Bonsai Classes
Hello Bonsai Lovers,
The San Diego Bonsai Club (SDBC) is known for having many interesting and educational events for all bonsai enthusiasts from beginning students to those wishing to take their bonsai skill to the next levels. In addition to creating bonsai from individual trees, from tiny to large, we also have tray planting classes, pot making, experts on hand every meeting so you can get advice on any of your trees, guest speakers, demonstrations, and more in-depth workshops to learn and improve more advanced skills.
It is a requirement that one be a member of SDBC to take the classes and participate in other activities offered by the SDBC.
The beginning class sessions and, other workshops for intermediate and advanced students, are conducted during the regular meeting day which is the second Sunday of the month.
Beginning classes (Class session 1-3) are in Room 104 in the Casa del Prado at 12:45 PM. The fourth session for follow-up will be from 8:30 to 10:00 AM.
Workshops are also at 12:45 PM (unless otherwise stated) but in room 101 which is the main meeting room.
So, Check out what is now planned for you at SDBC.
Sign up for classes and workshops: E-mail Charlie at smosse@cox.net or sign up at the meetings.
Charlie Mosse
Vice President of Education
The San Diego Bonsai Club (SDBC) is known for having many interesting and educational events for all bonsai enthusiasts from beginning students to those wishing to take their bonsai skill to the next levels. In addition to creating bonsai from individual trees, from tiny to large, we also have tray planting classes, pot making, experts on hand every meeting so you can get advice on any of your trees, guest speakers, demonstrations, and more in-depth workshops to learn and improve more advanced skills.
It is a requirement that one be a member of SDBC to take the classes and participate in other activities offered by the SDBC.
The beginning class sessions and, other workshops for intermediate and advanced students, are conducted during the regular meeting day which is the second Sunday of the month.
Beginning classes (Class session 1-3) are in Room 104 in the Casa del Prado at 12:45 PM. The fourth session for follow-up will be from 8:30 to 10:00 AM.
Workshops are also at 12:45 PM (unless otherwise stated) but in room 101 which is the main meeting room.
So, Check out what is now planned for you at SDBC.
Sign up for classes and workshops: E-mail Charlie at smosse@cox.net or sign up at the meetings.
Charlie Mosse
Vice President of Education
Bonsai Basics (Beginners Class)
3 Classes are offered 3 times per year. Each class consists of 4 sessions:
Class 1 Winter: Sessions are in January, February, March, June Class 2 Spring: Sessions are in April, June, July, November Class 3 Summer: Sessions are in August, September, November Session 4 for each class will be 3-4 months after the last session for each class. The date is determined by the variety of tree and other scheduling. This is an important session to help students with continuing growth - continuing education as it were. This is one of the keys to successful Bonsai growing. Provided to the Student: Bonsai Starter stock plant, shears, soil, wire, screen, bonsai pot and instruction. Instruction for each class is in 3 sessions. All this for $40; such a deal. Other goodies may be given at the discretion of the Teacher.
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Option for Members
Class Series 3
Summer Use this option if you are a member !
$ 40.00 Option for Non Members
Class Series 3 Summer + Membership Bundle Click here if you are not a member. Price includes a years membership plus the class. Welcome aboard!
$ 70.00 |
Future Beginning classes
In June there is going to be session 4 (follow-up) for the beginning class students who took the Boxwood classes last summer/fall and also from the winter 2013 class. It is from 8:30 - 10:00 AM. This is the first of the 4th Sessions added to the Beginning class sessions. There is no charge for the session. This is a great time to bring in your trees and get some solid advice and assistance, and compare notes with other students as the tree grows and develops. This greatly improves your success with the growing of Bonsai.
Spring/Summer class sessions begin in April and continue in June and July at 12:45 PM with Session 4 (follow-up) being in November from 8:30 - 10:00 AM. The students will be working on the Olive, Olea europa. These trees are certified fruit bearing trees which will spice up your bonsai. In progress.
Summer/Fall Beginning Class sessions are in August, September and November. the 4th session will be in 2014, date to be determined. The students will be working on the Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper, Juniperus procumbens nana.
Spring/Summer class sessions begin in April and continue in June and July at 12:45 PM with Session 4 (follow-up) being in November from 8:30 - 10:00 AM. The students will be working on the Olive, Olea europa. These trees are certified fruit bearing trees which will spice up your bonsai. In progress.
Summer/Fall Beginning Class sessions are in August, September and November. the 4th session will be in 2014, date to be determined. The students will be working on the Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper, Juniperus procumbens nana.
