Welcome to the Bonsai4me April Newsletter.
The long wait for Spring to arrive is nearly over with some deciduous trees now coming into leaf, although a few others are still waiting for warmer weather.
Certainly, I still have a dozen or so trees that I’m waiting on until I can repot them at the most opportune moment, despite the arrival of April.
If you still have some trees left to repot, you may enjoy this month’s exclusive video, the repotting of a refined European Spindle. A bonsai that requires a different approach to repotting. Please find links to the video further into this newsletter.
Be aware of late frosts; damage tends to occur when the soil becomes frozen overnight and does not thaw out before the relatively warm sun rises and requires the tree to transpire. At this point the frozen soil does not leave a bonsai with much available moisture at the roots, and not enough to protect the delicate Spring leaves. |
Feeding and Growth Enhancers for the year
I’m very proud to say that the products I offer on the bonsai4me.com/store are also the products I use on my own personal collection of bonsai and those that I sell through the store.
An application of Danu bacteria has already been applied to all of the trees in my garden to encourage even fine growth throughout each bonsai and maximum backbudding. A further application will be made as temperatures rise and all of my trees are in leaf, for maximum effect.
In terms of fertilising, I am using Oceana organic soils fertiliser pellets again this year, having applied Oceana Rootboost to all trees, especially newly repotted ones, already. The Rootboost is applied every 4-6 weeks.
I will switch to ordinary Oceana in mid-May.
There are some species that are better not fed until later in the season and for them, it is worth waiting. Refined deciduous trees are better not being fed to discourage coarse growth in the Spring and I avoid feeding any of my pines all the way until the new growth sets in mid-July. This encourages shorter needles and finer growth. A heavy feeding regime is then applied throughout the late summer and autumn.
Two products that can cause confusion are seaweed and fish emulsion from ProBio Carbon. Seaweed should be seen as a growth facilitator rather than a fertiliser and supplies essential micro ingredients to your trees that help promote better use of fertilisers when you apply them.
Fish Emulsion on the other hand, is a very strong nitrogen-based fertiliser that must be used with care as they can burn the roots of a tree if dosed too heavily. At the safe levels described on the bottle, it does however promote very strong growth in trees requiring plenty of extension and thickening.
Dr Karen's research is showing that seaweed and fish are best applied every 3 weeks during the growing season and not every fortnight as I had become accustomed.
All Oceana fertilizers and ProBio Carbon Products are available here in the Bonsai4me.com/store |
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| While copies of Bonsai Inspirations 2 should last for most of this year, I am down to the very last box of Foundations of Bonsai. If you’d like to get your copy now before they totally sell out, it would be worth doing now from the Bonsai4me.com/store! |
Bonsai Nibblers
After 8 years of production, Bonsai Nibblers are no more, for the foreseeable future at least.
We still have some stock on the Store (extenders for dremels and Nibblers for die-grinders (6mm shanks)) but once they are sold, we will no longer be able to offer these products.
Bonsai Nibbler owner Chris has become very busy making other engineering products and unfortunately doesn’t have the time to keep building these wonderful carving bits.
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I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with some good friends from Europe in February, including French bonsai artist Laurent Darrieux, famed for his ‘Cosmic Bonsai’ style.
I am fortunate to have returned to the uk with stock of his two books
So I’m very pleased to announce that I have copies of the books Cosmic Bonsai 1 and 2 by Laurent Darrieux available for sale here in the uk via the Bonsai4me.com/store, fresh from the Trophy last weekend!
Because I ship from the UK this is your opportunity to obtain these books in the uk without the possibility of customs duties. I can of course ship to anywhere in the world.
Both books explain Laurent’s artist philosophies and the techniques used to create his unique style. They are not however ‘beginners books’ and already having a basic understanding of bonsai is required.
Available for sale here in the uk via the Bonsai4me.com/store
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I am currently working on and recording a number of videos that will become public next Winter. These videos are being edited in a similar style to my current work on YouTube; so fairly direct, fact-filled and hopefully free of too much waffle and filler!
They will however explore a more detailed approach to styling bonsai, in terms of techniques and design, making them an average of 20-30 minutes content. Something I know many YouTube viewers have asked of me.
The videos are currently only available privately on YouTube but if you would like a taster of the new output, please follow the links here in this Newsletter.
