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Nature shuts up shop and takes a well-earned rest — but you still have work to do.

Finish potting up newly-collected raw material by the middle of the month, and protect the roots from the worst of the weather.

Only rough pruning of raw material is safe now. Leave short stubs which can be trimmed off in spring.

Keep soil moist if the weather doesn’t do it for you. Waterlogging can be a problem with trees exposed all winter. Use your discretion, and shelter trees if necessary during prolonged spells of heavy rain.

All trees which require winter protection should be accommodated by the middle of the month. Thoroughly clean them first and spray with non systemic fungicide, if you forgot to do it last month. Take picture of your trees as you put them away, as a matter of routine. Hardwood cuttings may still be successful if taken this month.

Clean around your growing and display areas and treat timber with horticultural wood preservative. Spray the surrounding area with insecticide and fungicide to kill off sneaky pests lurking there.

Make up your Christmas present list of tools, pots, and other paraphernalia, and distribute it widely!

The more time you’ spend with them now, the more you respect their endurance. There is little work for you to do.

Trees kept in the open will not need watering; in fact they may even need to be protected from excessive rain. A thick blanket of snow does no harm to large, hardy trees in the open. But if the thaw is rapid, the trees are likely to receive the equivalent of a week’s rain in just one day, so it is wise to clear the snow before this happens. Trees under cover should be inspected weekly and kept just moist.

Inspect trees for pests during your weekly water check. Conifers under cover can be devastated by aphids or spider mites at any time during the winter, in a matter of a couple of weeks. Also cheek the peat boxes you plunged your smaller trees in and clean off any moss.

Give the lower trunks and airing every now and then, during mild spells. Take the opportunity to sort through the photographs of your trees, catalogue your collection and decide which trees to pass on to new owners.

By late winter, you can begin to prune hardy deciduous trees if you are sure the remaining shoots and branches are in good health. Seal wounds and protect from frost until growth has started. Towards the end of the month, last year’s shoots and old spurs can be trimmed back to live buds.

Wire deciduous trees while the buds are still tight against the shoots. As the buds swell they become more fragile and are easily damaged and even more easily dislodged. Don’t wait too long or you will get caught out. There is nothing more soul-destroying than spending hours wiring a prize bonsai, only to discover all the next season’s potential growth lying on the workbench! Protect newly-wired trees from frost until the buds begin to burst.

Keep repotted trees moist but not wet. Shelter them from constant rain. Other trees will begin to demand water as they come out of dormancy. It is still very cold and hard frosts will kill roots in waterlogged soils, so beware!

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Growth slows to a standstill this month. Roots and buds harden, seeds are dispersed, and inner leaves begin to fall. Sunny days; in colder nights induce the first hints of autumn color. You can begin to relax a little.

Pruning

Only pines, if you must. Deciduous trees may still boosted into growth, which will not harden in time for winter and will be nipped off by the first frost.

Trimming

Not necessary now - except for those persistent junipers, which will carry on growing for another month or so? Frost will make the newly-pinched shoots turn brown, so be aware.

Wiring

Not advisable. Without new growth the branches are unlikely to set and any fractures in the bark may allow trust to enter over winter, risking damage.

Watering

As your trees begin to slow down so can you. Be vigilant, though, changeable weather can deceive you, and pots can still dry out surprisingly quickly.

Feeding

Nitrogen-free fertilizer all month. Additional bone meal applied to pines, whose roots remain slightly active all winter, will Iv appreciated by them early next year.

Next month the bark will be more stubborn to remove, and the wounds will not begin to heal until spring. Pests are less id a problem now but some are still active on conifers. Sow coll. seeds in trays outdoors. Remove debris from both the tree and the surface of the soil to prevent disease. This is a food tiny plant new moss. It will continue to prow during, mild spell, all winter and will have taken hold by nest spring.

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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,

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Excitement mounts as your trees begin to stir. This is the beginning of the busiest season of the year, when you can do a certain amount of creative work as well as more down-to-earth tasks.

