SOLENT BONSAI SOCIETY

Keith's News

Bonsai in February

February in the Northern Hemisphere is still classed as winter and it is a difficult month to predict the weather especially as the mild then cold conditions seem to be prevailing.

Watering
Your bonsai trees will still need watering but not as often as their growth rate has slowed right down so their water uptake has also slowed down.
At this time of year if your trees are still outside, they will be getting watered naturally by the rainfall, morning dew and melting frosts. However, monitor the moisture level to ensure your bonsai trees are not water logged as this can cause roots to rot.
If your bonsai trees are under cover check daily and water if required to keep the soil damp / moist but not soaking wet.
Any bonsai being kept indoors should be watered daily if required as they will be loosing moisture due to the higher temperatures inside drying out the soil and the tropical species still tend to grow during the winter period inside.
Ideal time to water is in the morning to allow the water time to dissipate and to reduce the surface water should the temperature cool down overnight or there is a frost.

Re-potting
This is for most bonsai enthusiasts the key repotting month, which can then go on into March as the broadleaved trees are generally dormant and have yet to start pushing new growth.
If the weather is mild repotting can be undertaken but avoid early repotting if you have no protection for the tree like a cold frame or green house if frosts are likely.
Otherwise prepare for repotting by checking soil supplies and also that if you are looking to change the pot that you have the correct pot size to repot into.
Evergreen trees should be repotted in later months as opposed to February.

Feeding
Generally feeding in February is not required as broadleaves trees are dormant.
Conifers or evergreens have slowed down on growth during this period but you could still apply a light feed that is a low nitrogen or nitrogen free fertiliser.
However, continue to lightly feed tropical trees that are kept indoors if they are still showing signs of growth to sustain them during this period.

Pruning
This is a great time of year to review your bonsai trees and check the structural image of the tree as well as the tracery and branch placement. Broadleaved trees are especially easy as they have for most species lost their leaves and are dormant. You can remove unwanted structural branches on broadleaved trees but remember to cover the wounds with wound paste or sealant as the trees are dormant and will not be able to respond to the pruning as effectively. Otherwise just mark the branch(es) to remove and wait till the Spring to then remove them.

Trimming
This is not required to either broadleaved or coniferous trees in February. However, you may still need to trim the new shoots off tropical trees that are growing indoors to control the growth and develop ramification.

Root pruning
Carry out root pruning if you do start to re-pot now as part of the re-potting process and check for soil borne pests, root rot and other root problems and address if any issues are found.

Insects and pests
Continue to check your bonsai trees over fully for pests, insects and diseases as some insects can over winter on or in your trees like red spider mite, scale insect and if you have not applied a winter pesticide or removed unwanted pests before now it is a chance to do so. Pests are also likely if the weather is mild so worth checking to avoid disappointment in the spring when buds or leaves fail to flush due to pest attack.

Moss and weed control
Hopefully you carried out pre winter preparation and addressed any weed and moss issues particularly around the trunks of bonsai trees prior to winter. If not this is again a good time to remove moss and weeds to clear the surface of the soil for improved moisture movement as well as prevent bark rot from wet moss. You can use a range of techniques including a diluted vinegar application on the bark which you apply and then around a week of two later the moss removes more easily with a light brush action (tooth brush works well).

Wiring
If wire is present on your bonsai tree check whether it is still serving a purpose and is taught and not digging into the bark causing wire marks and re-set if necessary or tighten. Application of new wiring can be applied to broadleaved trees during February if required.

Protection
Continue to maintain winter protection in whatever form you use and check your trees daily for effects of frost or snow.

Assessment
This is also a good time to photograph your bonsai trees and update their records for re-potting timings, feeding regimes, soil type etc as it is sometimes hard to keep track of what you do for each tree when you start increasing your collection. Keeping a photographic record does come in very useful over the years to see the trees development and your progress.

Grafting trees
This is the ideal time to start grafting Pines and Evergreens.

Sowing Seeds
If you plan to start sowing seeds in spring, then it is an ideal month to start the preparation of the seeds subject to their stratification requirements as some need up to 6 to 8 weeks of stratification prior to sowing.

Collecting / Lifting trees
This is an ideal time to lift trees out of raised beds or collect trees from the wild (only from approved sites though). The majority of tree species are dormant during winter so from October through to March is the ideal lifting time period.

Note, now is the time to get ready for repotting, if you require any potting compost such as Akadama, Kyodama, Kanuma etc. get in touch with Collette, don’t leave it till the last minute

Shows in 2021
Please note that there are already shows being cancelled next year, including the Auction in January, Swindon Show and Trophy in February, Expo in April and “The British International Bonsai Show” in July.

Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association on Sunday 31st January 2021 Cancelled
In conjunction with a Suiseki / Saikei / Mame show, it will be held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
The show/auction is from 1000-1600hrs, Entrance fees are, adults £5, children under 16 go Free. (Exhibitors & Sellers close off date 10 Jan 21). No Traders stands at this event, just the auction. Auction contact: ukbonsaiassociation@gmail.com.

Swindon Winter Image Show 14th February 2021 Cancelled
Solent Bonsai Society will be showing at the 2021 Swindon Winter Image show on 14th February 2021, it is one of the best shows of the year at:- Grange Leisure Centre, Grange Drive, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN3 4JY. It is open from 10am to 4pm. It is a good opportunity to buy those elusive pots, trees etc. as there are many traders at the show. More information can be found on their website www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk.

The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show, 20th- 21st February 2021, Belgium. Cancelled
Anyone hopping to go to The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show which was to take place on 20th- 21st February 2021 in Belgium, it has been cancelled

Expo Bonsai UK 11th April 2021 Cancelled
The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB The show open to public 1000-1600, Admission £5. Approximately 100 show quality trees along with support from a number of well known bonsai traders. If you are interested in submitting a tree for consideration please contact ebuk18@gmail.com (Exhibitors close off date 31 Jan 21). For more details see the website www.expobonsaiuk.weebly.com.