Bonsai Skills Classes
We are now starting to offer members Bonsai Skill Classes. One skill will be offered at a time. Skills such as creating jin, creating shari, how to create good nebari, proper defoliation, re-potting, wiring, other methods of branch bending, proper pinching and the list goes on. The classes will be offered in the morning from 8:30 to 10:00 AM several times per year. The classes will be free or a nominal charge may be required if materials are needed to be provided by the club.
The first Bonsai Skills Class will be on July 14th and is no charge. Creating good Jin is the Skill to be shown. You can sign up at the June meeting or email me now for a spot in the class. Bring in your own tree, preferably a Juniper or Boxwood, for free guidance on creating Jin on your tree. If you do not have a tree, let me know and we can bring a Juniper on which to work.
Maple Workshop-With Cindy Read
Sold Out and in progress
The Maple workshop series started in December and was sold out with twelve students.
The Maples are 12 years old, grown slowly from seed. Some training and styling had been done by Cindy Read. Cindy will follow the progress of the tree and the student over a longer than usual period of time; instead of the usual single session workshop there will be at least 6 sessions. Cost was $45 which included the Maple, pot, pot screen, soil, and the wire for all of the sessions. For workshops the students bring their own tools. The schedule is below:
First session: December 9: Wiring and styling. Completed
Second session: January 13: The Maple workshop will not be held in January, but read on. The weather has been cool enough to keep the trees dormant. No warm weather surprises as yet. However, should the weather warm up drastically for a couple of weeks just before the January meeting, enough that it causes the branches and buds to swell or break, then bring your tree to the meeting and it will be looked at from 9-10, or if you cannot make it to the meeting, watch for the wire starting to get tight or start to push into the bark, and if needed, remove the wire. Remember that Maple bark is tender. Using Cindy’s advice by keeping the tree in a cool location will help keep the tree dormant during unseasonably warm weather.
Third session: February 10 : Check wiring and re-work wire as needed, transplant and working on early growth depending on the weather over the winter. NOTE: Transplant the trees this month while they are dormant but close to beginning to grow. Completed
Fourth session March 10: Check wiring and re-work wire as needed, working on early growth depending on the weather over the winter. Maples can start growing in March but not may not start until mid-March. With the cool weather, by mid-March most of the Maples had grown little or not at all, but were, at a minimum, showing signs of "waking up" out of dormancy. Maples were transplanted.
Fifth session: April 14: Work on new growth (Maples grow fast in the spring), check wiring and re-work wire as needed. This is an important session since the Maples grow fast. You will learn how to manage the growth to keep control of the shape of your tree. No class but two vigorous trees were worked on. Other trees seen did not require work at this time.
Sixth session: June 9: Work on new growth, check wiring and re-work wire as needed. Session will be in the morning.
Seventh session: July 14: Pinching, pruning, check wiring and do leaf pruning if necessary. Some trees will need it and some will not. Something new to learn.
The Maples are 12 years old, grown slowly from seed. Some training and styling had been done by Cindy Read. Cindy will follow the progress of the tree and the student over a longer than usual period of time; instead of the usual single session workshop there will be at least 6 sessions. Cost was $45 which included the Maple, pot, pot screen, soil, and the wire for all of the sessions. For workshops the students bring their own tools. The schedule is below:
First session: December 9: Wiring and styling. Completed
Second session: January 13: The Maple workshop will not be held in January, but read on. The weather has been cool enough to keep the trees dormant. No warm weather surprises as yet. However, should the weather warm up drastically for a couple of weeks just before the January meeting, enough that it causes the branches and buds to swell or break, then bring your tree to the meeting and it will be looked at from 9-10, or if you cannot make it to the meeting, watch for the wire starting to get tight or start to push into the bark, and if needed, remove the wire. Remember that Maple bark is tender. Using Cindy’s advice by keeping the tree in a cool location will help keep the tree dormant during unseasonably warm weather.
Third session: February 10 : Check wiring and re-work wire as needed, transplant and working on early growth depending on the weather over the winter. NOTE: Transplant the trees this month while they are dormant but close to beginning to grow. Completed
Fourth session March 10: Check wiring and re-work wire as needed, working on early growth depending on the weather over the winter. Maples can start growing in March but not may not start until mid-March. With the cool weather, by mid-March most of the Maples had grown little or not at all, but were, at a minimum, showing signs of "waking up" out of dormancy. Maples were transplanted.
Fifth session: April 14: Work on new growth (Maples grow fast in the spring), check wiring and re-work wire as needed. This is an important session since the Maples grow fast. You will learn how to manage the growth to keep control of the shape of your tree. No class but two vigorous trees were worked on. Other trees seen did not require work at this time.
