SCBC Newsletters

Sydney City Bonsai Club produces an informative newsletter each month.

Below are some of our previous issues. These are in PDF format. If you have problems opening the newsletter in your browser, you can try installing Adobe Acrobat Reader.

2025 Newsletters

• October – Buxus Harlandii beast to beauty, Atlantic Cedar – Experiences in root reduction and potting down.
• September – Leropetalum (Chineses Fringe Flower as Bonsai Clinton Neski, Mt. Wilson Yamadori dig.
• August – Evan Marsh – Japanese Black Pine Shohin Development, AI help to explore styling possibilities
• July – Repotting a time to reassess style, position and pot
• June – AABC Convention Canberra, Introducing Works in Progress a meeting display of development techniques you can try.
• May – Multi Trunks, SCBC at the RAS, Yamadori Considerations, Swamp vs Montezuma Cypress, Ready, Set, Repot Soon
• April – Beauty in Imperfection, Leptospermum Wiri Athena
• March – Root over Rock, Swamp Cypress and Tridents Bonsai World Visit
• February -SCBC on YouTube, Pinus sylvestnis Before and After

2024 Newsletters

• December – Judging Criteria, Watering System set up considerations.
• November – Club Swap Sale, Nesci Nursery visit, Duranta as bonsai
• October – Gary Uebergang talks natives, Recycling Soil, Lantana bonsai
• September – New venue, Rockin’ It (Faux Rock Construction), Yamadori Recap, Natives
• August – Root Over Rock (Nesci Demo), Yamadori tips
• July – Bonsai Apps & YouTube, Aussie Natives – Give em a go, AABC2024 – Faux Slab Construction
• June – Create Your Own Soe, Rafts, 36th AABC Convention Overview
• May – Aussie Natives, Scott Martin Demo
• April – New Venue, Bush Tucker, Easter Show, Tension & Compression
• March – Trunk Bending, Meshing Pots, Reworking a Pomegranate
• February – Less is More – Canberra Shohins, Air-layering

2023 Newsletters

• December – Shohin Black Pines, Basic Training, Willow Leaf Fig revitalisation
• November – Bonsai World visit and tips on Collecting and Growing Gums
• October – Nursery Baeckea first styling, Creating a ceramic bonsai pot
• September – Canberra Bonsai Society Dig, Olive Carving
• August – Bonsai Basics – repot, AGM report, maligned species as bonsai
• July – Soils and planting substrates, Cascades, Home collection
• June – Unusual trees, More extreme bending and Plaiting a Maple
• May – Sydney Royal Easter Show,Inner West Neighbourhood bonsai demo
• April – Preparing a tree for display, Bonsai in Buenos Aires, Things to do
• March – New Meeting Venue, Sharpening tools, National Bonsai & Penjing Collection Canberra, Coffee table book
• February – Styling considerations, New Venue, Kunzea Transformation

2022 Newsletters

• December – National Bonsai & Penjing Collection, Potting a hole in the bowl
• November – Preparing a tree for display
• October – Creating concrete pots, To do’s
• September – Air Layering, pots and pottery
• August – Grewia (Lavender Star) styling & To do’s
• July – Green Square Fest Stand, Bonsai talk at Inner W. Neighbourhood Aid
• June – Jade tree bonsai, When NOT to prune
• May – Easter Show happenings, Leptospermum styling
• April – Bonsai World Excursion, Air Layering perspectives, Shallow training pot ideas
• March – SCBC Life Members, From a sow’s ear to a silk purse
• Feb – Cleredendron Restyle, Building a big bonsai turntable

2021 Newsletters

• December – Repotting a mature azalea, Fondness for Figs
• November – Creating your own training pots
• October – Air layering, Clip and Grow, Lemon scented tea tree
• September – Melaleuca styling discussion, Bonsai growing stands
• August – Bonsai to fit on a stamp, Golf Course Collecting
• July – Classy pots and Curl Grub Commotion
• June – Trident Maples, Cascade stands and Australian natives
• May – Accent plants and Leptospermum
• April – Easter Show review, Naming Trees
• March – Styling? Consider the angles & The life and times of #43
• February – Matching Pot to Tree, Easter Show arrangements, Things to do late summer.

2020 Newsletters

• December – Trash or Treasure? Website feedback sought. Our Facebook page.
• November – Melaleuca workings, Sergeants Juniper, and debates around whether to wire in or not.
• October – Experiences with Eucalypts, Wisteria as bonsai and handy tool hints.
• September – Working to improve your elm. A tale of two figs.
• August – Working on nebari and developing roots.
• July – Next virtual competition, Fertiliser facts and the club goes on Facebook
• June – Virtual competition, Winter bonsai task, Creating a bonsai landscape
• May – Virtual bonsai exhibition & Bonsai in a funk?…change things up
• April – Covid Club News and March Meeting Juniper Style-off
• March – Black Pine care and styling & Meeting news
• February – Wound care & repair, Shohin – Japanese Maple Refinement, and Tracking Tips… when did you repot that tree?