The British International Bonsai Show 9th to 11th July 2021 Cancelled
The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. CV35 0BJ Many British & International guest artists and demonstrators will be in attendance. For more information visit www.bibsevents.com

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm
All meetings Cancelled until further notice.
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm;
All meetings Cancelled until further notice.
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

Don’t forget Bonsai is not just a plant in a pot, it’s a living art and unlike paintings and sculpture it’s a forever changing canvas.

We all hope that the with the vaccination rollout, it gives us new hope that 2021will be a better year.

Till we meet again, Stay Safe.

Keith

Keith Hartley Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

Information Notice
Just a Reminder.
You may or may not have noticed that Collette’s website “Bonsai Trees Southampton” is now permanently closed, so do not use the old phone numbers or email.
Collette has now changed her trading name to “Collette’s Bonsai”.
She is still up and running and fully stocked with bonsai trees, bonsai tools, bonsai pots, akadama etc.
At the present time there is not a website but you can find her on
Collette’s Bonsai on Facebook or ring her on 07867688614 (which you must do at the present time due to the covid restrictions) or email her at bonsaitrees@live.com she is available most days from 10am to 4pm.
“Collette’s Bonsai”
Contact Details
Collette’s Bonsai on Facebook, call 07867 688614
or email bonsaitrees@live.com



Shows in 2021

Please note that there are already shows being cancelled next year, including the Auction in January, Swindon Show and Trophy in February, Expo in April and “The British International Bonsai Show” in July.

Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association on Sunday 31st January 2021 Cancelled
In conjunction with a Suiseki / Saikei / Mame show, it will be held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
The show/auction is from 1000-1600hrs, Entrance fees are, adults £5, children under 16 go Free. (Exhibitors & Sellers close off date 10 Jan 21). No Traders stands at this event, just the auction. Auction contact: ukbonsaiassociation@gmail.com.

Swindon Winter Image Show 14th February 2021 Cancelled
Solent Bonsai Society will be showing at the 2021 Swindon Winter Image show on 14th February 2021, it is one of the best shows of the year at:- Grange Leisure Centre, Grange Drive, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN3 4JY. It is open from 10am to 4pm. It is a good opportunity to buy those elusive pots, trees etc. as there are many traders at the show. More information can be found on their website www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk.

The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show, 20th- 21st February 2021, Belgium. Cancelled
Anyone hopping to go to The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show which was to take place on 20th- 21st February 2021 in Belgium, it has been cancelled

Expo Bonsai UK 11th April 2021 Cancelled
The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB The show open to public 1000-1600, Admission £5. Approximately 100 show quality trees along with support from a number of well known bonsai traders. If you are interested in submitting a tree for consideration please contact ebuk18@gmail.com (Exhibitors close off date 31 Jan 21). For more details see the website www.expobonsaiuk.weebly.com.

The British International Bonsai Show 9th to 11th July 2021 Cancelled
The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. CV35 0BJ Many British & International guest artists and demonstrators will be in attendance. For more information visit www.bibsevents.com

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm
All meetings Cancelled until further notice
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm;
All meetings Cancelled until further notice
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

Don’t forget Bonsai is not just a plant in a pot, it’s a living art and unlike paintings and sculpture it’s a forever changing canvas.

We all hope that the with the vaccination rollout, it gives us new hope that 2021will be a better year.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year Till we meet again, Stay Safe.
Keith

Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

Secretary’s Report

According to the PM, it is likely that the imposed measures will continue well into next year.
The committee have had to take the decision not to resume meetings till 30th April 2021 and will review the situation in February 2021.
We are hopeful that the vaccination rollout, gives us some hope that we will be able to continue at some stage, who knows?
It will be interesting to see how your trees are when we all get back together. The main thing in these difficult times is that you all keep safe.

Please note that there are already shows being cancelled next year, including the Auction in January, Swindon Show and Trophy in February, Expo in April and “The British International Bonsai Show” in July.

Well done Enid and Clive who predicted, along with five others, four of their favorite trees in the top ten in the UK Bonsai Association Virtual UK Bonsai Show 2020, however Enid and Clive were top over all with 14 points.
For more information and pictures of the winning trees go to ukbonsaiassoc.org November 2020 bulletin.

This is the third story of how I produced one of my Bonsai’s this time it is a blue cedar group.

The story behind this group started when I went to Lilleshall Hall National Sports Centre in Shropshire to play in the Civil Service table tennis championships in April 1997. Lilleshall had beautiful grounds and many wonderful mature trees. I particularly thought there was a fantastic group of Cedar of the Lebanon trees which formed a perfect full-size group, they were probably planted in the early 1800’s one with a girth of over 5m.

I was so taken by the trees that I thought I would like to try and recreate the cedar group in Bonsai. I decided to try and recreate the group using my favorite blue cedar trees. Some years later I managed purchased a number of blue cedar saplings from a garden centre in Titchfield.
I kept the trees for several years. I finally got around to forming the group in April 2007.

Having had the Saplings for a few years the tree trunks were not that flexible so I had to make the best of what I had. I decided to plant them in a fairly deep mica pot that I had, the trees being quiet tall tend to try and move when placed in the container so once I had placed the trees in the formation I thought was best, I made a latticework across the top of the pot with bamboo and drilled through the mica pot and secured the bamboo to the pot with wire, at the intersections I wired the bamboo together making the latticework very secure, I then wired each tree to the nearest bit of bamboo.

I left the trees in the pot for two years, cedars have a reputation for not liking being repotted or having their roots disturbed. In April 2009 after two years in the mica pot the group seemed established so I decided to repot into a Chinese pot that I had (probably not the most suitable pot but it was reasonably deep) I used some old akadama mixed with a bit of sphagnum moss.

I decided that the trees were too tall, so I cut the each tree back to a suitable branch whilst keeping the triangular shape of the group which I favor, the side trees were only left with one branch so I was a bit concerned that I had removed too much of the top on some of the trees.