In this video I show the main points to remember when repotting a refined bonsai, in this case a Field Spindle.
Disruption of the rootball is minimal and the aim of the repot is to rearrange any new surface roots that have appeared over recent years, and to give a small amount of fresh soil for the lateral/surface roots to grow into. . Repotting A Refined Field Spindle Bonsai |
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5th Expo Bonsai UK 2024
Sun, 14th Apr 2024 10:00 - 16:00
at K2 Crawley (Leisure Centre)
Pease Pottage Hill, Crawley, RH11 9BQ
Admission: £8
Children under 16 accompanied by adults FREE
Myself and the Bonsai4me team will be trading at this event in mid-April. There is always an excellent display of very top quality trees from across the UK with many traders in attendance.
"From the team that have brought you both the well known Heathrow Bonsai Show along with ExpoBonsai Heathrow and fully supported by the UK Bonsai Association.
An exhibition of individually owned high quality bonsai trees. As with 2023 this event is aimed at the individual enthusiast, whether a club member or not. Each exhibitor will have a space of 6ft to display each of their trees in an appropriate manner. The intention of the show is to place an emphasis on display, whether traditional or contemporary, and follow the successful formula of the previous events.
The event will consist of a display of 100+ show quality trees along with attendance by 40+ well known bonsai traders."
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UK Bonsai Association (UKBA)
UK Events Diary for the coming month:
14Apr24 Sun (Confirmed)
5th Expo Bonsai UK
Sponsored by UKBA
K2 Leisure Centre,
Pease Pottage Hill, Crawley,
West Sussex. RH11 9BQ
Adm: £8. Accompanied under 16.yrs Free.
Times: 1000-1600.hrs.
Contact: Steve Hale 07850.771201
Email: ebuk18@gmail.com
www.ExpobonsaiUK.weebly.com
20&21Apr24 Sat & Sun (Confirmed)
Accrington & District Bonsai Society Display
At Daisy Nook Garden Centre,
Stannybrook Road, Daisy Nook,
Failsworth, Manchester. M359WJ.
Adm: Free. 0900-1700.hrs & 1030-1630.hrs.
Ctc: Diane Kennedy 07799.567692
Email: dianestardis@icloud.com
www.accringtonbonsai.co.uk
25-28Apr24 Thu-Sun (Confirmed)
Yorkshire Bonsai Society Display & Show
At Harrogate Spring Flower Show,
Great Yorkshire Showground,
Railway Road, Harrogate,
North Yorkshire. HG2 8NZ.
Adm: tba. (Exhibitors Free).
Times: 1000-1700.hrs
Contact: Craig Brown 07763.771701
Email: jcraig008@sky.com
Supporting Trader:
Driftwood Bonsai
27&28Apr24 Sat & Sun (Confirmed)
Celtic Bonsai Morten Albek Weekend
Workshop Fully Booked
Pre-booked viewing places only left £25 each
Masion Aberglasney Gardens,
Llangathen, Carmarthenshire,
Wales. SA32 8QH.
Contact: Chris Thomas 07798.798194
Email: chris.thomas1@sky.com
04&05May24 Sat & Sun (Confirmed)
Accrington & District Bonsai Society Display
At Barton Grange Garden Centre,
Garstang Road, Brock,
Preston. PR3 0BT.
Adm: Free. Times: 0900-1730.hrs & 1000-1630.hrs.
Ctc: Diane Kennedy 07799.567692
Email: dianestardis@icloud.com
www.accringtonbonsai.co.uk
04-05May24 Sat & Sun (Confirmed)
Sutton Bonsai Society Show
Wisley Gardens, Wisley Lane,
Wisley, Surrey. GU23 6QB
Adm: £ tba Times: 1000-1630.hrs.
Contact: Andy Jordan 07958.372101
Email: antique.netsuke@gmail.com
www.suttonbonsai.co.uk
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STOP PRESS! Harry Harrington/Bonsai4me Team Workshops
The ever popular bonsai workshops here in Aylesbury will resume in the late Summer, and throughout the dormant season into next Spring.
I added a string of 8 dates to the Bonsai4me.com/store please visit to book your place. |
Please forward the Newsletter to fellow enthusiasts and club members. They can also subscribe for themselves via the Form on the Bonsai4me.com homepage.
Enjoy!
Harry |
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