather is similar to January. The nights will still be below freezing. Toward the end of the month, there are some warm, balmy, spring days. Close the cold frame or the trees get too warm and start budding. The average high for the month is 52 degrees; average low is 27 degrees. The record high is 75 degrees and record low -6 degrees. Relative humidity around 48%.

Watering: Same as January, except toward end of month on warm days the planted trees may need more frequent watering.

Fertilizing: Once during the month add small amount of MirAcid to the water again and a weak solution (2 recommended) of 5-50-17 fertilizer. No nitrogen yet.

Spraying: Not necessary.

Repotting: At end of month, the warm weather may have started the Japanese Maples and other deciduous trees to swell before budding. If they need repotting this year, do it before the buds open. Put them back in the cold frame after repotting. Prepare soil mixtures for repotting the next two months. If you use any garden dirt, bake it at 150N for 1 hour to kill snail eggs, pill bugs, and weed seeds. Soil mixtures may be found in Naka’s Bonsai Techniques I. Add a bit more peat moss to hold water in our drier climate.

Watering: Albuquerque’s climate is predominately in Zone 10 and considered high desert which is hot daytime temperatures and cool to very cold nights. The low relative humidity, high altitude, and high winds contribute to the desiccation of container grown trees. DO NOT allow thebonsai to dry out even in winter. Dormant trees in a cold frame do not use much water. Every ten days to two weeks should be enough, but check every week to be sure. Water trees planted in the ground once a week to ten days when the dirt has thawed, usually around noon. DO NOT water frozen bonsai.

Fertilizing: This is a good month to apply a light (2 strength) solution of MirAcid to neutralize the alkaline soil and watering done from the city tap. The “sitting” water barrel is now frozen and inaccessible. Apply fertilizer or any chemical to moist soil to prevent root damage.

Spraying: Dormant spray both in cold frame and in ground if the temperatures are not too severely cold outside. Bonsai may be brought indoors for display for a short period of time, but place them in the coolest place available.

Helpful Equipment: 2 whiskey barrel to let water sit and add conditioners small rose watering can quart sized zip lock bags for soil mixtures

Watering: Same as November.

Fertilizing: None necessary.

Spraying: Dormant spray can be used again.

Trimming & Pruning: December, January and February are the best months to graft conifers.

Watering: Water less from now to February, but never let them dry out completely. Trees in a cold frame stay damp longer than those in the ground, and they are not using very much water when they are dormant. Never water trees when they are frozen. Water in the morning so all water can drain from the pots by evening. Water trees in the ground at mid-day about once a week. The ground stays damp under the straw. Check for dryness by inserting your finger in the straw. If dry, water.

Fertilizer: None necessary.

Trimming & Pruning: Remove any leaves left on deciduous trees. Remove any extra long second year needles on pines. Time for second trimming on black pines. DO NOT ATTEMPT wiring this late in the year.

Repotting: DO NOT ATTEMPT to repot at this time.

Watering: Same as September.

Fertilizing: Same as September.

Trimming & Pruning: Trim strong growth on upper portions of conifers. Trim and clean off dead needles. After leaves have fallen from deciduous trees, it is safe to shorten the year’s growth. Clean all dead leaves from soil. At the end of the month, remove all fruit and any seed pods. The berries may be saved until spring if the tree is healthy. Trees may be rewired for winter.

Winter Care: Prepare the cold frame with snail baits and insecticides; purchase fresh straw. Prepare ground for those bonsai that will be planted for the winter. Leave the trees out as long as possible to insure they’re going dormant normally. Toward the end of the month, remove them from their pots without disturbing the roots any more than necessary and plant the trees in the prepared ground. Sprinkle pill bug bait generously and cover with straw. Those bonsai that are to be stored in the cold frame for the winter should remain in their pots.

Watering: You may cut back on water depending of the temperature, but do not let them dry out completely.

Fertilizing: Half normal feeding. No nitrogen.

Trimming & Pruning: Long shoots on new bonsai should not be cut off completely, but slightly trimmed and only after shoot has matured. Some trees will go through a last spurt of growth before going dormant. Remove any wire that is cutting in to bark.

Winter Care: A cold frame is recommended for winter storage of bonsai that need a dormant period. An alternative method of winter care is planting the tree directly in the ground after gently removing it from its bonsai pot. A cold frame should be built on the north side of a building.

Repotting: None.

Watering: Protect from gully-washer thundershowers, but don’t be fooled by a thin layer of damp surface soil. Water every day, twice toward the end of the month. Spray foliage–light misting often. No water late in the evening.

Fertilizing: Light mixtures. Cut back nitrogen and raise phosphorus.

Spraying: Keep bugs under control.

Trimming & Pruning: Be careful about any drastic pruning, especially on flowering trees. Check wires again. Remove any tight wires.

Repotting: DO NOT attempt any transplanting or repotting this late in the year.