Intermediate Workshop, Thursday, September 21, 2017

On September 21, 2017, I went looking for the REBS Intermediate Workshop held at the Bennett Valley Senior Center, 704 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, CA. I parked my truck at the rear parking lot and entered the building. Several groups were conducting meetings at the Senior Center but it was easy to find the room where the REBS members were working on their own bonsai. Senior Instructor Ivan Lukrich was there working with each individual member. Michael Murtaugh was assisting Ivan. There were six members with several bonsai each to work on. I arrived about 7:45 pm to observe their work.

Kurt and Sally Kieckhefer were assessing an old cedar (Cedrus sp.) that appeared to be a collected specimen. It had two primary branches forming a big “Y” and interesting deadwood features. With Ivan’s help, they tried to angle the tree in a manner that would best show off the trunk and branches and foliage. It was difficult finding the right angle to set the tree. Another approach was to separate one live branch from the deadwood and twist the live branch towards the center to fill a large gap. This was the approach taken and Ivan skillfully separated the live branch using a large root cutter. A guy wire was used to hold the live branch in place. Now, the big “Y” was less apparent.

Suzanne Waxman had several bonsai at the workshop. I stopped by when she was working with a small Junperius chinensis procumbens nana or garden juniper that she was cleaning and thinning. A dozen years ago we would be pinching the foliage tips. Now we use a sharp scissors to cut and remove the center foliage tips and leave two prongs in the thinning process. It is tedious work but it so much improves the growth of new foliage and helps in the overall styling of the bonsai.

Jim Gallagher was working on his tall, cork bark elm (cultivar Ulmus parvifolia ‘Cork Bark’). Jim was thinning the foliage and cleaning the bonsai.

Michael was helping Mike Nelson work on his newly acquired cork bark elm (cultivar Ulmus parvifolia ‘Cork Bark’), which he purchased from Lone Pine Bonsai Nursery. A little soft wiring was applied to some of the branches.

Jim Scholz was observed wiring his Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii). Jim said he has worked on this black pine for over 20 years. The bonsai was wide open with lots of negative spaces between branches. Michael was helping with the wiring. One section of wiring was complete and other branches still required some wiring.

Finally, new member Chris Garrett had two bonsai, a small, oak (Quercus sp.) and redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), which he purchased from the member sales at the REBS annual show in August 2017. Ivan worked with Chris, showing him how to cut and shape the raw materials. Slight wiring was done on the redwood to put movement in the young branches.

The Intermediate Workshop is scheduled for every third Thursday of the month. A small fee covers rent of the room. Members are required to bring their own tools, wire and bonsai. The workshop is from 7 to 10 pm. Everyone seemed to get a lot done on their bonsai. It was rewarding to observe the ongoing bonsai work and training.

— George Haas

Secrets of Bonsai-Uncovering the Mechanism of Root Regeneration

September 14, 2017

ReIncreased levels of AUX/IAA19, which indicate an activation of auxin signaling, were observed in the cut-end of root-cut plants compared to intact plants. Scale bar = 0.1 mm. Credit: Xu D. et al., Plant and Cell Physiology, September 1, 2017.

The molecular mechanism behind root regeneration after root cutting in plants has been discovered. A finding which could lead to the development of new methods for regulating plant growth in agriculture and horticulture.

A plant’s root system is highly regenerative. It plays a critical role in absorbing water and nutrients from the soil and therefore its loss can be an immediate threat to their lives. The plasticity of the root system also helps plants adopt to adverse conditions such as draught. An agricultural technique called root pruning, or root cutting, uses this natural robustness to control plant growth. It has also been used in horticulture to control plant size and vigor as seen in Bonsai.

Previous studies have suggested that root regeneration occurs through the induction of lateral root (LR) formation, and that auxin, a well-studied growth hormone involved in various processes of plant development, plays a role in the process. However, the molecular mechanism behind root regeneration has remained largely unknown.

According to a new study published in Plant and Cell Physiology, scientists have identified for the first time that YUCCA9, one of the eleven YUCCA genes involved in auxin synthesis, plays a primary role in root-system regeneration.
Using Arabidopsis as a model, the research team led by Associate Professor Masaaki Watahiki of Hokkaido University found that root cutting induces both LR formation and the growth of existing roots. Experiments investigating gene expressions and using mutants identified YUCCA9 as the primary gene responsible for auxin biosynthesis during root-system regeneration after root cutting. In collaboration with Professor Masashi Asahina of Teikyo University, the team also found an evident increase in the level of auxin after cutting.
Auxin commonly shows an uneven distribution in plant bodies as a result of polar transportation, leading to gravity – or light-induced bending of the plant. The team found that the polar transport system is required for root regeneration as well.

Interestingly, the team revealed that the defective LRs of some auxin signaling mutants can be recovered by root cutting, suggesting the robustness of the auxin signaling induced by root cutting. They also showed a redundancy of auxin biosynthesis genes by mutant analysis.

“We identified the primary gene of auxin biosynthesis which is responsible for root regeneration upon root damage. This finding could lead to the development of new methods for suppressing or enhancing root regeneration, and thus controlling plant growth in agriculture and horticulture,” says Masaaki Watahiki .

More information: Dongyang Xu et al, YUCCA9-Mediated Auxin Biosynthesis and Polar Auxin Transport Synergistically Regulate Regeneration of Root Systems Following Root Cutting, Plant and Cell Physiology (2017). DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcx107

Provided by: Hokkaido University

 

World record for the largest bonsai tree collection set in Taiwan

A new Guinness World Record for the largest display of bonsai trees was created in Taipei, Taiwan on January 17 [2017].

John Garland, a Guinness World Records official, counted 1,458 potted mini trees in the Bohtai Garden on Saturday, reported China News Service.

The combined age of the tiny plants is more than 145,800 years with the youngest being 80 years old and the eldest 500 years old, according to Chen Wantian, the owner of the collection.

Chen said that he started collecting bonsai to protect the rare local specimens.
“I watched for years how foreign buyers were purchasing bonsai plants from Taiwan. I felt very sad that these rare Taiwanese species were shipped aboard, so I started collecting bonsai,” Chen explained.

Currently, his collection forms seven percent out of all rare bonsai trees growing in Taiwan.

by GBTIMES

Fundraising at the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt

Fundraising for Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt.
BGLM has raised 46% of its goal of $100,000 towards the Garden Revitalization Opportunity (GRO) Project. BGLM has some ways to go yet. So, we launched an engraved brick selling campaign. A brief video explains the GRO project and how to participate in purchasing recognition bricks. Please click on the URL below to watch the video and help by spreading the word.

https://spark.adobe.com/video/6t6EqVHnF0UaL

 

Update: Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt (BGLM) Garden Revitalization Opportunity (GRO)

Great news – the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt (BGLM) Garden Revitalization Opportunity (GRO) Project ended August 2017 by raising 45% towards its goal of $100,000. New vertical, straight grain red cedar benches and stands have been installed to replace the original bonsai display benches and stands. There have been more than two thirds of the new overhead water systems using the new micro cone sprayers installed to replace the old drip irrigation piping. Copper metal sculpture artwork has been added to the accent display site with its own water system. In October, plans call for the installment of cement pavers for all the pathways. This will eliminate muddy and dusty conditions and make it more accessible and safer for the public. Needless to say, exciting things are taking place at the BGLM. Look for new fundraising ideas coming this month. BGLM thanks everyone for their support.