Newsletters – 2019

• December – Member trees 2019, Summer Survival, Selecting Bonsai Stock, Root Over Rock and Black Pine Diary – Summer
• November – Bonsai Propagation Tips, Stages in Bonsai Development… what to do when and ‘Bonsai Tonight’ blog -bonsai development ideas.
• October – Central Coast Bonsai Open, Pruning Why’s and How’s, Jamie’s Spring Japanese Black Pine Diary and Rust in Figs
• September – Clinton Nesci, Kunio Kobayashi works on Red Pine, Bonsai Masters Discussion
• August – Repotting, Fujikawa Restyles Juniper, Hood Brothers at 2019 BBTH
• July – Mr Fujikawa, Structural Wiring, Australian Native Myths & Misconceptions
• June – AABC, Australian Natives, Ryan Neil, Leptospermum, Corky Bark Elm
• May – Royal Easter Show, Bonsai Soil Mixes, Melaleuca Rags to Riches
• April – National Arboretum Bonsai Week, Juniper & Corky Bark Elm Styling, Autumn Tips
• March – Soil & Plant Nutrition, Root Care for Collected Tree, Autumn Pine Diary
• February – Leptospermum Bonsai, Showing Bonsai at the RAS, Lazarus Juniper

Newsletters – 2018

• December – Landscape Penjing, Mid Summer Pine Diary, Landscape rocks, Summer Bonsai Survival tips
• November – Demystifying Black Pines
• October – Bonsai to Penjing, Spruce styling, Organise your tools & wire
• September – Wisteria tips, Azalea story, When to work on different species
• August – Black Pine styling, Leptospermum, 2018 AABC Bonsai Exhibition, Root Pruning Tips
• July – Bonsai by the Harbour Persian Ironwood, Using a stone for a pot, Striking Cuttings, Leptospermum Cardwell Styling
• June – Choosing the right pot, Bonsai as Art
• May – Australian natives as bonsai, Styling a special red pine
• April – Preparing to attend a bonsai workshop, Fig Restyling, Root pruning challenge
• March – Rapid development techniques (root and trunk), Saotome Development, Faux rock creation
• February – Lantana Yamadori, Principles for growing bonsai stock, Developing a deciduous informal upright

Newsletters – 2017

• December – Root over rock technique, Privet raft, Creating landscapes
• November – Accent Plants, Art of watering, Azaleas
• October – Black pine styling and repotting, Branch splitting, Revitalising figs
• September – Tree Horticulture, Juniper styling, Creating a clay pot, Privet repotting
• August – Group Planting 2017 AABC, Shortening black pine needles, Unusual bonsai (Jade, Kumquat, Minuture Holly)
• July – Shohins & Mame How & Why, Black Pine Re-styling AABC, Melaleuca Styling
• June – Melaleuca raphiophylla Styling AABC, Elm evolution demands a restyling, Matching pot to style, Fertiliser vs Seaweed tonics
• May – Basic Styling for Beginners, 2017 Royal Easter Show, Extreme Bending of Australian Native
• April – Bonsai for Beginners – Part II, Juniper & Oak Progression, Sequoia Reworking
• March – Bonsai for Beginners – Part III Getting to the Root of the Subject, Hard Cut to Victory Clerodendron, Styling hints
• February – Pyracantha Resurrection, Emergency Repair – Snapped Branches, Shari – Live veins & deadwood

Newsletters – 2016

• December – Grafting thread and side, Holiday Maintenance Must Do’s, Trunk to height aesthetic ratios
• November – Fusing trunks, Shohins, Taipei Bonsai book review, Dealing with ‘Fig Rust’
• October – Andrew Edge styles an Agonis flexuosa at the Tops Weekend, Jack Lin Taiwanese Bonsai Master drops in, Fig Styling by Min Hsuan Lo & Polystyrene Stones
• September – Naoki Maeoka Workshop Bonsai South, Repotting, A Trident and 2.5 Years, Bonsai Deadwood by Francis Jeker – book review, Moss Spring Cleaning &+ Group Planting Tips
• August – Concrete Pot Construction, AABC 2016 Grant Bowie Restyles a Japanese Black Pine, Melaleuca Styling by Quentin Valentine
• July – Clinton Neski Restyling Junipers, Shohins at Bonsai by the Harbour & Exposed Root Bonsai
• June – Styling Tips – Robert Stevens 2016 AABC, AABC Report, Juniper – Mass to mini & Huon Pines
• May – Tips To Up Your Bonsai Game, How to Select Stock, Working Roots – Japanese Maple, Eriocephalus Africanus, Autumn Pine Work & Root Grafting
• April – SCBC at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Sample Guide for Judging, When to Root Prune Australian Natives & Restyling a Juniper
• March – Another Method for Transplanting Eucalypts, Potting Mix Lowdown & 2016 Chinese Friendship Garden competition.
• February – Making a Driftwood Bonsai (Sharimiki & Tanuki), Clerodendrum (Clerodendron) Restyle, New Style Jinning Tool & Callistemon Tips