- Fuku-Bonsai president
- & founder David
- Fukumoto at 65!
- FBnews SUPER SPECIAL
- ML-10 Micro-Utopia $24.95
- + $9 shipping!!!
- Super Special ML-10 Sale ends December 31, 2005
Save by combining orders with friends or family! FREE SHIPPING WHEN 3 OR MORE OF ANY MIX OF TRUE INDOOR BONSAI AND/OR MICRO-LOBSTERS ARE SENT TO THE SAME ADDRESS!
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Or earn larger quantity discounts for company Christmas gifts!
- E-mail Newsletter!
- by David W. Fukumoto, president & founder, Fuku-Bonsai
ALOHA & MAHALO! This is an interesting milestone issue for me as I reach 65 years old . . . a time when many move into retirement. I've always felt that I really retired in 1973 when we moved from Honolulu to Kurtistown on the Big Island to start Fuku-Bonsai as Hawaii's first certified export nursery! It's been a wonderful career! I'm fortunate to work at what I love to do amongst a great staff and in the best part of the State of Hawaii! I don't plan to retire because there isn't anything else I would rather do!
Since 1989, it's been tough as defective Benlate fungicide killed or stunted Brassaia that was over 95% of sales. Like other nurserymen, the residual contamination prevent us from growing our original crop and we switched to Dwarf Schefflera. It's a faster-growing superior plant. The Internet has been an ideal vehicle to teach! We made a commitment to become the finest professional supplier of premium prepared bonsai stock for individuals, bonsai clubs, and educational institutions.
Full recovery required creating needed resources to assure the creation of a multi-generational community-oriented Hawaiian corporation. With the dream of a major international bonsai center no longer viable, we began our evolution to becoming a value-added product development and niche marketing company shipping premium innovative Hawaiian products. I'm pleased to report that after many years, that Fuku-Bonsai is now fully recovered and has begun expansion!
- That's the lead story: "FUKU-BONSAI RECOVERS! First participation in the Hawaii MIDPAC Horticultural Expo!" Please spread the word that Fuku-Bonsai is now alive, well, committed and again growing for the future! Wholesale inquires are invited! MAHALO!
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Two years ago, we quietly introduced THE AMAZING HAWAIIAN MICRO-LOBSTERS! Then, the amazing endemic Hawaiian crustacean was very little known and offered in sealed glass "eco-systems" where creatures known to live for over 20 years survived for just one or two years and never reproduced. They are also sold in cheap tiny plastic cubes as "the perfect pets that never need to be fed!" But when fed properly with premium spirulina, they are a real joy, active, easy-care, and they reproduce!
Larger high-quality units are high-end products. Now after sufficient trials, I am very pleased and humbled to report that our original 1/2-gallon BT-1D Introductory Mini-Breeder Tank continues to be our most popular Micro-Lobster product even though it costs more that three times the smallest Micro-Utopia! THAT SURPRISED EVERYONE!
The BT-1D Mini-Breeder Tank is our "flag-ship" and candid feedback confirms that our customers can recognize value and that the larger size, the light, the larger number of Micro-Lobsters, and improvements really make a difference! We were also pleasantly surprised that the 3/4-gallon BT-2 Educational Breeder Tank has become our second best seller! This item has also been steadily improved and increasingly is being used in classrooms in Hawaii and throughout the country. An educational discount is available when purchased by or for use in schools.
While I'm pleased with the acceptance of our largest tanks and that larger units are in promising prototype stage, I think the smallest Micro-Utopia unit is an exceptional value and makes a great introduction and gift item. So that's the featured special for the rest of the year: ML-10 for just $24.95 plus $9 shipping! Order three to one address and the shipping is free. Order 5 for $99.95 and also get free shipping! This item can be mixed with any two other True Indoor Bonsai or Micro-Lobster items to qualify for free shipping. It can also be part of the Mahalo Mix and Match Special! It's a great unique item perfect for the coming Christmas season. Reserve now! Quantities are limited to stock on hand and the ML-10 special expires on December 31, 2005.
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As you can imagine, things have been extremely hectic here. We've placed a huge amount of time into research and new product development. There's a large number of articles in draft form and I just haven't had a chance to finish them. I appreciate the number of visitors who have given us favorable comments on the FBnews even though it is not issued at regular intervals. It's been suggested that it be issued more often with just an article or two each on True Indoor Bonsai or Micro-Lobsters instead of a huge number of articles infrequently. That makes sense and I'll try to follow that schedule.
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INTRODUCING MAJOR NEW SHIPPING SAVINGS!
For many, this is a pleasant surprise. Some Internet or mail-order companies discount their products. But when you complete the order, you may sometimes be hit with a monster shipping charge! Some see the shipping and handling fee as their profit center. Our plants are the finest available anywhere and we decided our shipping charges should be easy to compute. Rather than have a different shipping charge for each plant, we set the same shipping charge for the first two plants and adjusted the prices of the plants. While this makes the larger plants seem more expensive, it greatly simplifies things. There is a flat $9 each charge for the first two plants regardless of size!