Any healthy deciduous trees you have not been able to repot yet should be attended to in the first part of this month.. If there is no sign of root or bud movement wait a little longer. Continue to keep newly repotted trees away from hard frosts and drying winds. You can keep deciduous trees in an outhouse if necessary at this time. Until the buds open they have no need of light. However, as soon as they begin to burst you must place the tree outside. Don’t wire newly repotted trees for three or four weeks, thus avoiding strain on the emerging new roots. Towards th.e end of the month you can. begin to repot jumpers and spruces.

Deciduous trees can be pruned once the buds begin to show signs of activity. This is so you can ensure that all the remaining branches are alive. Seal all wounds. This is a good time to thin out the fine twigs on deciduous trees so the coining season’s growth won’t outgrow the design. Remember to prune to a side shoot or to a bud which is pointing in the direction you want new growth.

Start wiring deciduous trees - fine twigs as well as thick branches - before the buds swell if possible. If the kids have already started to move take extra care as diet are easily dislodged as this crucial stir, in their development. Trees which have had their fine twigs wired should be kept away from frost and wind until the buds begin to open. Leave three weeks between wilting and repotting.

If you haven’t finished repotting deciduous trees it is best to leave them for next year unless they are really rootbound. Continue repotting junipers and spruce, and begin pines toward the end of the month. Aftercare is the same as early spring.

Now you can prune with a little more confidence, since the buds will he opening and you can spot any dead branches or twigs. Seal the wounds. Don’t prune spruce or pine now or they will bleed resin, which will disfigure the bark.

Wire spruce, juniper and pine but not deciduous trees. Don’t wire tightly because the brunches will thicken rapidly for the next month or so. Check small branches wired last month - they may already set in position!

Now your watering routine will get under way. During rainy spells shelter newly repotted trees, but you may need to water daily in dry weather.

Don’t fertilize newly repotted trees. Those repotted last month can be given their first spring feed if growth has started. A high phosphorus feed is most suitable for these. Use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content for trees which have not been repotted.

Aphids are a particular nuisance c host plant, making them difficult to spot. Clean algae from the trunks and branches. Trees which have not yet shown signs of growth should be placed in a shaded polythene tent. Keep the soil just moist and give a weak phosphorus- based fertilizer.

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Bonsai are prone to the same diseases and pests that attack these trees, but because they are small and compact, it doesn’t take long at all for a localized problem to spread over the entire tree, with disastrous results. And because it grows slowly a bonsai is less able to outgrow an infection., or a plague of aphids, iii the same way a full-size tree can.

A twice-yearly precautionary treatment with a systemic insecticide and fungicide will help, but it will not be one hundred percent successful. (Systemic chemicals are designed to he absorbed by the plant and fight the problem from the inside.) Deciduous trees will benefit from a normal garden ‘winter wash’.

Constant vigilance is necessary throughout the year. Once a problem has been spotted and diagnosed remedial action should be taken immediately, using an appropriate commercial treatment.

Always read the pack to make sure the treatment is effective for your particular problem, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter.

If one brand doesn’t appear to work try another - some insects seem to be able to build up a tolerance if the same brand is used all the time.

Trees may take weeks to recover from fungal infections, so don’t lose heart. If the symptoms stop getting worse, the treatment has more than likely worked.

Never rise systemics on Chinese elms. They will not kill the tree but the foliage will yellow and fall and fine twigs may die back.

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Most fully hardy species tolerate having their pots frozen solid for short periods at a time. Pines and spruces even seem to thrive on this treatment, preferring it to any form of protection at all, other than a temporary wind break. But the ravages of winter can take their toll on most other species in a number of ways.

All the effects below can damage a large bonsai but it should survive. Medium-size bonsai - say between ten and eighteen inches tall - can be severely damaged, possibly fatally, while small bonsai are very vulnerable indeed.

Constant freezing and thawing of the pot every day can devastate a root system, especially if the pot never entirely thaws before re-freezing. The root tips absorb moisture but cannot pass it through the frozen roots in the centre of the pot. On re-freezing they expand and burst, just like a water pipe. They can also be crushed by the pressure caused by the expansion of rapidly freezing soil in a container.

Remember a waterlogged soil expands more on freezing than a comfortably moist one. Trident maples and Chinese elms have thick, fleshy roots which are particularly at risk. Even large bonsai of these species should be placed in winter confinement.