However having removed the tops the trees seemed to have a burst into life and the branches started to fill out. Within a few years the trees were starting to look like a fairly respectable group

Having established the group I have been trying to create lower branches by pulling down the side and back branches

In 2018 I decided the trees deserved to have a pot more suited to them. Having purchased a 22 inch group pot from Walsall Ceramics I repotted them into an akadama sphagnum moss mix (making sure the group was well wired into the pot). Once again the trees seemed to thrive on this mix.

As you can see in some of the photos but at the back I felt there was a need to fill in the gap with two or three small trees. I have found acquiring small suitable blue cedar trees with low branches fairly difficult to find and have been looking for them for some time, however I did find two which were suitable so in March added the two trees to the group. I removed as much soil from the group as I could but adding trees to an established group is not always that easy. I used an akadama moss mix and spread moss on the top.

I was very pleased with the result of the added trees adding more depth to the group, throughout the summer I tried to keep the group, along with all my trees, well watered and feeding with seaweed fertiliser.

Unfortunately one of the trees did not take, fingers crossed the other is ok, so my search still goes on for small blue cedars to fill in the back.

As I have said in previous newsletters that I like groups and with this particular group,as I said at the start of this article, I had years before seen the most beautiful group of fully grown cedar trees and this inspired me for over twenty years, to try and recreate in bonsai, something that resembles the full size cedar group. I feel that I am slowly getting closer to having a reasonable group, whether it will resemble the groups of fully grown trees, I wait and see.

Shows in 2020, All Cancelled

Shows in 2021

Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association on Sunday 31st January 2021 Cancelled
In conjunction with a Suiseki / Saikei / Mame show, it will be held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
The show/auction is from 1000-1600hrs, Entrance fees are, adults £5, children under 16 go Free. (Exhibitors & Sellers close off date 10 Jan 21). No Traders stands at this event, just the auction. Auction contact: ukbonsaiassociation@gmail.com.

Swindon Winter Image Show 14th February 2021 Cancelled
Solent Bonsai Society will be showing at the 2021 Swindon Winter Image show on 14th February 2021, it is one of the best shows of the year at:- Grange Leisure Centre, Grange Drive, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN3 4JY. It is open from 10am to 4pm. It is a good opportunity to buy those elusive pots, trees etc. as there are many traders at the show. More information can be found on their website www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk.

The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show, 20th- 21st February 2021, Belgium. Cancelled
Anyone hopping to go to The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show which was to take place on 20th- 21st February 2021 in Belgium, it has been cancelled

Expo Bonsai UK 11th April 2021 Cancelled
The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB The show open to public 1000-1600, Admission £5. Approximately 100 show quality trees along with support from a number of well known bonsai traders. If you are interested in submitting a tree for consideration please contact ebuk18@gmail.com (Exhibitors close off date 31 Jan 21). For more details see the website www.expobonsaiuk.weebly.com.

The British International Bonsai Show 9th to 11th July 2021 Cancelled
The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. CV35 0BJ Many British & International guest artists and demonstrators will be in attendance. For more information visit www.bibsevents.com

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 14th December 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 10th December 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

Don’t forget Bonsai is not just a plant in a pot, it’s a living art and unlike paintings and sculpture it’s a forever changing canvas
.
Let us hope that the vaccination rollout, gives us new hope for a better 2021.
Hope you all have the best Christmas possible.

Stay Safe – Hands - Space.

Keith Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

OCTOBER 2020

Hi all Solent Bonsai Society members and friends.

Coronavirus Newsletter No.8 Friday 30th October 2020

Hi fellow Bonsai lovers, just another reminder sorry, we have to remind you still.
It is with great regret that although the Wallington Village Hall is opening there are
many restrictions, the committee representing the Solent Bonsai Society have decided to
suspend our monthly meetings for the rest of 2020 due to the difficulty of complying to
the many, ever changing, Covid-19 restrictions that the government and hall have
imposed on the use of the hall for the foreseeable future.
The decision was made after the hall sent the list of restrictions that had to be complied
to and whether we would be using the hall for the rest of the year but it was felt
impossible for us to commit to having meetings with the imposed restrictions.

Having already booked for 2021, we were hoping that we will be able to resume our
meetings on Friday 29th January 2021 but now with the ongoing situation and
restrictions due to the covid pandemic, the committee have now taken the
decision not to resume meetings till 30th April 2021, with a review of the
situation in February 2021.

When we finally do resumed our meetings, hopefully on 30th April 2021, but even this
is in doubt, we will have to have an emergency AGM to elect a committee and decide on
the way forward for 2021.

I will continue to send out the monthly newsletters to try and keep you all updated on the
Bonsai situation both with Solent and the rest of the UK as best I can.
I will this year be sending an Email newsletter in December to keep you up to date with the
ongoing Covid-19 situation and its effect on the bonsai community.

Important Note.
The committee would like to let all Solent Bonsai members know that
renewal of subscription, for 2020 paid up members, will next be in January
2022.

Tasks for September
1. Do not feed (except trees in development).
2. Shelter bonsai from excess rainfall
3. Remove dead leaves and keep soil surface clean
4. Prune trees as required
5. Protect delicate and semi-tropical species from early frost.

This month I will tell you the story of a white pine.
I purchased the white pine from a former member of the Portsmouth Bonsai Society who was selling his collection in 1992. It was an informal upright style and looked at least twenty to thirty years old and grafted on to black pine which is normal as it what was probably imported from Japan. It was in a blue Chinese pot planted in a typical normal compost.

I looked after it as an informal upright for a few years but in 1999 I decided to make a radical change to the tree. I had purchased large cascade pot at a satsuki bonsai show, which look place in Plymouth in 1998, I was working in Plymouth from Monday and having driven to Plymouth on Sunday managed to get to the show just before the show closed. I quickly went round the show, even then some of the exhibitors were stripping the flowers from there Bonsai’s. At the show I found Walsall Ceramics which as you may know is one of my favorite pot makers, they still had a large cascade cream bonsai pot which I purchased at a very reasonable price.

