AusBonsai

The bonsai year starts in February with clubs, shows and events back in full swing - and one of the events is often a workshop. Whether this is a special day or part of a club meeting, whether you are green as a sapling or mature as an aged oak, you can pick up a lot of tips and expertise by attending workshops.

For newer enthusiasts a workshop offers the opportunity to get expert styling help on your trees. For more advanced enthusiasts, a workshop offers the opportunity to pick up more skills and refine your trees. Remember, the only finished bonsai is a dead one.

Here are some tips for workshop participants. Some are common sense, others are voiced from the frustration of a tutor confronted with a tree that has barely passed the first leaf stage.

GROUND RULES:
Bring:
TOOLS: absolutely essential are a pair of sidecutters and a reasonable pair of scissors. Other tools you can make do from what you might have at home [standard wire cutters, flyscreen wire, chopstick, etc].
TREES: bring one or two trees and choose decent stock that has several ye ... ome choice. No tutor can work with a seedling. If you are attending a workshop you must have the courtesy to bring good trees.
TURNTABLE: You can pick these up at discount shops or homeware sections of some stores. It is far easier to style a tree when you can spin it around, especially if it is larger than a mini
WIRE: Don't front up with two or three strands of cut wire and expect to do a proper job. Bring a selection of gauges and more than enough wire to work on your trees. It is better to have too much than too little.

If you are going to be repotting
SOIL: proper bonsai soil and more than enough to fill the pots you are bringing
CONTAINER: to put old soil in and keep the work area tidy
POTS - for each tree bring two or more pots. Once you get the trees pruned you could discover that it no longer suits the pot you thought it would or the roots don't fit the pot at this pruning. A different style from the one you envisaged could be selected and a different pot style required. It's a good idea to have a training pot as well just in case the pots you brought don't work out - and that's quite possible.
MESH: be sure to include sufficient mesh to cover the holes in your pots
WATER SPRAY: Good to keep the roots moist during repotting and can also be used to spray your hands and wipe the worst of the dirt of on the
TOWEL: any scrappy towel, useful for wiping down a pot, mopping up water or cleaning your hands
WEDGE: necessary to alter the tree's alignment when stying to get a better idea of the best position/alignment for the correct planting angle. Even if you are not repotting, the wedge can still be used to get a better planting angle.
STRING/TWINE: to tie tree in the pot
STATIONERY: Paper and Pen for taking notes

If you are going to do a rock planting:
SEVERAL ROCKS: Until the tree is root pruned you have no way of knowing if the rock you have chosen will be suitable. Better to have a selection
MUCK: To protect roots against the rock. Prepare the muck at home to save valuable time at the workshop
RUBBER GLOVES: disposable variety, useful when working with muck and almost obligatory when working with soil for your own health protection
KNEAD-IT [waterproof variety] to provide a study base so the uneven base of the rock[s] will stay in the desired position [available at hardware stores]
MOSS: Spagnum and green moss

And, as important as all the above
IDEAS - study your tree and try to have an idea of how you think the tree should be styled. And if you have absolutely no idea, and let's face it, that's probably why you are taking it to the workshop in the first place, don't be ashamed to admit it because you will be like a lot of the other participants.

The tutor is there to advise you and to plumb the depths of his/her experience to enhance yours. He/She is NOT there to wire your tree for you. So don't expect it... and learn how to root prune. Do not expect miracles and clean up your mess.

Having said all the above, workshops are a great way to learn a whole lot in a short time - take advantage of any coming your way.

By far the biggest beef of tutors countrywide is the quality of stock that is brought to workshops. You cannot create a good bonsai wihout good starting stock.

excellent breakdown

i might like to highlight the two points i think are the most important...

MelaQuin wrote:have the courtesy to bring good trees

and...

MelaQuin wrote: bring good trees.

Terrific post Lee!
S.

I have a tree i want to takr into a workshop, but i have always had one small issue.
I have a design for it, one a friend from overseas did, and i would like to keep it to that design. How often would a demonstrator try to push someone into going a different direction?

Asus101 wrote:I have a tree i want to takr into a workshop, but i have always had one small issue.
I have a design for it, one a friend from overseas did, and i would like to keep it to that design. How often would a demonstrator try to push someone into going a different direction?

It never hurts to get another opinion! The demonstrator may have a better suggestion.....if not, stand by ya plan stan!

If you want the tree to stay as it is let stay as it is in your bench area. The Idea of workshops as has been explained is to learn and gain from the tutor.
My take is if you know the tutors capability's. Lets say Tony Bebb. He is a very good tutor he can improve your tree.
So you take your best tree and see him improve it.
Or you could take a pigs ear!! He will not make a silk purse out of it. If it has some bones he will make you something, that with a bit more effort you can have a tree to be proud of.
So when you go to a workshop do so with some ideas, but an open mind that way you will get more from it.
The one thing to remember above all else is. The tutor is not there to hold your hand you have to do the work. If you are not competent at wiring start practicing. Use and old branch or a cup holder stand. Then above all of what has been said by me and all others, is we are not there nor the tutor to watch over you as you progress along with your tree. It is your responsibility to make sure the wire does not cut in it gets watered if it has just been repotted it gets the right treatment. It was alive when it left the workshop area. As they say my2cents worth Pup

I like your atavar, Lee.

yea, nice tools

unfortunately there is an EVIL cat guarding them so you can't play with your trees

Stumbled on this thread, and thought I might give it a bit of a as I managed to forget a few of these things on my first workshop

Who would have thought you needed wire!

great post

Have been trying to find a tray to use for my workshops, but can't seem to find one without acutally making one myself

Does anyone know where you could purchase one of these trays from? or if there might be something I can adjust for use in workshops?

By tray, I just mean something to put on the table, that will catch all my mess. I've seen plastic ones, metal ones, and others, but cannot actually find them myself they are usually about a meter by a meter, with a 2/3cm edge all the way around... not that it has to be that size specifically, just round abouts....

Just found out about this years workshops, so am keen to prepare early

Bunnings have black rubber boot liners that may work for you

Isitangus wrote:Bunnings have black rubber boot liners that may work for you

Thanks for that mate! I knew someone around here would know of something I could use

Just something that makes clean up that little bit easier... and keeps my mess contained to a certain degree lol

Being rubber it will also help stop your plants sliding around when transporting them

Hi Jason,

I take a tarp to protect the table & I transport my plant(s) in a cat litter box minus the litter!
The litter box I use as a rubbish bin or to stand the plant in when repotting or cleaning away the soil to show the nebri of the tree. Litter boxes are readily available at "$2.00 shops" and similar discount shops. They are also just the right size to soak trees in Seasol & to put the trees that dry out quickly on these excessively hot days.

Cindy