Although roots are inactive most of the time during winter moisture is still lost through the hark. Under normal circumstances the tree would contain enough reserves and the roots could replenish the supply during mild weather. Expanding buds also demand a supply of moisture which frozen roots cannot provide. Sunny days can induce both transpiration and bud activity, but may not succeed in thawing the roots as well.

Cold, drying winds can desiccate fine twigs. Frozen roots cannot replenish the moisture so the twigs die back. Fine-twigged species like birch and Japanese maple are particularly vulnerable, and stiffer from the same problem in the wild.

Wind and sun can cause pots to dry out even in winter. Although this may not affect the tree directly it will kill the finer roots, putting the whole system at risk of decay and more vulnerable to damage by wet, freezing conditions.

Saturated soil not only increases the risk of frost damage, it also creates the ideal environment for root rot. There is not such a risk if it is raining every day, but if waterlogged soil is left to stand, the risk is increased dramatically.

Having filled you with dismay at the thought of all the dangers your bonsai have to face, let me assure you that by taking a few simple precautions vim can guarantee them a long ;mil happy life. Although the worst of the weather conies after Christmasin the northern hemisphere, it is as well to have the protection complete by the end of Noventher. karly damage compounded later.

If you are not sure about the hardiness of an unusual species then it is as well to keep it in a cool conservatory or unheated room through the winter.

This depends on the species and the size of the pot. (A three-foot-tall literati in a ten inch pot is a medium sized bonsai as far as climate is concerned). As a rough guide, a tree whose pot is less than eight inches diameter and two inches deep, or the equivalent volume, can be classed as small. Pots up to ten inches in diameter and three inches deep can qualify as medium size. Anything over this is large. The table provides a basic guide. By early spring you can begin to re-introduce your bonsai to their benches, tucking the smaller ones up at night during exceptionally cold weather.

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When bonsai in a public show they come under very close scrutiny, it is essential that when your works of art are displayed they look their best. They should be sparkling with health and spotlessly clean.

All debris such as dead or discolored leaves must be removed, and the surface of the soil must be free of weeds. The trunk and main branches will probably need cleaning, as will the pot.

It is very tempting to use bamboo or split cane as a backdrop to a display, but this is far too ‘busy’ and detracts attention from the trees. It is far better to use a pale, neutral colored, untextured surface.

The same goes for the table, although woven reed matting can be used provided the trees are displayed on simple, low wooden stands. If you don’t have suitable stands you can construct some low boxes and paint them the same color as the backdrop. The important thing is to keep it simple.

Keep labels small and the information basic. You only need to state the species (botanical and common names), the style and the age. The owner’s or artist’s name can also be included.

Also, remember that the public will love to touch your bonsai, so take whatever precautions you can to prevent this happening. It is not unknown for people to try to take cuttings from bonsai displays!

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The choice of site for your bonsai display will depend the tile layout of your garden, but it is important to consider your bonsai’s requirements as well. Although different species prefer diltereni conditions, it will help it you can keep all your collection in the same part of the garden in order to make daily watering and inspection a lot easier.

Conifers generally love to be in full sun all day and can even tolerate the heating of the pot a.nd soil. Some tough deciduous species, such elm, birch and hawthorn, also enjoy the sun but prefer their toms to be kept cooler. This can be achieved by placing them so that their pots are shaded from the afternoon sun by other trees.

Species with more delicate foliage, like Japanese maples, hornbeam and beech need to be protected from strong winds as well as sun. Azaleas also stiffer from over-exposure to wind and sun. However, this does not mean that they should be placed in total shade.

Morning and evening sun can do no harm, but during the middle of the day they should be in the shadow of a nearby building or full- grown tree. Failing this, you can construct a canopy of greenhouse shading mesh which will simulate the dappled shade of the woodland margin where these plants naturally thrive.

Bonsai growing in small pots will all need a certain amount of shade, regardless of the species. Small pots heat up quickly, cooking the roots and drying the soil. A permanent shadery featuring a slatted roof eliminating fifty percent of the sunlight is ideal.

If you can’t arrange this then put your trees against a west-facing wall, but remember to turn them round at regular intervals. Otherwise the branches at the rear will slow down and may eventually die.