The following spring I thought what can I do with the cascade bonsai pot purchased the previous year, that’s when I decided to make the radical change to the white pine. I removed it from the blue Chinese pot, cleaned of the soil and placed it in the cascade pot with a then normal soil mix which was 1/3 john innes number 2, 1/3 peat, 1/3 grit, I made sure it was well wired into the pot.

As you can see it did not look much but there was plenty of foliage to style later.

I carefully looked after it and started to restyle it. In 2003 I repotted it into Akadama. Later that year, 2003, Eastleigh arranged series of classes with Nobo at the Botley Centre and invited some solent members to attend, at one of the class I took along the white pine to style the bonsai. It went well and I was very pleased with the result.

Over the years we got to know many great Bonsai enthusiasts including Manuel from Wessex bonsai, we started to go to the Wessex Sunday workshops and at one of the workshops, I think it was in 2011, I took along my white pine to see if I could make any improvements to the tree, I had some discussions with Manuel and he suggested a change of pot. At the workshops we discussed with Mo Turner, who was a brilliant pot maker, what would be a suitable style pot for the tree, we decided on a rough cascade pot would suite it best, so a few months later Mo came along with the new pot and the following year, 2012, I repotted the tree in Akadama in the new pot.

I took the pine to the May, 2012, workshops, Manual offered to restyle the pine but it would take longer than the time we had at the workshop, so I agreed to let him take the tree for him to restyle, I may add there have been only a few people I would allow to take and restyle one of my trees. Well 4 months later in September Manuel brought the tree back to the workshops, he had redesigned it removing a large top branch and re wired the whole tree.

The following month after Manuel returned the tree we had the Shocking news that he had passed away suddenly and to this day he is a much missed member of the Bonsai community.
The tree over the last few years has filled out, this year I repotted it, as with most cascade bonsai it took some time to get it out of the pot, when I finally got it out I was pleased that it had a good amount of mycelium throughout the Akadama.

Shows in 2020, All Cancelled

Shows in 2021

Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association on Sunday 31st January 2021 Cancelled
In conjunction with a Suiseki / Saikei / Mame show, it will be held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
The show/auction is from 1000-1600hrs, Entrance fees are, adults £5, children under 16 go Free. (Exhibitors & Sellers close off date 10 Jan 21). No Traders stands at this event, just the auction. Auction contact: ukbonsaiassociation@gmail.com.

Swindon Winter Image Show 14th February 2021 Cancelled
Solent Bonsai Society will be showing at the 2021 Swindon Winter Image show on 14th February 2021, it is one of the best shows of the year at:- Grange Leisure Centre, Grange Drive, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN3 4JY. It is open from 10am to 4pm. It is a good opportunity to buy those elusive pots, trees etc. as there are many traders at the show. More information can be found on their website www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk.

The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show, 20th- 21st February 2021, Belgium. Cancelled
Anyone hoping to go to The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show which was to take place on 20th- 21st February 2021 in Belgium, it has been Cancelled

Expo Bonsai UK 11th April 2021 Cancelled
The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB The show open to public 1000-1600, Admission £5. Approximately 100 show quality trees along with support from a number of well known bonsai traders. If you are interested in submitting a tree for consideration please contact ebuk18@gmail.com (Exhibitors close off date 31 Jan 21). For more details see the website www.expobonsaiuk.weebly.com.

The British International Bonsai Show 9th to 11th July 2021 Cancelled
The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. CV35 0BJ Many British & International guest artists and demonstrators will be in attendance. For more information visit www.bibsevents.com

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 9th November 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 12th November 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.
Don’t forget Bonsai is not just a plant in a pot, it’s a living art and unlike paintings and sculpture it’s a forever changing canvas.

Stay Safe – Hands - Space.

Keith Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

SEPTEMBER 2020

Hi all Solent Bonsai Society members and friends.

Coronavirus Newsletter No.7 Friday 25th September 2020

Hi fellow Bonsai lovers, just another reminder sorry, we have to remind you still.
It is with great regret that although the Wallington Village Hall is opening there are
many restrictions, the committee representing the Solent Bonsai Society have decided to
suspend our monthly meetings for the rest of 2020 due to the difficulty of complying to
the many, ever changing, Covid-19 restrictions that the government and hall have
imposed on the use of the hall for the foreseeable future.

The decision was made after the hall sent the list of restrictions that had to be complied
to and whether we would be using the hall for the rest of the year but it was felt
impossible for us to commit to having meetings with the imposed restrictions.

Having already booked for 2021, we hope that we will be able to resume our meetings
on Friday 29th January 2021 and that by then the situation regarding covid-19 will
have settled down but even this is looking doubtful now after the government
announced on 22nd September that the imposed regulations may be in place for the next
six months.

When we finally do resumed our meetings, hopefully on 29th January 2021, but this is
now in doubt, we will have to have an emergency AGM to elect a committee and decide
on the way forward for 2021
.
I will continue to send out the monthly newsletters to try and keep you all updated on the
Bonsai situation both with Solent and the rest of the UK as best I can.

Important Note.
The committee would like to let all Solent Bonsai members know that
renewal of subscription, for 2020 paid up members, will next be in January
2022.

Tasks for September
1. Water when required.
2. Feed with high potash fertilizer.
3. Remove any wires cutting into bark.
4. Remove old needles on pines.
5. Prune and shape deciduous trees after leafs fall.
6. Protect fruit from birds.
7. Feed flowering trees with high potassium fertilizer.
8. Evergreen may be repotted, do not feed newly potted trees.

Secretary’s Report
I can’t believe that this is the 50th newsletter that I am sending, who would have thought a few months ago that a pandemic would put a stop to our meetings and all things Bonsai. According to the PM, it is likely that the imposed measures will continue well into next year. We hope that we will be able to continue at some stage, who knows? It will be interesting to see how your trees are when we all get back together. The main thing in these difficult times is that you all keep safe.

Creating a group from unpromising material.
In March 2017 I assisted Robert, who was giving a talk to Wessex Bonsai Society, at the evening they were selling some of Dave Turners trees that were being sold for their club funds, amongst the items there were a number of forsythia cutting, they were various shapes and sizes. At the end of the evening some were left that no one wanted so I asked if I could have them all, there were ten in number so I gave them £20 for them all. We managed to find a space in Robert’s car for them which was full of Roberts’s trees, table, show stands etc. So, what can you do with cuttings that will never make a show tree?

