by Lee Squires

I hope you all can attend our Annual Garden Tour on Saturday, June 12th. We’ll be visiting John Callaway’s & Jack Patton’s collections. It should be a fun, interesting and educational event. Please see other pertinent information elsewhere in this newsletter.

Thanks to all that helped make our Art in the Arbor participation a success. We sold all but two of the trees that we had for sale, sold many raffle tickets for the Crepe Myrtle bonsai and signed up a few for the beginner’s workshop which will be held on May 22nd, 10:00 at the Bon Air Library. Please try to attend so you can assist participants with their trees. Earl Ekman may be calling soon and ask for your help. A special thank you to Earl Ekman who headed up the Art the Arbor event. Earl, also, is basically in charge of the beginner’s workshop. Thanks Earl, you‘re the energizer bunny of the GLBS. “Old guys rule”, or something like that ! You da man!

I would like to comment on George Buehler’s warning and caution last month on Di-Syston, the pesticide I mentioned in last month’s newsletter. He is correct that caution must be exercised with this chemical and any others that you may use. He did mention “irreversible eye damage” that could result with eye exposure to this chemical. The eye is very sensitive and it does not regenerate like skin or other tissues in our bodies. Most any pesticide that comes in contact with eye tissue will cause permanent damage not just Di-Syston. The eyes just cannot take the toxicity. In high doses as a spray it can leach into the water surrounding the application area. It is toxic to fish so you home pond hobbyists should keep it away from your ponds. Di-Syston is readily absorbed through the skin; especially the armpit, crotch area and the bottom of the feet………..the soft tissue areas of the body. These same areas are affected by any other pesticide. George was under the impression that this is a powder and easily blown by the wind into your face or eyes. The product that I use is not a powder. The homeowner version is a small granule that doesn’t easily get blown around by the wind and is never sprayed as a liquid. It only contains 2% active ingredient. When it is applied to the soil with a spoon (I use plastic) it stays where you put it. I always water in immediately after application and it gets down into the soil quickly as it dissolves. It is interesting to note that it is used in the production of asparagus as a pesticide for various “bugs” that feed on asparagus. This commercial dosage contains 85% active ingredient and is an emulsion which is mixed with water and sprayed on the crop. Wind can pick this up and carry to non-target areas like your eyes, birds, bees, etc.  The caution is not to spray 30 days before consumption. Love that asparagus!
Pesticides are great tools for us to use. If the world was fed by organic farming we would all starve to death. I don’t want George’s comments to frighten and alarm you but we all should be concerned about pesticides and what they can do for us or to us. I treat every pesticide as if it might kill me. You should do the same but don’t be afraid to use them. Treat them with respect, follow the directions and wear protective clothing, wash exposed skin and never smoke while applying pesticides. Nicotine is an insecticide. Did you know that ?

When the great herbicide, Roundup, introduced and patented by Monsanto, came on the market around 30 years ago, I attended a seminar on its use. The rep said that it had a low toxicity and wasn’t anymore toxic than table salt. I raised my hand and asked him a question , “have you ever seen what a teaspoon of salt does to a slug” ? He didn’t have a comeback. Oh, well.

Natural Imperfection vs. Unnatural Perfection

It is true that bonsai is a combination of art and horticulture. You can’t have success  without applying both and that is a sure thing. Our bonsai should look as natural as possible while at the same time being controlled in a pot they should resemble a mature tree in miniature form. It is natural in nature to have an imperfect tree. It is unnatural in nature to have a perfect tree. Our bonsai, in my way of applying these principles, should be natural in appearance, not unnatural. How is this achieved?

1. Do not wire every branch and twig…..let some grow uncontrolled
2. Do not train a tree to grow differently than you find it in nature
3. Do not strive for fat, grotesque trunks on short trees
4. Use the clip and grow trimming method…..Mother Nature uses this consistently

These four principles give your plant or tree the shape that makes it a bonsai. They can make or break the illusion. It really is up to you, the grower, as to what you like and what you perceive as bonsai. You can go natural or unnatural, imperfect or perfect but, in nature, trees are always naturally imperfect and never unnaturally perfect. I prefer not to have my trees resemble  those artificials found on Disney’s back lot but instead, I want my trees to resemble a tree struggling with natural forces that bend and force growth in natural shapes ; not the contrived design of an over-wired tree. The great John Naka, once said, in his broken English while doing a demo, “cut away everything on tree that is not bonsai”. Good advice.