ABQ Biopark Staff at the Mother’s Day Bonsai Show

George (left) and John (right) Egert finish a public demonstration during the ABQ Bonsai Club Show

Metasequoia group planting

Saikei landscape planting

Ficus

The show continues on Sunday and the weather should be outstanding.  Be sure to stop by and vote for your favorite for the People’s Choice Award.

Some conferences coming: ABS Saratoga Springs, New York Sept. 12-15

There is an Deco-Japan exhibit at the Albuquerque Museum Feb 9 through April 21. Sunday 9-1 admission is free. Site below.

http://albuquerquemuseum.org/art-history/upcoming-exhibitions?/exhibition/24

The August 8 meeting will once again be at Heights Cumberland Church.  The topic will be pest control.

Enjoy the Albuquerque Botanical Gardens this Mother’s Day.  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 from 2012 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