MV Bonsai Club
Unless otherwise noted, regular meetings are second Saturdays, 1-3 p.m. at D'Alessandro's Nursery. All MVBC meetings are open to prospective new members. Invite friends and share with them our love for bonsai.
We can be reached at mohawkvalleybonsai@gmail.com
2025 MVBC CELEBRATING 20 YEARS
Mohawk Valley Bonsai Club Mission: Providing opportunities to have fun while developing skills, the Mohawk Valley Bonsai Club is a forum for learning, inspiring, building knowledge, and connecting with the greater bonsai community.
The group first met in a park in July 2005 and has grown to include newcomers to the hobby as well as those with 20+ years of experience!
"The object is not to make the tree look like a bonsai, but to make a bonsai look like a tree." — John Naka
MVBC ANNUAL EXHIBITION
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, JULY 12 & 13
SATURDAY 10 AM TO 5 PM AND SUNDAY NOON TO 5 PM
MUNSON • 310 GENESEE ST. UTICA, NY. • EASTON PRIBBLE CONFERENCE ROOM
MEMBERS: Friday afternoon July 11 - set up for exhibition 3-5 pm
Please email mohawkvalleybonsai@gmail.com to provide us with the trees you are bringing to the exhibition, both scientific and common names.
Also indicate where you will be at the exbition set up and/or take down and which days and times you are available to staff the exhibition. ALL members are encouraged to staff at least a halfday.
2025 SCHEDULE
Please don't hesitate to bring your healthy trees — whether beginning or more advanced material — as we can assist the most when we can see your trees!
Jan 11 - create a plan for your trees; talk about water ph and fertilization basics; discuss club annual exhibition; Q&As — and acknowledge our 20 years as a club!!
Feb 8 - some wiring basics; preparation for repotting: when and why to repot; what supplies are needed, selecting pots — Q&As
March 8 - Repotting; how to care for trees after repotting; when to bring trees outside, when to begin fertilizing; Q&As (if you'd like to bring a tree for a question, please bring it in a box in order to keep the library space clean)
April 12 - work on our trees; when is it too late to repot; how to clean up top of soil if needed; exhibition preparation and companion plantings — shitakusa and kusamono; Q&As, BRING YOUR TREES‚ especially those you are considering for our exhibition
May 10 - work on our trees; how to determine when to begin pruning; how to prune coniferous and deciduous trees; Q&As, BRING YOUR TREES‚ especially those you are considering for our exhibition
June 14 - tropical work and preparation for MVBC annual exhibition; Q&As, bring your trees‚ especially those you are considering for our exhibition
Friday afternoon July 11 - setup for exhibition 3-5 pm
Saturday & Sunday, July 12 & 13 - MVBC annual exhibition at Munson Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
August 9 - work on our trees; beginning bonsai information; seasonally appropriate work on trees; when final pruning for the growing season can be done; Q&As, BRING YOUR TREES
September 13 and 14 - everyone should plan to attend the 9th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester either Saturday or Sunday or both!! Tickets available now! www.usnationalbonsai.com
Sept 13 - if you are not able to travel to Rochester, Tom and Art will lead a meeting on Saturday, Sept. 13, at D'Alessandro's. Bring your trees and your questions!
October 11 - Winter preparations and working on trees; Q&As, BRING YOUR TREES‚
November 8 - Possible guest speaker, TBD
December 13 - Year-end wrap up; election of officers; holiday gathering & club fundraising auction
For our fundraising auction, please bring a bonsai-related item for our auction table. Everyone can post silent, written bids to each item until the designated time is up. Highest bid wins the item, proceeds go to the club. Be sure to bring cash or checks!
If you'd like to bring an appetizer or dessert to share — please do so!
Many thanks to everyone who has attended our annual exhibitions! We appreciate all the members who prepared trees for the show, helped with set up and take down and those who staffed the exhibition and answered questions from our hundreds of visitors!
MORE PHOTOS ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE >>
Thank you Mark Arpag for another great lecture/demonstration! We are always grateful when you come and share your expertise.
A little inspiration from the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition, February 2020 (photo C. Brown)
Award-winning Japanese White Pine, Pinus parviflora, at the Kokufu-ten, Tokyo, February 13, 2020
Award-winning Japanese Quince, Chaenomeles japonica 'Chojubai,' at the Kokufu-ten, Tokyo, February 13, 2020
KOKUFU-TEN PHOTOS BY C. BROWN
The Mohawk Valley Bonsai Club was invited to have a display table at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute members' opening reception for the exhibition Kimono! (June 9, 2018). We are grateful to MWPAI for this wonderful opportunity.
Some past meetings and items of interest:
Photos from our shohin roundup meeting:
A bonsai is considered a shohin if it measures approximately 20 cm or 8 inches from the top of the pot to the top of the tree.
The image below is from the Gafu-ten shohin exhibition which was held in Kyoto in January 2016. More shohin photos >>
Our thanks to Art Doremus for an interesting and informative presentation on insect and fungal problems — how to recognize and control them.
Reference links from the presentation:
fingerlakesbonsai.weebly.com/bonsai-info.html
www.bonsaiempire.com/basics/bonsai-care/advanced/pests-diseases
www.bonsai-and-blooms.com/bonsai-tree-diseases.html
nebonsai.com/home/pests-and-diseases/
Pre-bonsai search party at D’Alessandro’s Landscape Nursery, where we enjoyed a presentation on mugo pine by club member Doug Whitfield. More photos >>
(Below) January 2016; Chojubai (flowering quince) displayed in tokonoma at Kunio Kobayashi’s Shunka-en bonsai museum in Tokyo.
(Below) January 2016; flowering Ume (Japanese apricot) displayed in tokonoma at Kunio Kobayashi’s Shunka-en bonsai museum in Tokyo.
Browse the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum (Saitama, Japan) website:
Mohawk Valley Bonsai Club Mission
Providing opportunities to have fun while developing skills, the Mohawk Valley Bonsai Club is a forum for learning, inspiring, building knowledge, and connecting with the greater bonsai community.
The group first met in a park in July 2005 and has grown to include newcomers to the hobby as well as those with 20+ years of experience!
"The object is not to make the tree look like a bonsai, but to make a bonsai look like a tree." — John Naka