East Van Bonsai

As of 2020, we are not holding regular bonsai nights or monthly meetings. For now, East Van Bonsai will remain an online source for local bonsai information. Thank you for your interest and thank you to contributors, volunteers and participants. Please keep in touch and do seek out other bonsai clubs around Vancouver. Information can be found on this websites resource page.

View this beautiful short video on Ben Oki and a styling of a collected tree. If you are not yet familiar with Ryan Neil and Bonsai Mirai, get on with it. Mirai Live is the best way to watch and learn bonsai on a screen. (my opinion)

That time has come again! From April to June, local bonsai clubs hold their annual shows across The Lower Mainland. This is a great opportunity to check out what local clubs are doing, meet some of the people and see the trees that enthusiasts in our region have been cultivating. Some shows even have plant material for sale. Check out the calendar on the about page for info on this springs events. 

China Pottery in Richmond, BC has some new stock. As of Feb 26 2019 they have a few bonsai pots to choose from. They are one of the few local retailers. Check ’em out.

The bonsai season is all but over and winter is heading our way. More importantly, the cold, the wind and the rain are heading for our trees. As winter rolls in for us in the temperate zone, we must protect our trees. Keep your trees from getting too wet over winter. Shield your trees from harsh drying winds, especially those twiggy trees. Remember that roots in shallow pots are highly susceptible to freezing. Heeling-in our trees or placing them on the ground next to the heat of our homes is often enough protection from our mild winters. Enjoy the last days of fall and we will see you at the end of winter.

On May 19 & 20 2018, Sumi Bonsai Club had their annual show at VanDusen. The show consisted of one room full of bonsai on display, a few live demonstrations and vendor tables along the hall entrance. These shows are great opportunities to purchase material at fair prices. Small Japanese Maples, Azalea’s, the odd Juniper, Cypress, Pine, and other various deciduous trees can be purchased in pots. I walked away with an exceptional Hornbeam(Carpinus) bonsai. Here are just a few images of the show including some trees that caught my attention. Enjoy.

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On April 23 2018 East Van Bonsai hosted an air-layer demo lead by Peter B. Here are some photos and words regarding the layer done on a big larch. Assuming all goes to plan, Peter will revisit the larch in August. Hopefully enough roots will have formed by then to remove the layer in the same year.

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Before that magical bonsai tree of yours reaches the refinement stage, focus should be on growth and development. A shallow ceramic pot looks great, but may not be ideal for optimum growth. Wooden training boxes allow for bespoke dimensions to accommodate any size of tree. By allowing your tree to build up it’s resources and develop a strong(compact) root system, you propel it’s rate of growth, moving the tree ahead. There is good reason why bonsai professionals use boxes. Here are some benefits of using training crates.

1. Build to size, any size. Finding the perfect dimensions in a training pot for your tree can be challenging. Make your box to any specs.

2. Inexpensive. Buy affordable planks of wood. Use wood you find or already have.

3. Easy to customize. Attach handles for large heavy trees. Fasten screws in the wood for guide-wire mounting points or tie-down wires to secure on the bench or railing.

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This is a re-post from Bonsai Tonight. Jonas puts it very clearly so that it is easy to follow. View his blog for tons of helpful and informative articles on bonsai. Link below.

https://bonsaitonight.com/2012/02/24/how-to-wire-a-bonsai-pot/