Sixth session: June 9: Work on new growth, check wiring and re-work wire as needed. Session will be in the morning.
Seventh session: July 14: Pinching, pruning, check wiring and do leaf pruning if necessary. Some trees will need it and some will not. Something new to learn.
Japanese Black Pine Bonsai Workshop
For over a decade we have been getting a great deal from our Friends at Muranaka Bonsai Nursery. These pines are great stock for bonsai. Thick, nicely aged trunks, good branch layouts.
Each Pine Workshop is in two sessions. The first is at the March 2013 monthly meeting for cleaning, working on styling and growing information with Fred Miyahara and the Pine Group. Second session is in March 2014 for any work and growing information under Fred's direction. This is a great opportunity to work with our Black Pine experts. NOTE: Planting directly into the pine mix means the usual transplanting will not have to be done in 2014. Sign-up for the 2014 workshop will not be until December 2013. The order in which you sign up will not determine which tree you will receive. E-mail Charlie at smosse@cox.net or call 619-851-7187, or sign up at the meetings. |
Next Black Pine
Workshop March 2014 
$ 0.00 March 2014
Price will be announced in Dec, 2013 |
April Workshop Completed. This workshop was a great success.
A unique yet practical workshop is coming in April. One of our own members, Ken Bross, is going to offer a morning demonstration and then an afternoon workshop on Nebari or the root base of a tree, and how to create a first class root base. The demonstration will start after the general meeting at about 10:30-10:45 AM and the workshop will be at about 12:45 PM.
Ken has developed a unique, yet simple and dependable method to create excellent rootage (nebari) at soil level. The demonstration is open to all members. If you want to learn exactly how to do this yourself, there is a workshop at 12:45 PM at a nominal cost of $20 where you get a tree, soil and planting 'tile' to create your own nebari. This method is adaptable to most varieties used in Bonsai and is another great tool one can use to create beautiful nebari in a much shorter period of time.
4 established trees will be available for sale for $40 each. Sign-up now. E-mail Charlie at smosse@cox.net or call 619-851-7187.
Ken has developed a unique, yet simple and dependable method to create excellent rootage (nebari) at soil level. The demonstration is open to all members. If you want to learn exactly how to do this yourself, there is a workshop at 12:45 PM at a nominal cost of $20 where you get a tree, soil and planting 'tile' to create your own nebari. This method is adaptable to most varieties used in Bonsai and is another great tool one can use to create beautiful nebari in a much shorter period of time.
4 established trees will be available for sale for $40 each. Sign-up now. E-mail Charlie at smosse@cox.net or call 619-851-7187.
Future Workshops
The John Voss Juniper "class re-union" is happening in June. Any club member that has taken one of John's Juniper workshops is invited to bring in their Juniper for some free guidance. Bring your tools and do a little work while the assistance is there. You can sign up for the workshop at the meetings or send me an email.
John Voss is also going to teach another of his "Big Juniper" workshops starting in August in the afternoon with the second session being in November in the morning. His big Juniper Prostrata’s are older than most workshop trees, have large trunks and have been trained by John for many years. All the trees have had jin created and some have some shari. But there is still opportunity to create more. This is a great time to learn from a Juniper expert and add a beautifully aged tree to your bonsai collection. Note that the order in which you sign up will not dictate which tree you will receive.
Next year we already have three workshops planned, all with multiple sessions.
- The mighty Oak, Live Oaks and Cork Oaks with John Jackson. On March 21 the tree branches were pruned to promote a bushier plant, and then the root balls were pruned and the trees soaked in a Hormex solution for 15 minutes. The trees were then planted in a mix about 25% organic and 75% inorganic. they will be ready for the March 2014 class with lots of new growth and new roots.
- Foemina juniper with Michael Sykes. This is one of the best trees for the formal upright style. The workshop starts February 2014. The workshop will run for at least 4 sessions through 2015. First workshop session is in Check them out at:
https://www.google.com/search?q=foemina+juniper+bonsai&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a - Older single-trunked Boxwoods, with Cindy Read. Old, single-trunked Boxwood's are hard to find these days. Most are thin-trunked multiples only several years old. These are at least 10-12 years old. The trees will be pruned for size reduction and re-planted into fresh soil and will be ready for next year's workshop.
- More info to come as things develop.
Sign up for classes and workshops: E-mail Charlie at smosse@cox.net or call 619-851-7187, or sign up at the meetings.
