So,
Being the new guy I hear about all these time references (Early Fall, Late Winter, etc.) Then based on the type Conifer, Deciduous, Evergreen, Tropical specific tasks “pinch, prune”, needs, or fertilizer.
My question is what’s a bonsai “care” calendar look like? or does Mirai have a calendar they utilize? I’m sure eventually this becomes a program and second hand nature for some. Being new (3yrs) into the art of Bonsai I could use a visual “schedule” for things.
It is all relative to your location and climate. Early fall in Spokane, WA where I am located is in early to mid Sept., in San Diego, CA I imagine it is early October, in Edmonton, AB it could be early August. A couple of decades ago an enthusiast in Umea, Sweden described summer as a day around July 15th. Before that was 3-5 weeks of spring followed by 3-5 weeks of fall. I think he was exaggerating a little bit. On the other hand Singapore, does not have the type of seasons we have in the temperate and even the sub-tropics.
Spring is mostly driven by temperature as the trees warm up, although daylight length also plays a role. Fall is more driven by daylight length, but temperature, particularly when it is below 4C, 39F also contributes. Many of us in the Pacific NW saw a false fall a few weeks ago due to the wildfire smoke - trees started to go dormant due to the lack of light.
I believe that is why Ryan refers to the seasons rather than the calendar events.
Even with the specific dates being relative, a calendar for year round care across species would be super helpful. I can also see how, depending on how much information is included, this could be a daunting task!
Edit:
Here is a feeding schedule, maybe this will help.
Yes!
I am totally in step with you… So-cal Fall is late October, basically or pending the physical change in the environment.
But other than the adjustment based on the physical calendar and more focused on the environment indicators.
This equals in so-cal:
-Fall = Mid-late October early Nov (Average)
-Hard freeze never really is a risk (1 in 50 years)
-temps never break below 40 f. For the coastal and inland regions (1 in 25 years)
It’s so complex I agree but I can adjust to my climate to the best of my ability if I can see a baseline schedule.
It might be good to see if you have a local club that might have a calendar which will be more specific to the region. And a good calendar would just be a suggestion and have information on what to look for in specific species
I look for growth signs these days instead of dates. Personally here’s what I look for when deciding to do work and what work to do.
Winter Dormancy
Buds about to push/just opened up
New Growth Hardened off (first flush)
Summer Dormancy
Fall Growth starting
Conifers - old needles start to drop
Deciduous - leaves start to drop
It’s a lot to remember, especially with all the different species out there, and also what stage the tree is in.
I like the idea of taking advantage of local knowledge - especially for seasonal timing.
I envision many a spirited discussion regarding local experience and tradition vs Mirai teachings but hopefully, another opportunity for learning.
I have taken to filtering the mirai video library by season to get ideas on what kind of work I can do during the current season. It isn’t comprehensive, but it does get me there most of the time.
Hi Wade, was wondering what book does this fertilizer regimen comes from?
I should have credited the graphic! It is from Bonsai Basics by Colin Lewis. Great book for beginners.