Well as you may or may not know I like group/forest plantings, I had a spare oval mica pot so in May 2017 I started to create a forsythia group, note they had leaves so I was carefully with the roots. First I did a rough group layout to see where they should be placed in the group, usually small at sides and back, largest in front, this formula creates depth when looking from the front.

Having decided how I wanted the layout I planted them using an akadama grit mix. The following year Robert was invited back to give another talk to Wessex BS, which I again assisted, I took the forsythia group back to show them what they could have done with the cuttings as they were in full flower.

Forsythia take well from cuttings and when I pruned the group I pushed the pruned pieces in at the back and sides of the pot most of which took, they helped fill out the back and sides. Forsythia have a nice leaf so they look good when the flowers have finished, note the 2020 leafs have turned more autumnal much earlier than last year.

Shows in 2020, All Cancelled
The Heathrow Bonsai Show Sunday 18th October 2020 Cancelled
Solent’s last bonsai show of the year is The Heathrow Bonsai Show, it is held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB. More information can be found at www.heathrowbonsai.weebley.com


Shows in 2021
Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association will take place on Sunday 31st January 2021
Please Note. The Auction is now in doubt hopefully, conformation in the next newsletter In conjunction with a Suiseki / Saikei / Mame show, it will be held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
The show/auction is from 1000-1600hrs, Entrance fees are, adults £5, children under 16 go Free. (Exhibitors & Sellers close off date 10 Jan 21). No Traders stands at this event, just the auction. Auction contact: ukbonsaiassociation@gmail.com.

Swindon Winter Image Show 14th February 2021
Solent Bonsai Society will be showing at the 2021 Swindon Winter Image show on 14th February 2021, it is one of the best shows of the year at:- Grange Leisure Centre, Grange Drive, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN3 4JY. It is open from 10am to 4pm. It is a good opportunity to buy those elusive pots, trees etc. as there are many traders at the show. More information can be found on their website www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk.

The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show, 20th- 21st February 2021, Belgium. Cancelled
Anyone hoping to go to The 22nd Trophy Bonsai Show which was to take place on 20th- 21st February 2021 in Belgium, it has been Cancelled

Expo Bonsai UK 11th April 2021 The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB The show open to public 1000-1600, Admission £5. Approximately 100 show quality trees along with support from a number of well known bonsai traders. If you are interested in submitting a tree for consideration please contact ebuk18@gmail.com (Exhibitors close off date 31 Jan 21). For more details see the website www.expobonsaiuk.weebly.com.

The British International Bonsai Show 9th to 11th July 2021 The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. CV35 0BJ Many British & International guest artists and demonstrators will be in attendance. For more information visit www.bibsevents.com

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 12th October 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 8th October 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

Shows in 2020, All Cancelled
Community Woodfair Show on Saturday 5th September 2020 Cancelled
The Heathrow Bonsai Show Sunday 18th October 2020 Cancelled
Solent’s last bonsai show of the year is The Heathrow Bonsai Show, it is held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB. More information can be found at www.heathrowbonsai.weebley.com

Shows in 2021
Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association will take place on Sunday 31st January 2021 In conjunction with a Suiseki / Saikei / Mame show, it will be held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
The show/auction is from 1000-1600hrs, Entrance fees are, adults £5, children under 16 go Free. (Exhibitors & Sellers close off date 10 Jan 21). No Traders stands at this event, just the auction. Auction contact: ukbonsaiassociation@gmail.com.

Swindon Winter Image Show 14th February 2021
Solent Bonsai Society will be showing at the 2021 Swindon Winter Image show on 14th February 2021, it is one of the best shows of the year at:- Grange Leisure Centre, Grange Drive, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN3 4JY It is open from 10am to 4pm. It is a good opportunity to buy those elusive pots, trees etc. as there are many traders at the show. More information can be found on their website www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk.

Expo Bonsai UK 11th April 2021
The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB The show open to public 1000-1600, Admission £5. Approximately 100 show quality trees along with support from a number of well known bonsai traders. If you are interested in submitting a tree for consideration please contact ebuk18@gmail.com (Exhibitors close off date 31 Jan 21). For more details see the website www.expobonsaiuk.weebly.com.

The British International Bonsai Show 9th to 11th July 2021
The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. CV35 0BJ Many British & International guest artists and demonstrators will be in attendance. For more information visit www.bibsevents.com Other Local Club

Meetings in our area.
Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 14th September 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk
Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 10th September 2020. Cancelled For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk All the clubs in the area support each other.

If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

Don’t forget Bonsai is not just a plant in a pot, it’s a living art and unlike paintings and sculpture it’s a forever changing canvas. Stay Strong, Stay Alert, Stay Safe.

Keith

Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

JULY 2020

Hi all Solent Bonsai Society members and friends.
Coronavirus Newsletter No.5

Hi fellow Bonsai lovers, It is with great regret that although the Wallington Village Hall
is opening there are many restrictions, the committee representing the Solent Bonsai
Society have decided to suspend our monthly meetings for the rest of 2020 due to the
difficulty of complying to the many, ever changing, Covid-19 restrictions that the
government and hall have imposed on the use of the hall for the foreseeable future.
The decision was made after the hall sent the list of restrictions that had to be complied
to and whether we would be using the hall for the rest of the year but it was felt
impossible for us to commit to having meetings with the imposed restrictions.
Having already booked for 2021, we hope that we will be able to resume our meetings
on Friday 29th January 2021 and that by then the situation regarding covid-19 will
have settled down.

When we resumed our meetings, hopefully on 29th January 2021, we will have to have
an emergency AGM to elect a committee and decide on the way forward for 2021.

I will continue to send out the monthly newsletters to try and keep you all updated on the
Bonsai situation both with Solent and the rest of the UK as best I can.
At the present time, I have been informed that it is not definite, even into 2021, that the Swindon
show on 14th February 2021 will be held?

