17 bonsai enthusiasts actively participated in the Enhancement Training on Bonsai-making this July 17-20 at the MMSU Bonsai School.

Said number is a mixture of professionals working in different areas of the province, men and women from nearby municipalities interested in growing bonsai, bonsai enthusiasts from different municipalities such as San Nicolas, and Horticulture students from the College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD).

Bonsai-making is the art of growing trees and plants in confined space to create aesthetic shape and illusion of age through skilled pruning. For years, bonsai propagation and development has been one of the priority concerns of the current leadership of Ilocos Norte because of the bright potential of bonsai gardening in the local and global markets. For this, the first school in Southeast Asia for the propagation and development of bonsai plants was launched on January 6, 2014 in the University to serve as a training school for enthusiasts and raisers. Having this, the training is deemed instrumental in opening doors to intensify the bonsai industry of the province through the dissemination of bonsai production technology and gearing bonsai entrepreneurs with knowledge and attitude.

            Topics being discussed during the training include: Introduction to the World of Bonsai, Sources of Plants for Bonsai, Selection of Plants for Bonsai, Ideal Plants for Making Bonsai, Tools for Bonsai-Making, Soil Preparation, Bonsai Containers or Pots, Wiring, Repotting, When to Repot, Fertilizer Application, Care and Maintenance of Bonsai, and Insect and Fungus Control, and Bonsai containers/Pot-making for a complete package of learning.

Recognizing bonsai-making as a very lucrative business in the province, the training also included topics on and business management and marketing of bonsai as these topics are essential in preparing the participants in the real world of bonsai business.

Trainers were tapped from the College of Agriculture, Food, and Sustainable Development (CAFSD) to include Prof. Geovannie S. Malab, in-charge of the MMSU Bonsai School, Prof. Maura Luisa S. Gabriel, Chair of DAS, and Mr. Jan Ray A. Aribuabo, the Research Assistant of the Bonsai School, and from the College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy (CBEA) with Mr. Jeffrey de Vera. Hands-on demonstrations and training was facilitated by Mr. Jojo Battulayan of the Floriculture Nursery.

“Bonsai-making is a hobby. But it is also a rewarding business. There are a lot of things to do but when you finish one, it is truly worth the sweat because of its price”, one of the participants said.

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