July Bonsai Newsletter

Hot time, summer in the country. Florida at her best, 95 in the shade, don’t you just love it? Put on some music, go outside and before you know it you will be sweating to the oldies. The next three months ain’t for sissies, so take care of yourself and especially take care of those trees, they suffer in this heat, and they don’t have A.C. or pools to jump into.

IT'S HOT... and your trees know it. Watch for leaf burn from too much afternoon sun. Most trees could use a break from 2-3:00 on. Midday root watering and a little extra nitrogen will help also. Fish emulsion or Black Hen is good. I have been seeing trees kept in lanais that are facing west and the late day sun, plus the magnification of the glass, is cooking the roots. Trees do much better outside, but if they are facing from east to west and are receiving late afternoon sun, the pot and the soil temperature can get extremely high, enough to kill the roots, so give them some shade in late afternoon. Be sure to turn your trees weekly so the sun doesn't pull them to one side.

WHAT’S NEW... Brought out some sweet Lorapetalums and Eleagnus with great movement and character. Looking for something larger to add to your collection, how about a big daddy base Crape Myrtle or a Schefflera with lots of banyan roots. Been styling and potting some larger specimen bonsai. Linda has a lot of new little miniatures potted, great for accents or just as neat little houseplants.

INSECTS... What insects? Just about every insect known to mankind seems to live in Florida, from the ones biting us to the ones eating on our trees. Daily inspection is the best prevention. Refer to last month’s newsletter for solutions to insect problems.

FUNGUS AMONG US... Afternoon rains, foggy mornings, and high temperatures are perfect breeding grounds for fungi and mildew. Be vigilant and use a preventative fungicide on trees you have had problems with in the past.

SIX TIPS ON FUNGICIDE:
1 Have the correct diagnosis.
    Fungicides are only effective when the disease-causing agent is fungal.
2 Select the appropriate chemical and formulation.
    Read the label. Often the best control is obtained with a specific fungicide, instead of one with a broad range.
3 Apply the chemical at the right time.
    By the time the symptoms are severe it is too late to spray. Fungicides in general protect new growth. Prevention is best.
4 Apply the appropriate amount.
    More than recommended is not better. Can prove toxic to your tree.
5 Cover plants adequately.
    Fungicides applied to the foliage act as a chemical barrier on the surface. Coverage must be complete.
6 Apply chemicals at the appropriate frequency.
    The first application establishes a barrier, continued applications, as per product instructions, are needed to keep the barrier active.

PRUNING... With this being the most active growing season it sometimes seems you can't keep up with all the pruning. I let my trees grow out a little now to promote healthy roots which will help with heat stress. It is not always healthy for your tree to be constantly pruned. Now is a good time to let those certain branches grow out to thicken them up. You may do so by letting the branch grow out for the summer and then cut it back. Also if you have branches that have outgrown your composition now is a good time to remove them and start growing a new one. To force back budding keep your growth tips pinched off.

WATERING... Can't stress enough on keeping up with watering. If your tree is outside, water daily, maybe twice. It would be very hard to over water a tree sitting outside this time of year. If in doubt it needs water, water. It is time for summer vacations, what do I do with my trees? I have heard many times, I had a neighbor water my trees and some or all of them were dead when I came home. If that neighbor is not familiar with the watering requirements of bonsai, you are better off with an emitter system. Spray emitters are much more efficient than drip systems. Make sure all of the soil is being watered. It generally takes two emitters per tree unless the trees are small. These systems should be put on a battery back up timer. Then all your neighbor has to do is check to see if the system is working when it is programmed to be on. Do not use a rain sensor on your timer, it will not allow your sprinklers to come on daily. With all our afternoon rains and daily watering it is easy to flush the soil of nutrients, keep up with your fertilization program and adjust if needed to compensate for all the watering. We do offer a vacation tree sitting service for a fee.