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New foliage is hardening off and flowering is now over. You and your trees settle into a routine which will last for the next three months.

Only Chinese junipers can be repotted with confidence now provided they are kept sheltered from drying winds and full sun for a while. Trees which appear too large for their current containers now that they have grown a. little can be planted in larger pots provided the roots are not damaged.

Start to prune pines and spruce now. Begin with the smaller branches and do the larger ones later in the month. Deciduous trees can also be pruned now but they are likely to throw out vigorous shoots from around the wound.

Some trees will have a pause in growth towards the end of the month and a second surge later. This later growth will appear at the tips of the earlier shoots unless they are trimmed back. Keep pinching conifers as they grow leaf prune strong trees provided the leaves have hardened.

Wire away to your hearts content on anything that takes your fancy. Check wire applied earlier in the year and re-apply if it is too tight. Many deciduous branches will already be set.

Water at least once a day. Spray foliage as you water, but not in strong sun as this will scorch the leaves.

Continue a regular balanced feed for your bonsai plant.

There are any numbers of contrivances intended to water your trees for you for two weeks. They include felt wicks trailing from the pot into a bucket, enclosing pot and tree in a polythene hag, and more sophisticated apparatus like automatically-timed sprinklers. None of them are foolproof and there are nearly always some fatalities. If you try any of these the worry will only spoil your holiday.

The best thing to do is give a friendly neighbor (or, better still, a bonsai colleague) the undoubted privilege of caring for your trees while you are away. Ask them to come round a couple of times before you go away, to have a practice run. Many nurseries offer a holiday-care service which is usually quite inexpensive, and is often free.

If neither of these options are possible remove the trees from their pots and plant them in a shady corner, burying the root mass a few inches deep and taking care not to damage the roots. Water the area well before and after planting. The only other alternative is to stay home and take your holiday in winter,