Stay Connected to your Bonsai |
February is one of those in between months. You follow along with January’s advice of pruning and shaping, but you also can start to look forward to spring. Since the last freeze across the U.S. is generally 12 or more weeks away, it’s not quite time to put anything into action, but it is a great time to stock up on all of the items you will need this year. This keeps your mind working and connects you with your bonsai, and your hobby.
There are essentially two types of items you will need to stock up on: consumables, and reusable’s.
Think of all of the stuff you use up during the year; from soil, to fertilizer, wire, drainage mesh, moss, seeds, and chemicals. All of these items need to be replaced. Now you don’t need much to grow bonsai, but as you find products you love, you realize they make it much easier and nicer to have them and use them. Now is the perfect time to take an inventory and order those items you can’t do without. Also, while you are at it, maybe you would like to try a product or two that you haven’t tried before. If so, might I suggest BioGold Vital. It’s a growth stimulant from the makers of BioGold and it really helps those roots and leaves green up and become healthier and stronger. We also have an assortment of cut paste with varying consistencies to please everyone.
On the reusable side, there are pots and tools and potting aids like brooms and patters and sieves. A lot of these items, like pots, are necessary to purchase each year as the number of your bonsai collection grows. As you know, we have the largest selection of bonsai pots on the planet. So whatever you are looking for, you can find it at our store.
Some people don’t consider tools as items to stock up on. However, if you think about adding just one tool to your collection each year, then soon you will have a great assortment of tools for every purpose. Remember, Fujiyama tools are second to none and they come with a 3 year warranty!
There are also potting tools like our handy potting station ESS04 which keeps your area clean, and sieves which help you classify the soil. All of these tools are fantastic additions to every bonsai enthusiast’s tool box.
Finally, I just want to point out that my intent with this article is not to create an advertisement for the products I sell. It’s to help you stay active in this wonderful hobby during the winter. Please use our web site as a place to keep yourself motivated and enthusiastic during the winter months. If you have any comments or suggestions on how we can make our website better for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Sincerely,
Fred Meyer
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Fujiyama Potting Medium
Now contains Zeolite from Japan and the US.
An all-round "soil" for Bonsai.
See all Potting Mediums
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Annealed Copper Wire
Its use is considered for the professionals. Why? Well, it's harder to work with than the softer copper colored aluminum wire. It's an excellent choice for the person who has a difficult tree that is in need of some really tough shaping. Don't let the professional tag scare you. You need to think of this as about three times the strength of the copper colored aluminum wire we offer. That means you really don't need as big a wire as with aluminum - therefore it won't be as obvious when viewing your Bonsai. It comes in 500 gram (about 1.1 pounds or nearly 18 ounces) and 1 Kilogram rolls - (about 2.2 pounds or 2 pounds 3 ounces). The table below shows the length of the 1 kilo rolls. The 500 gram rolls would be half as long. |
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BIOGOLD VITAL - A Growth Stimulant from Japan
$12.95
BIOGOLD VITAL - A Growth Stimulant from Japan. Activation Liquid - Biogold Vital. Spray it on the leaves/needles with a suitable sprayer (1:100), then spray it twice a month. You will notice results within a few days. Roots and leaves will become greener, healthier and stronger.
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The Essentials for Potting
$44.95
ESS04 - The Essentials for Potting. An extremely convenient grouping of potting tools for those Bonsai hobbyist that want a neat and tidy way of potting or repotting. We imported this new item from Japan. All are plastic and extremely sturdy. This package comes with a 22" x 22" x 6" deep plastic pan for holding your soil mix. It has a removable partition so that you can have two different mixes in the pan or just one large area for one soil mix. There are two plastic soil screens that are 2mm (approximately 1/8") and 6mm (approximately 1/4"). The screens are fashioned like a skillet with a handle for convenient handling. They are 12" x 12" x 2 3/4" deep. Also included are 3 tools to assist in the potting chore: 2 soil scoops - one narrow and one wide, larger soil scoop, one trowel. It's really an extremely convenient package that everyone will want. |
Our new monthly Bonsai tips are brought to you, by special arrangement, courtesy of the John Yoshio Naka Family. You can find the full year’s guide and a whole lot more in the book Bonsai Techniques I by John Naka. We have both of Mr. Naka’s books, Bonsai Techniques I and Bonsai Techniques II, available for immediate purchase.
In general, the same rules for the care and culture of bonsai during January hold true for February. The weather conditions for both months are quite similar. However, there are times when quite warm weather prevails, usually toward the end of the month. This unseasonal warmth will cause certain reactions in certain bonsai, and the following special precautions should be taken.
If a deciduous bonsai starts sprouting and /or blossoming, it should be brought out of the shade into the sunlight gradually. If left in the shade, the new sprouts will grow too longs and spindly. This will give the bonsai a weak and straggly appearance. Those bonsai which blossom during February should also be moved into sunlight, or they will develop blooms with a weak, sickly and unnatural color.
The first warm weather of the year sometimes brings on the first infestation of aphids. Watch for them and be prepared to spray or dust. The latter is the most practical, in as much as it is still the season for late rains and heavy dews. A dormant spray with lime-sulphur is necessary before any new sprouts appear.
Fertilizing:No fertilizing yet. However, soil sulphur, iron-tone, crystal gypsite, etc., can be used to recondition alkaline soil. If the soil is too sour, use gypsum lime, wood, ash, etc., to sweeten.
Pruning: A good month for pruning any fruit-bearing bonsai. The tree may be allowed to blossom first, but pruning should begin as soon as possible for healthier fruit.
Cuttings: Start from February and continuing through May is the best time to start cuttings.
Grafting: Grafting on deciduous trees should start this month. The pine family and other conifers may still be grafted this month, but this is the final month to do so.
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B37 Bonsai Techniques I by John Naka
$36.40
The best book in the English language on Bonsai....NO EXCEPTIONS. John Yoshio Naka is our American Treasure Bonsai Master. This book is jammed packed with information that you won't find other places. A treasure trove of Bonsai Wisdom. This book is soft back, 8" x 11", 269 pages, 16 pages of color illustrations, many black & white photos and drawings by the author. Included in the contents are tools and supplies for the workshop, general approach to Bonsai, step by step training, rootage, trunk, apex, branching, trimming, wiring, pots, soil mixes, styles. |
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