Important Note.
The committee would like to let all Solent Bonsai members know that
renewal of subscription, for 2020 paid up members, will next be in January
2022.

Nigel's bonsai journey.

Hi I'm Nigel and I started growing bonsai trees in 1975! I was 25 then and had been given a very simple book by my mother for my birthday.

I read the 45 pages or so in no time at all and concluded this would be a great hobby to start now, and really enjoy when I got to retirement. By which time my trees would hopefully be more than just twigs in pots.

Armed with the simple bonsai book I started my search for material to work on, or potensai as it is officially known. I didn't have to look far. In my own back garden, which was just outside Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, there were seedlings of cherry, ash, birch and even I think an acorn just sprouting!

These got planted into whatever pot like object I had to hand, and my early collection of twigs lived in catering cans! They grew a bit rusty on the outside, I guess a bit of paint before I left them to the elements may have improved their outside appearance, but would have made no difference to their usefulness as starter pots for no cost.

The important thing for anyone just starting out is to choose pots or receptacles that will hold enough soil and enough water to keep your twig growing happily. Drainage holes are also a necessity to avoid drowning the tree. Willows will survive this as may Alders, but most trees like some air around their roots.

I also discovered early on that roots will happily grow through drainage holes and into the soil beneath! This can make it tricky to root prune your trees if you discover they have developed a tap root two foot long anchoring tree and pot to the ground.

For many years I have used various forms of tray beneath my collection, filled with pea shingle of various sizes. This has always had a useful side benefit of acting as a water reservoir beneath the pots and provided a micro-climate for them in hot weather. Plus you can easily prune off any roots that have escaped the pot.

Having quite quickly amassed 20 or so potential trees in my tin cans my next task was just to keep them watered and wait for them to give me some clue as to their preferred direction of growth. Would they like to be 'windswept?', 'broom?', 'root over rock?' Or just natural? While I waited, somewhat impatiently (callow youth) I kept my eyes open for further material, which I found in friend's gardens, by the roadside, in woods, on disused ground, in fact just about everywhere. All my collection is sourced from gardens, roadsides, the occasional wood, cuttings or seeds. Mostly deciduous and all species which grow happily in our climate all year round.

I kept a simple exercise book, in which I wrote the date and place of acquisition, the species, if known, and anything else relevant or possibly not. I still have the book with many of the entries crossed through as my early experiments refused to put up with me and died off.

It was quite early in my hobby when a new magazine came out just for bonsai enthusiasts like me, Bonsai magazine, published by Colin Lewis. It was a quarterly publication and I devoured it avidly. Full of pictures of proper bonsai trees and with stories on collecting, training and even exhibiting trees. I have every copy of this. from the very first one, now out of print, through to number 56, when the magazine got taken over by European publishers and its character changed.

Well all too soon retirement arrived and as I considered what I want to do in retirement the prospect of playing with my tree collection was no longer as appealing as it was from 40 years ago. True some of my trees are much more than twigs in pots. Many of them, if not all of them still have plenty of work left in them for someone with more appetite and energy than me.

I am therefore selling part of my collection (about 20 pots worth, some single trees, some multiple or groups). Some 40 - 60 years old, some younger. Not only trees, but bonsai magazines and books, pots and trays.

I want to do this in a personal way, matching the tree to its next custodian/artist. Some of them I won't part with unless the money is right. So some are expensive, some are cheap and some are in the middle. A percentage of sales revenue will go to the club funds.

I have photos, origin when I can remember where I found them, and a potted history, as befits all potted trees! These are collated on a private website, to which I can grant viewer access by person. I live in Totton and the trees can be viewed safely in my garden.

My email is nigelrheath@gmail.com

I am repeating the following on behalf of the UK Bonsai Association in case you missed or want to enter the Virtual Bonsai Show.

This is an appeal from the UK Bonsai Association for Bonsai Enthusiasts to Enter the Virtual Bonsai Show 2020.
The following is from the UK Bonsai Association Website.
Virtual UK Bonsai Association Show 2020
Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic we are immediately launching this Virtual Bonsai Show.
Please send us your entries, pictures can be taken in your back garden or at a show anytime between 1Jan19 and 20Sep20., as we receive the entries they will be posted on the monthly bulletin and added to the website immediately.
All UKBA members can vote for their favourite trees from 1st Oct till 11th Oct 20.

Guidelines for the Virtual UK Bonsai Association Show
 Entries anytime between 1Jan19 and 20Sep20.
 Be a UK resident and a UKBA member.
 Three entries per member per year only.
 Have owned the tree for at least 2 years.
 Colour photo with neutral uncluttered background with jpg format.

Please email your photo with the details below to markmoreland@live.co.uk
Details to accompany photo:
 Species: common name and (Latin name).
 Owner: name (your name won’t be mentioned, we will replace your name with a reference number)
 Origin: Country
 Style:
 Height: of tree (Top of the pot to apex): cm / inches. both please!
 Pot: Name of pot maker
 Stand: Name of stand maker
 History: In no more than 100 words explain journey and history of tree.
 Date of picture taken:
More information can be found on www.ukbonsaiassoc.org/uk-virtual-bonsai-show

Shows in 2020, All Cancelled

Shows in 2021

Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association will take place on Sunday 31st January 2021
In conjunction with a Suiseki / Saikei / Mame show, it will be held at:- The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
The show/auction is from 1000-1600hrs, Entrance fees are, adults £5, children under 16 go Free. (Exhibitors & Sellers close off date 10 Jan 21). No Traders stands at this event, just the auction. Auction contact: ukbonsaiassociation@gmail.com.

Swindon Winter Image Show 14th February 2021
Solent Bonsai Society will be showing at the 2021 Swindon Winter Image show on 14th February 2021, it is one of the best shows of the year at:- Grange Leisure Centre, Grange Drive, Stratton St. Margaret, Swindon, Wiltshire. SN3 4JY
It is open from 10am to 4pm. It is a good opportunity to buy those elusive pots, trees etc. as there are many traders at the show.
More information can be found on their website www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk.


