May Bonsai Newsletter

MAY IS HERE... It has been a hot spring, summer is almost here, okay it is here. May is generally a dry month. The days are getting longer and hotter, but the humidity is still somewhat low, perfect weather for drying out our bonsai. Spring and early summer are usually the worst for drying out our trees, low humidity, windy, with cooler temperatures, gives a false sense that they don’t require as much water, don’t be fooled, check your trees daily. The nights are warm enough now, staying in the 60's, so it is time to work on our tropicals. We are starting our very active growth season, so proper pruning, feeding and watering through the summer months will be essential. Any wiring you did this winter should be checked and probably removed now.

WHAT IS NEW... Oh boy, where to start? Linda and I have been scouting around every chance we had and have come across some new material for us to work with. Going to name a few, just to get your interest up. Found some Sweet Acacia with yellow flowers, Rabbit’s Foots Acacia with some very unique flowers, Dwarf Mimosa with white powder puff like flowers, Horseflesh Mahogany with small compound leaves that are red as they come out and some Dwarf Sleeping Hibiscus. Guess you will have to come out and see what else we have found. You can tell Linda was in on it, she was going for the flowers.
Brought out some more Cypress, some that were collected two years ago. Also some Dawn Redwoods, Trident Maples, some huge based Crape Myrtles, Winged Elms, Sugarberry and some sweet Junipers, got your interest up yet?

PRUNING.... After our winter months some trees have wanted to grow out of proportion, especially Ficus and Scheffleras. So now is the time to prune for shape. Completely defoliate them and prune back for taper. Check on your species requirements before you totally defoliate. You can call or e-mail us if you are not certain, I also suggest you read the article on defoliating on our website. Most tropicals can handle defoliation, and it will greatly reduce their leaf size and create better ramification. Cut every leaf off, leaving some of the petiole. If the tree needs to be brought back further, do it now. You can also root prune and repot your tropicals now.

Now is when you really have to keep on top of your pruning to increase ramification.
Prune back your Phillippine Jasmine and feed it some Ironite.
Thin out your Boxwoods and your Hollies to let more light inside the tree.
Even though your Barbados Cherry might be blooming, prune back for better ramification and many more blooms later in the summer, same with your Serissas.
After each branch on your Bougainvillea is bloomed out, cut those branches way back.
Keep the growth tips pinched on your Maples.
Keep pruning your Elms back to the first or second node.
If you need help with or guidance on pruning then try to make it to a workshop. We will be pruning a lot of different species.

FERTILIZE... You can start on your summer feeding program now. All of your deciduous trees are hardened, so feed them. Young trees more nitrogen, older ones a more balanced food to maintain them. Any tree you have defoliated or cut back hard, place in shade until new growth starts and wait till they have flushed back out to feed them. Be careful not to over water, trees need leaves to transpire water. Blooming varieties can be fed with a fertilizer with a higher middle number. You want you trees healthy to prepare them for the hot summer months.

INSECTS... You should be checking daily for any insect problems. Aphids love spring growth and can get out of hand before you know it. Look for scale on the underside of the leaves. Check your Ficus for Thrips (folding in of the leaves) for they have been a problem in the past. Treat your Junipers for mites.
We use a granular systemic insecticide which main ingredient is Imidacloprid. This only kills non beneficial insects. Available at nursery.

FUNGICIDE... Towards the end of the month start on your fungicide protection to prevent any problems when our afternoon rains come. Any species that have had fungus problems in the past, treat now. Crape Myrtles, Japanese Maples and Fukien Teas to name a few. We use a granular systemic fungicide which main ingredient is Thiophanate methyl. Available at nursery

We want to give a special thank you to Sandra, she has been like our resident artist. She comes to the workshops and sketches our trees. She has a way of making the trees look more beautiful then what they may really be. Before leaving to go north for the summer she gave us a collection of some of those sketches, we thank you and love them. She also wrote a short piece of her impression of D&L Nursery, we want to share it with you.

“Bonsai ia an amazing art form. Many sculptors say their material dictates their art. That would be even more so with bonsai. The type of plant, the weather conditions and the dedication of the gardener play such an important role in the direction and outcome of the plant. One not only needs an artistic eye, knowledge of botany, but also a nurturing spirit. With most art forms there is a beginning, a middle, and importantly, an end. But not so with bonsai. There is no end unless (as in my case) the tree dies.

I’ve been so impressed with the gardeners who come with their tender plants to D&L. I marvel at their tenacity. David and Linda, you’ve created a wonderful environment for all of these bonsai people. Thank you for letting me be a part of it, considering I have no talent for this ancient art.

Just to be able to wander among the bonsai enthusiasts and the beautiful miniature trees has been a great pleasure for me.”