FOR THREE OR MORE PLANTS (AND/OR MICRO-LOBSTERS) GOING TO THE SAME ADDRESS, SHIPPING IS FREE!
We continue the popular MAHALO MIX & MATCH III SPECIAL so when you order 5 or more of any combination of small lava plantings with melamine saucer or saucer and gravel; or any of the Living Lovables, (OR ML-10 MICRO-UTOPIA) your cost will be about $20 each including delivery!
*** Go to "Mahalo Mix & Match III Special!"
There's also been adjustments to the quantity discounts as Fuku-Bonsai True Indoor Bonsai and Micro-Lobsters are being given out as company gifts, for Christmas presents, for promotions, etc.! They are also being used as centerpieces for restaurants, for award dinners, for weddings, etc. Bonsai clubs are now featuring True Indoor Bonsai beginner workshops! By combining individual orders from members and associates, the entire order earns a higher discount! Each year we get more multiple-item orders from businesses and customers so early reservations are recommended.
***Go to Quantity Discounts & Gift-Wrapping.
Fuku-Bonsai ships to all parts of the United States as long as the low temperature in the destination is above freezing. We have used shipping heat packs for the past two years with excellent results! Federal Express now guarantees 2-day service from Hawaii to any part of the United States. Monday shipments arrive by Wednesday afternoon. We ship on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday each week with a satisfaction and safe arrival limited warranty!
- Epiphytic Ficus above has been reserved for Spring 2006 shipment
ADDITIONS TO THE TRUE INDOOR BONSAI WEBSITE:
- In the past few years after we began emphasizing training concepts, there has been a huge number of customers that have begun actual training. Instead of just enjoying our Hawaiian Lava Plantings, they are potting them in conversion kits to obtain stronger growth. The Keiki Bonsai workshops are popular but there's been requests for more training variety. So we created three new styling concepts! Meet "SUMO!," "ROOTS!," and "HAWAIIAN DRAGON!"
- We began this article in 2002 when we realized that the logo tree had grown to fill the large oval container. We had a choice of obtaining a still larger container or accept the challenge of a major restyling to create a ideal exotic "Rainforest Banyan" styling! This is how we began!
- It's been three years since we began restyling and here's the results. The tree is just a bit taller but now fits nicely in the 30.5"x19"x2" deep yellowish glazed oval ceramic tray. It has an outstanding future!
- This is part of the original 2002 story that is part of restyling the logo tree. The story is enhanced with emphasis on the bonsai principles involved that created the styling and training decisions.
- This is the first tree that visitors see. It's a large bonsai 42" tall and sits on a 72" diameter concrete disk and turntable! Following the success of the restyling of the Fuku-Bonsai Logo Tree, we also moved this outstanding bonsai to the ideal "Rainforest Banyan" styling concept!
- Bonsai goes through several stages and as the tree matures, there are an endless number of details to be improved to transform a good bonsai into an exceptional one. This refinement stage requires a commitment to high standards, technical competence, and a lot of time!
- Jerry Meislik has made a number of contributions to the Fuku-Bonsai site but as the site continues to grow, his articles have become harder to find. As part of redesigning the entire Fuku-Bonsai website, a new portal was created. There is also an update on PART II - MAHALO TRAINING
ADDITIONS TO THE MICRO-LOBSTER WEBSITE:
- Opae'ula are rare endemic Hawaiian crustaceans that evolved in unique ecosystems. They face the lost of habitats from development, but also from the alien predators that have been accidentally or intentionally introduced into over 95% of the anchialine ponds! Also, see:
- Cloudiness in the water and green growth on the rocks suggest that a system is ready to crash! Here's how two Roosevelt High School grads resolved the problem.
- There is a tendency by many to over-feed! Is there a way to help customers protect against themselves? This is part of the answer as a sub-gravel filtration system is similar to a standard aquarium under-gravel filter. This is a preview of a future Micro-Lobster "crashproof" breeder tank to be offered in the future.
- Crashproofing research would be incomplete without exploring the use of snails to eat excess algae on the tank walls and leftover food. This is also the answer for those who like to keep the lights on or place the units where it gets a lot of light (and grows a lot of algae that must be cleaned off)! We tried to avoid snails, but the benefits are just too great and they are now a part of Fuku-Bonsai units. They are now available for a small fee to those who have our older units.
- In collaboration with Hawaii's top aquaculture researchers and our associates and customers, there's now a HUGE amount of information compared to just a few years ago! Most of the information is posted on this website. But the information has been re-edited and placed into an easy reading format. The Breeder Tank Handbook is included with the larger 1/2-gallon BT-1D Introductory Mini-Breeder Tank and the BT-2 Educational Breeder Tank.