Ouwinga Seminar and Workshop

Myself, Haidar and Dave participated in Matt's workshop courtesy of the Iowa Bonsai Association.  Here are some photos I took of the day.  The Magruder's graciously hosted the event at their beautiful home and gardens.  I wanted to share some of the unusual/key points from Matt's presentation on Trident Maples and offer the presentation to those who missed the event.

- Matt uses Turface only for his soil.  He may add some Akadama or use strictly Akadama for his nicer trees.
- Matt suggests thoroughly rotating an air layered tree to encourage root development from all sides.
- Uses a washer to establish a "melting" nebari.  The portion that grows above the washer is maintained, while the portion below the washer is discarded.
- Matt fertilizes once a week, alternating between a 7-9-5 solution and Fish Emulsion and Seaweed.
- Does not believe in defoliation!
- Uses a floral tape or equivalent to wrap over a freshly cut wound after applying sealant to encourage lateral healing only and avoid an unsightly bulge. 
- Practices both thread and approach grafting on a regular basis to create an ideal branch location.  He advised it is best to drill a bit larger when doing a thread graft since additional space may be needed for branch/bud passage.