Defoliating a Japanese maple – Bonsai Tonight

My shohin Japanese maple grew well this spring which makes it a good candidate for defoliating. I removed the leaves, pruned a few long shoots, and covered the surface of the soil with moss.

Before defoliating

After defoliating – 7″ tall

When the new shoots begin to emerge, I’ll pinch them the same way I pinched them at the start of the growing season. I’ll plan to fertilize the tree in summer when the new leaves have hardened off.

Pacific Bonsai Expo Update

Last weekend marked the end of the submission period for the Pacific Bonsai Expo. We’re thrilled with the submissions that came in and are even more excited to see the trees in person. For everyone who submitted their trees, thank you!!!

Over the coming weeks we’ll be following up with submitters to get missing information and photos before sending the trees to the jury. Once we have the results back from the jury we’ll provide notice of which trees were selected for the exhibit, likely 4-6 weeks from now.

We’re planning to make tickets available around that same time, likely in mid-June. Stay tuned for updates as the date approaches.

Upcoming Events

The East Bay Bonsai Society and the Bonsai Society of San Francisco are hosting their annual auctions in the coming weeks. Here’s the info.

Bonsai Society of San Francisco Auction: Thursday, May 12, 2022 at the Recreation Room of the San Francisco County Fair Building from 7PM – 9PM. Bonsai, pre-bonsai, ceramics, tools, print publications, and all other items bonsai-related will be up for auction. All proceeds for the auction will go to funding the club’s operations.

East Bay Bonsai Society Annual Auction: June 8th at 666 Bellevue Ave., Lakeside Park Garden Center (Lake Merritt) in Oakland, California. The auction will start at 7:30 p.m. with a preview at 7:00 p.m. It will include established and starter bonsai trees, pots, tools, etc.