Sam Adina leads free repotting demo, San Andreas Library, March 7

Sam Adina, a sensei for the Modesto Bonsai Club with more than 25 years of teaching experience, led a free public repotting demonstration at San Andreas Central Library following the Mother Lode Bonsai Club’s 10:00 a.m. meeting on Saturday, March 7, 2026. The demonstration, open to club members and the public, focused on hands-on repotting methods and practical stabilizing work immediately after the meeting at 1299 Gold Hunter Road, off Mountain Ranch Road in San Andreas.

Mother Lode Bonsai Club president Bev Meyerhoff organized the session and highlighted timing for seasonal care: “Being close to the end of the dormant season, now is the best time to repot.” Meyerhoff also pointed to a specific technique viewers could expect to see: “In the demo, Sam will also show his special tie-down techniques to efficiently support the tree.” The club billed the event as free and welcoming to people at all experience levels, drawing members from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties and the San Joaquin Valley.

Adina’s credentials were front and center during the demonstration. The event listing notes he has “been raising and teaching bonsai design for over 25 years,” has presented to the Golden State Bonsai Federation and the California Shohin Society, and has led sessions at bonsai venues in the Philippines. At Modesto Bonsai Club meetings, Adina routinely demonstrates repotting on species such as Black Pine and Japanese Maple and encourages attendees to bring trees they want worked on or repotted.

The presentation reinforced root-health basics the club has emphasized in its announcements. The event materials warned: “Over time, potted plants will tend to send out new roots until they cease to function efficiently or strangle themselves. Dead roots will decay and consequently kill the tree.” Practical guidance on schedule was also repeated: “The frequency of repotting depends on the type, size and age of each species, generally every 3 to 5 years.”

Logistics and follow-up were clear for members who wanted more hands-on help through spring show season. For more information, Meyerhoff can be reached at (916) 934-6916 or bevmeyerhoff@gmail.com, and the club email was listed as motherlodebonsaiclub@gmai.com in the announcement. Club organizers pointed to upcoming regional activity, including Modesto Bonsai Club meetings where Adina will offer repotting direction and Modesto’s mid-April show; Santabarbarabonsai lists a demonstration by Adina at 1:30 p.m. during the April 15–16 Modesto show, while Modesto Bonsai Club pages also list a special demonstration by Adina at 1:30 p.m., with some discrepancy between sources on the show’s anniversary numbering.