Expo Bonsai UK 11th April 2021 The Harlington sports centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB The show open to public 1000-1600, Admission £5. Approximately 100 show quality trees along with support from a number of well known bonsai traders. If you are interested in submitting a tree for consideration please contact ebuk18@gmail.com (Exhibitors close off date 31 Jan 21). For more details see the website www.expobonsaiuk.weebly.com.

The British International Bonsai Show 9th to 11th July 2021
The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire. CV35 0BJ Many British & International guest artists and demonstrators will be in attendance.
For more information visit www.bibsevents.com


Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 10th August 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 13th August 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

This year, with the pandemic, it is a right off for bonsai clubs meetings and shows so I hope the newsletters are a reminder about bonsai and that there will be life after coronavirus and
as Captain Tom would say ‘Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day’
and the late great Vera Lynn song ‘We’ll meet again, but We know Where, but don’t know when’,
hopefully soon. Stay Strong, Stay Alert, Stay Safe.

Keith

Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

Secretary’s Report

Tasks for June
1. Protect delicate trees from hot sun.
2. Continue feeding with balanced fertiliser.
3. Thin out and reduce overcrowding on dense evergreens branches.
4. Trim deciduous trees, (I usually remove over large leafs).
5. Check for pests and diseases and treat accordingly.
6. Rotate trees for even light.
7. Water all trees thoroughly each day, don’t allow trees to dry out completely.


My Bubble family

Other Local Club Meetings in our area
.
Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm;
the next meeting is on 13th July 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm;
the next meeting is on 9th July 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

This year, with the pandemic, it is virtually a right off for bonsai clubs meetings and shows so I hope the newsletters are a reminder about bonsai and that there will be life after coronavirus
and as Captain Tom would say ‘Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day’ and the late great Vera Lynn song
‘We’ll meet again, but We know Where, but don’t know when’, hopefully soon.
Stay Strong, Stay Alert, Stay Safe.

Keith

Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

Many Thanks Steve, trees look great, it is always interesting to hear other members Bonsai journey.
With these difficult time if any member would like to send me a photo or photos of their trees, even with a write up on the photo and possibly your journey in bonsai or if there is a topic that you would like some information on, I will try and put them into future newsletters.
Don’t forget Bonsai is not just a plant in a pot, it’s a living art and unlike paintings and sculpture it’s a forever changing canvas.
Keith

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.
Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 8th June 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm; the next meeting is on 11th June 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.
So from one isolationist to all our other isolationist members and once again in these strange and difficult times, hopefully we can get back to normal in the near future.
Look forward to seeing you all sometime.
Stay Strong, Stay Alert, Stay Safe.

Keith

Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

My lockdown companion family has grown; there are now nine cubs + mum and dad.

With these difficult times if any member would like to send me a photo or photos of their trees, even with a write up on the photo or if there is a topic that you would like some information on, I will try and put them into future newsletters.
To start the ball rolling Clive has sent me some photos of some of his trees.

My Experience repotting a White Pine
This year due to the lockdown and the good weather, over the last few weeks, I have repotted many of my trees, some of which should have been repotted some years ago. One in particular took my attention and started me thinking. It was this Japanese Cascade White Pine.



















It took me over an hour to get the pine out of the pot (good example of repotting more frequently)
Photo1. When I finally got the pine out, it amazed me how much Mycelium there was and in the roots
Photo2, you may also note that the top 3 inches of akadama was very compacted so water was not getting much below the first 3 inches, although the root structure looked fine. The dry roots were packed with Mycelium.
Mycelium is what I have always called the white fungi that you see but in fact Mycelium is the fungus filaments of Mycorrhiza. Please note, this is only a brief look at what is a very complex subject, I hope it will give a small insight into the relationship between bonsai trees and Mycorrhizas and why it is so important to all bonsai trees

Why are Mycorrhiza so important to bonsai?
Mycorrhiza (mykes = fungus, rhiza = root) is a partnership (symbiosis) between fungi and the roots of plants. Most bonsai live in symbiosis with several mycorrhizal fungi (ectomycorrhiza, endomycorrhiza, VAM mycorrhiza). Such a symbiosis is vital for most bonsai tree species. The mycorrhizal fungus provides the bonsai tree with nutrients and water better and strengthens its resistance against wood-destroying fungi. In return, the tree provides the fungi with sugar. Mycorrhiza develops automatically after repotting a bonsai into a mineral bonsai soil such as Akadama, Kanuma or Kiryu.

Mycorrhiza Basics
Most people don't know about Mycorrhiza and the important role they play in a tree's ability to feed itself. Here's a quick introduction.
Some 70-90% of plants on earth will form a symbiotic relationship with Mycorrhiza fungi. The fungi colonize plant roots and act as an extension to the roots to search out and absorb water and nutrients from the soil - especially nitrogen and phosphorus. In exchange the tree provides sugars to the fungus that it uses to grow. The area covered by the fungus filaments (Mycelium) is much larger than the tree's roots -which may be 3-4 times as large. This means a much larger area of soil can be searched for nutrients than if only the tree's roots were involved.
The fungus filaments (Mycelium) first penetrate the roots as shown in Fig1. Or they may grow sheaths that wrap around the outside of the tree's roots Fig2.

The other end of the Mycelium filaments absorb water directly. When it encounters mineral salts, or rocks it can produce enzymes and even acids to turn those minerals into water soluble versions that can be transported back to the tree roots. Some mycorrhizal fungi attack dead plant material, such as leaf litter in a forest - or the fir bark sometime use in our bonsai soil mix, the fungi are directly causing decay in this case.
The green parts of the tree use the water and minerals plus photosynthesis to produce sugar and more growth in the tree.
As much as 30% of the sugars produced by the green leaves, needles etc. are delivered to the mycorrhiza for its growth.













Fig. 3 Flow of sugars (small dashes) from root to fungus and water and nutrient (larger dashes) from fungus to the root.
Fig.4 is what roots and mycorrhiza actually look like. You can see the roots as the tan lines. The much finer, while lines are the mycorrhiza filaments (Mycelium).

