Stay tuned to this website and post for more information as the date nears….

March! Spring is here! If you haven’t finished your repotting chores, time is running out. The cool weather may buy you a few extra days, but most trees are leafing out by now. If so, you may need to wait until next year for repotting.
Watch for drowning trees. With all the rain the past few weeks, make sure your trees are draining well. Tilt them if necessary to help the water drain from the pot.

As branches begin to elongate and leaf out, keep an eye on any wire that may begin to cut into branches. Stand by with your fertilizer. Give freshly repotted trees at least 6 weeks to heal before giving inorganic fertilizer and 4 weeks if adding organic fertilizer. As trees finish flowering and leafing out, begin to fertilize. Keep up to date with your fertilization regime with our bonsai care guide for each species of tree. Freshly printed guides will be available at our next meeting.

Thursday workshop this month will focus on final touches to your show trees. Bring moss, top dressing to the workshop. Use small diameter wire to keep those tiny twigs in place. Clean your pots! Wipe clean with warm water, avoid using any solvents that may affect the pot’s finish or patina. Rub a sock full of crushed walnuts on pots to give them a light oiled look. Prepare those accents and stands!

Tues., March 23 3PM- 7PM: Show setup. Bring your trees/stands/accents etc to the San Mateo Even Center Fiesta Hall for setup. You may also make arrangements to have members drive your material to the show. Try to get them to the show site early for setup.

March 24-28, Wednesday - Saturday 10AM-8PM, Sunday 10AM-6PM: Show security, docents, and demonstrations. Arrive at least 15-30 min early each day and enter before the general public.

Sun., March 28 6PM: Show takedown. Arrive at the Event Center to claim your trees/stand/accents or arrange for it to be recovered for you.

And for the stars of the show - TREES! All members should plan to show at least one show. Trees in training are okay! Our display is meant to be educational, that means showing a few trees that have another 5 years of development ahead of them to show the public. If you are unsure how to prepare you tree for the show, please stop by our Third Thursday Workshop.
Diana Lum will have the volunteer sheets at the March meeting and workshop. Please sign up for at least a three hour time slot. Diana will be distributing daily passes for entrance into the SF Flower and Garden show at the next meeting. You will need a pass to enter the show. BSSF has a limited number of parking passes. Therefore, parking passes will be limited to those members volunteering multiple FULL days. Free street parking is available, but limited. There is a charge for parking in the Event Center parking lot.

For our 50th Anniversary Celebration, John Boyce is assembling a photo-montage of past BSSF events. If you have old photos of club members, meetings, etc., please consider making copies or donating the pictures to John for his project. The photos will be displayed on a large board at the show. If you can help, please contact John Boyce at (510) 524-3658 to discuss the photos.

We will be seeing a lot of each other this month! March 11 - General meeting, March 18 - Workshop, March 22 - Board Meeting, March 23-28 - Show setup, display, and take down. We need everyone’s help! - Lawrence

This issue features:

February Meeting Notes - Bonsai Pot Swap

March Meeting Announcement: Accent Planting Workshop

From the Prez…

A Black Pine Re-Design

Bonsai Notes for March

Upcoming Events, Meetings, and Announcements

Your Spring Bonsai Care Calendar - BSSF

Download Fog City Bonsai March 2010 (0.970 MB)

Bonsai pots are available in many combinations of colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. In most cases, pots used in bonsai are relatively shallow and not ornate. The shape and size should reflect the age and be in proportion to the size of the tree. The color of the pot should also compliment the bark, foliage, or flower color of the tree. The pot should not distract the viewer from the tree.

Bonsai pots are available from four sources.
1) China - Pots made in China are the most common and inexpensive. Quality can sometimes be a bit on the lower end and have uneven sides, poor drainage holes, thick walls, and overall, very heavy weights. These pots are usually massed produced using slip molds followed by a small amount of hand-cleanup. Chinese pots may seem a bit “coarse” and uneven. However, recent imports of excellent Chinese pots have been available, so do not rule out choosing a pot made in China for your tree. In fact, antique Chinese pots are sought out by Japanese masters for some of their greatest bonsai creations.

2) Japan - Most high quality bonsai pots are made in Japan. Even the mass produced brands are well made. Most are very light weight, and finished with a high degree of care. Pots from the Tokoname region of Japan are considered the highest quality pots for bonsai. Because more time is spent hand finishing these pots, they are often much more expensive than pots of similar size. If you receive the publication Bonsai Focus, then you may be familiar with a series of articles highlighting different potters from that region.

3) Korea - A few bonsai outlets are selling pots made in Korea. The pots are very similar to mass produced Chinese pots and quality is much lower than pots from Japan. Korea also exports pots made from mica, a silica-based mineral mixed with polyethylene. The pots are good for bonsai development and inexpensive.

4) Your local artists! - Several potters around the world specialize in producing handmade bonsai pots. On the West coast, potters such as Jim Gremel and Michael Hagedorn have fired a few kilns full of bonsai pots and other artists such as Sara Rayner feature websites offering their pots for sale. Many of these artists will design and produce pots specifically for your tree with little more than few measurements and picture for a reasonable price.

So, how do you choose pot for your tree? There are a few guidelines you should observe when choosing a pot for
yourtree. First, is your tree ready for that ideal pot? Many times, we rush to repot our bonsai into pots that do not support the development and health of the tree. If your tree is in development, choose deeper and wider pots that allow for greater root growth which will led to greater growth on the top of your tree. If your tree is ready to show, there are three guidelines you should follow when selecting a pot:

1. Pot Size: The size of the pot should be in proportion with the size of your tree. The pot should promote the strength and age of the tree. The height of the pot should be between 1 - 2 times the diameter of the trunk and the width between 2/3 and 3/4 the height of the tree.

2. Pot Shape: Pot shape reflects the degree of masculinity or femininity of the tree. Trees with soft curves and foliage fit pots that are either round or oval. Usually flowering, deciduous, and young junipers are potted in circular pots. Trees that are rugged, old, and/ or formal are planted in rectangular pots. Most old pines are typically planted in rectangular pots. Pots can also be varying degrees of masculinity or femininity. For example, some rectangular pots may have rounded corners or beveled edges to soften their appearance.

3. Pot Color: The color of the pot is important to consider. Unglazed pots are ideal for pines and junipers. Various colors are available ranging from dark grey, brown, or brick red. Glazed pots are used for deciduous and flowering trees. Pot color is chosen based on fall foliage or blossom color. The color of the pot is sometimes complementary to the color of the foliage. For example, a blue pot complements the orange foliage of a trident maple.

Of course, there are many exceptions to these guidelines and every tree is different. With more experience, you will be able to decide which bonsai pot is best for your tree.

Pots for bonsai also sport additional features specific to bonsai culture. All bonsai pots should have adequate drainage holes. Most pots have at least two large holes in the bottom. Larger pots may have many more (6-8). These holes are also used for tying trees into the pot. Some pots, especially hand finished or handmade pots feature additional tie-down holes that provide more options for securing the trees.

So, next time you are out shopping for bonsai pots, be aware of each pot’s origin, style, and extra features. Keep a decent selection of pots on hand for repotting season and be wiling to share and trade with your bonsai buddies. Think ahead about the kinds of pots you will need in the future and keep an eye out for pots at local sales that might be perfect for your trees.