3rd US National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester NY

Rob Kempinski wrote:

Bob Simon (sp) Dawn Redwood (an amazing tree) - Best native

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Bob Shimon's award-winning tree was a coast redwood...and a beauty at that.

I believe the Yoshimura winner (azalea) was Robert Blankfield...and I'm pretty sure his Japanese Black pine also received the "best evergreen" award. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

coh wrote:Bob Shimon's award-winning tree was a coast redwood...and a beauty at that.

that makes perfect and in a way poetic sense ... bravo to all the winners... well done


and to all those that made this event possible... THANK YOU!!!! I was unable to attend myself but am already making plans (and working on trees) for 2014

My tree is a coast redwood, which is what my son Zack and I specialize in. Zack collected the tree about 10 years ago, and all of the branches were developed from new buds that emerged after collecting. The demo tree pictured above is also a coast redwood collected by Zack. Mr Mitsuya has developed a fondness for them and usually requests them for his demos when he is in our neck of the woods.
Our GSBF convention is going to be held in Sacramento this year Oct 24-27 and the theme is Calif Natives. Zack and I potted up a large twin trunk coastal redwood that Kevin Wilson, one ot the headliners, is going to use as his demo material. I will have a workshop on our collected material. Ryan Neil and Kathy Shaner will also be there.

coh wrote:
I believe the Yoshimura winner (azalea) was Robert Blankfield...and I'm pretty sure his Japanese Black pine also received the "best evergreen" award. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

Chris,

I seem to recall the Best Confier was a rather large juniper but I don't recall the winner's name. Usually Bill does not give two awards to one person at the show.

Rob,

Thanks for filling in the award winners in your earlier post! I forgot to mention that.

I wasn't at the banquet so I didn't see the award presentations. At our club meeting (BSUNY) last night, Bill announced that there were 2 winning trees from the club, and I thought they were both from the same person (Bob). I could be wrong about that, so will not speculate further. I'm sure Bill will post the winners when he has the chance - or maybe someone else who was at the banquet will clarify.

BTW, I thought your ficus was very impressive, as was the parsons juniper...don't see that one used too often. I had wanted to talk to you about buttonwoods, but every time I saw you around the exhibition hall you were busy.

bob shimon wrote:My tree is a coast redwood, which is what my son Zack and I specialize in. Zack collected the tree about 10 years ago, and all of the branches were developed from new buds that emerged after collecting. The demo tree pictured above is also a coast redwood collected by Zack. Mr Mitsuya has developed a fondness for them and usually requests them for his demos when he is in our neck of the woods.

Bob, I was there on Thursday when the truck from California was being unloaded. Your redwood caught my eye immediately. Congratulations on the award, it is very well deserved.

If you have a chance, can you share some tips on working with coast redwood? I have two (including a collected one from Zach) and am getting to the point where I need to start doing some pinching/pruning to develop branches/ramification. I was too busy to attend most of the demo during the exhibition, but I seem to remember Kathy saying that branches don't bud well once they've started to lignify.

Thanks Coh, it is pretty much the first time that I have shown my trees other than at my club show and at our GSBF convnention exhibit. The short answer to your question is that redwoods respond well to regular feeding. I use a 7-5-7 organic fertilzer monthly during the growing season and a 0-10-10 during the winter month. To create ramification pinch the new growth when the tree is actively growing and is about an inch long and still tender. In my area it is usulally March - June and in the fall. Do not pinch or cut back when the tree is not actively growing, in the summer when it is hot and during the winter.
If the growth is long and leggy, cut back to lateral growth and pinch new growth from the laterals. If the lateral growth is to long and leggy, cut it back to an inch or so. You may or may not get new growth where you cut, depending how active, healthy, and well feed the tree is. If you don't get new growth from where you cut back, you are certain to get a new bud at the crotch. Replace the old growth, that you cut back, with the new bud after it grows out a couple of inches and start the pinching process.
A couple of other tips: Plant in straight akadama, don't let it dry out, and keep the humidity up as much as possible. Water the foliage when watering the tree. Redwoods can develop a fungus when grown as bonsai. Look for yellowish, brown foliage with black spots. It can be corrected fairly easily with any fungicide. Treat it early and may take a couple of applications.

Hey Bob, congrats!

Any chance you could post a picture of the tree?

I think redwoods are one of America's treasures, and it sounds like y'all are doing amazing things with them. How about showing them here off sometime??

R

Congratulation to all the winners and exhibitors. I know that a lot of exhibitors drove trees from all corners of the USA, so that effort is commendable by itself. I think this commitment deserves an award on its own!!!

Warm regards,

Jose Luis

P.S. Carlos, stop being a d**k!!!

Thanks Russell - Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of the tree, and it sold at the show. I have mixed feelings about having sold it, since I have never sold any of my developed redwoods before. I was told prior to sending the tree to N.Y. that a serious collector was coming to buy a redwood, and that he would probably be interested in buying this tree.
I do have some others that I show and am getting ready for our club show in August. I have had problems figuring out how to post pictures on this site. I also have some pretty nice sierra junipers that Ryan Neil has worked on and have tried posting them here without any luck. You may have seen them on the Bonsai Nut site

I've been busy with a two day seminar with Yasuo Mitsuya and Kathy Shaner and unable to post until now.

The results and information on the exhibition can bee seen in the new thread:

OFFICIAL 3RD US NATIONAL BONSAI EXHIBITION RESULTS

Thanks for all your wonderful comments!

Bill

Bill,

Fantastic report. My sincere congratulations on the show. I know a lot of people helped, but without your vision, this show will not be....

Warm regards,

Jose Luis