Fig.5 is a magnified view of the Mycelium tips, which search for and break down the nutrients. The very fine filaments connect to larger ones, which are often cross-connected to other filaments so that if one breaks the nutrients will continue to flow.

How This Works in Bonsai Soil
When we apply organic granular fertilizers to the top of our bonsai soil small amounts are dissolved every time we water. When we use a liquid fertilizer we are applying mineral salts that are dissolved in the water that we water with. Much of these salts will be lost as the water drains out the bottom, but some will be retained by the Bonsai soil used such as akadama, Kanuma, fir bark, even within the space between the soil particles the Mycelium can collect these nutrients.
Because our bonsai soil often contains fir bark, nutrients within the bark can be accessed via decay and, as in the soil of your garden, the soil and rocks can be broken down, although that will be slower than grabbing nutrients from the fertilizer salts. That's why it's important to fertilizer constantly, so that minerals are available for the Mycelium to collect and exchange with the roots and so the tree can grow.
Things to Watch For
Mycorrhiza can grow very rapidly. Over time there can be so many filaments that the flow of water through the soil is impeded. This seems to happen a lot with pine trees. Sometimes the soil has broken down into fine particles, but other times it's simply that there's too much mycorrhiza. In either case the tree will need to be repotted. Reuse some of the old soil when repotting. Also, collect some of the mycorrhiza filaments from the old soil and add it to the new pot.
If you have a tree that isn't growing as well as you think it should, maybe it needs more mycorrhiza. Transfer some soil from a healthy tree of the same species, e.g. pine to pine, juniper to juniper.
Adding Mycorrhiza to Your Soil
Some mycorrhiza spores will simply find your tree as they drift thru the air. You may also "seed" your soil by transplanting some mycorrhiza from another tree of the same species. This is especially easy to do with pines because the mycorrhiza is very visible.




















I think with my pine, the Mycorrhizas in Photo 2 and 3 must still provide the roots with food, even though the roots did not seem to be getting much water. Photo 4 after repotting.

This is only a brief look at what is a very complex subject, I hope, as it did for me, gives a small insight into the relationship between the bonsai tree and Mycorrhizas and why it is so important to trees root systems, and why it also so important to wire in all repotted bonsai, to stop any movement of the tree, when you realize how dependant on and how fragile the Mycelium that are attached to the root structure of all bonsai is whether it is a pine, maple, oak, beach etc. in fact all bonsai rely on Mycorrhizas with very few exceptions.

Much More information on this complex subject can be found on the internet such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycelium
Figures 1, 3 and 4 - The Magic of Mushrooms, first shown on BBC TV Four, can be found on YouTube, in which Professor Richard Fortey delves into the fascinating and normally hidden kingdom of fungi, it reveals a remarkable world that few understand or even realise exists - yet all life on Earth depends on it. Figure 2 - Fungal Biology, 4th Edition (textbook) by J.W. Deacon, University of Edinburgh, School of Biological Sciences. See chapter MYCORRHIZAS
Keith

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.
Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm, the next meeting is on 11th May 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm, the next meeting is on 14th May 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.
So from one isolationist to all our other isolationist members and once again in these strange and difficult times, hopefully we can get back to normal in the near future.
Look forward to seeing you all sometime.
Stay Strong, Stay Safe.
Keith
Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

Swindon Show Report
As usual the Swindon Winter image show was a terrific show to attend, with many outstanding trees some of which are probably the best in the country and possibly the last show for the foreseeable future.
Some of the show winners

It was a very well attended show with at least a dozen traders selling pots, trees, etc., by the end of the show most of the traders had very little left, especially the pot traders, it seemed that nearly every pot in the show had been sold. I think I only brought ten pots this year?
Although Solent were not showing this year we were well represented by our Chairman Robert who had been asked to put on an Shohin display

















If you would like to see many more pictures of the fantastic trees on show at the Swindon 2020 Winter Image show go to www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm, the next meeting is on 13th April 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm, the next meeting is on 9th April 2020. Cancelled
For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk
All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.

So from one isolationist to all our other isolationist members and once again in these strange and difficult times, hopefully we can get back to normal in the near future.
Look forward to seeing you all sometime.

Keith
Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435

UK Bonsai Association Auction Report
On Sunday 31st January 2020, at the Auction Run by the UK Bonsai Association. At the auction there was also a side show of Mame (very small bonsai), Suiseki (viewing stones) and Saikei (Japanese Tray Landscapes). Robert displayed Mame , Arthur and I Suiseki, Paul Saikei.

















Robert's MAME display















Arthur's Suiseki
Keith's Suiseki
Along with Paul's Saikei was David Penny who will be speaking at our September meeting.
We look forward to David’s talk . Below two examples of his Saikei














The auction run by UK Bonsai Association was well attended with over 100 lots. There are many pictures from the auction on the UK Bonsai Association website (ukbonsaiassoc.org )

Keith

Other Local Club Meetings in our area.

Eastleigh Bonsai Society meets on second Monday of the month start at 7:30pm, the next meeting is on 9th March 2020. Workshop. Eastleigh Bonsai Society meet at:-
United Reformed Church Hedge End, 14 St John's Rd, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 4AB
If you need any more information about Eastleigh BS please talk to Robert or myself.
For more information on Eastleigh Bonsai Society go to www.eastleighbonsai.co.uk

Chichester Bonsai Society meet on second Thursday of the month start 7:30pm, the next meeting is on 12th March 2020. Re-potting- For all Experienced members to assist beginners. Bring your trees along for help and advice. For more information on Chichester Bonsai Club go to www.chichesterbonsai.co.uk

All the clubs in the area support each other. If anyone would like more information on other local clubs please let me know.
Look forward to seeing you all on Friday 28th February ,
At the Solent Bonsai Winter Image Show

Keith Hartley
Secretary Solent Bonsai Society
www.solentbonsai.co.uk
Email kb.hartley@ntlworld.com
Mobile: - 07847487435