Keep all bonsai on tables or custom-built benches - never on the ground. Every pest known to the gardener: slugs, ants, cats and even kids will conspire to destroy your collection in no time. Besides this, when your trees are displayed at eye-level you can appreciate ‘he’ll much more and will be able to spot pests and diseases a lot sooller. Benches should have slatted surfaces to allow to circulate the trees and the water to drain

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This can be as source of much confusion for the novice but the principle is really quite simple. There are three ways to apply fertilizer: by placing pellets on or in the soil, by watering it onto the soil and by spraying it on the leaves (foliar feeding). Each has its own pros and cons and the choice is really based on your own preference.

Specialist bonsai fertilizer pellets are available from all nurseries. They can be either the organic variety such as rape seed cake, or inorganic. The inorganic pellets are coated in a porous membrane which allows the nutrient to pass by the process of osmosis. Both types release nutrients slowly, which means that you don’t have to worry about feeding for a while. The disadvantage is that you won’t be able to adjust the feeding pattern without risking over feeding, which may ‘burn’ the roots.

There are a large number of soluble fertilizers available in. garden centers and florists, most of which are suitable. (Avoid using any specifically intended for house plants as they tend to he too rich for trees). These can be routinely applied once a week or, better still, at quarter strength with every watering. Never use a stronger solution than the manufacturers’ state. If is a good idea to change brand every now and then, in order to maintain a balanced diet. The disadvantage here is that the nutrients wash out of the soil quickly, so you have to be quite strict in your feeding regime. Also, during prolonged spells of very wet weather you may not be able to feed your trees since they may not need any water.

Research has shown that a plant can absorb more nutrients through its leaves than through its roots. Many standard soluble fertilizers can he applied in this way as well as via the soil, while some are specifically designed to be applied in this manner. This technique is particularly useful when your bonsai has root problems or when the soil is constantly wet through heavy rain. Foliar feeds are easy to apply provided you don’t do so in strong sun, otherwise the leaves may scorch. The only disadvantage is that in warm, windy weather the solution dries on the leaves too quickly and leaves a powdery deposit which. is difficult to wash off.

Any of these methods of feeding are suitable for keeping an established tree in good health and vigor, but occasionally you may need to use a specialist feed in order to encourage the tree to perform in a specific way. Before you attempt this you will need to understand a little more about how each of the major nutrients affects the tree.

Phosphorus is primarily responsible for root growth. It also encourages thick, sturdy trunks, helps to strengthen the plant against disease and frosts, and promotes hack-budding. An excess may result in poor foliage growth and color.

Potassium, or potash, is responsible for encouraging flowers and fruit as well as hardening off late growth before the winter. If left out of its diet, a plant will fail to flower, or if it does then the blooms will be of poor quality and the fruit will nor set. Potassium also helps to build up the plant’s resistance to disease.

It is easy to deduce each clement that you use to produce specific results by increasing its proportion in the fertilizer. Here are some pointers as to why and when this should he done.

Nitrogen (N) should be increased when you want a plant to put on a spurt of rapid growth. This applies to young, developing plants which you want to grow larger before starting to train. If the foliage is dull (not yellow - which indicates a root problem) a little extra nitrogen may improve the color.

A high nitrogen feed should be applied as the tree needs it, not before. So in spring, after growth has started, or once new leaves have emerged following leaf pruning, an application of a high nitrogen feed will replenish the tree’s resources.

Phosphorus (P) is especially useful after repotting or when a tree is recovering from a root problem, so a little extra can be given at such times. In fact, a high phosphorus and potassium feed will aid recovery from many ailments.

Increasing the phosphorus content in the diet in late summer and autumn toughens up the tree in readiness for autumn. A pinch of powdered superphosphate on the surface of the soil is an easy method of application.

Potassium (K) should he increased for all flowering and fruiting bonsai. A diluted rose or tomato feed is ideal, as these are specifically formulated to increase the flowering and fruiting potential. Potash can also be increased to help weak plants regain strength.

Extra potassium given during late summer and autumn will help the tree combat the perils of winter. A little sulphate of potash sprinkled on the soil once a week will do the trick.

Some nurseries sell a specialist soluble fertilizer called ‘0-10-10′ which, as the name implies, is nitrogen free and is ideal for late season feeding. When buying fertilizers, make sure that they include trace elements.

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In theory, provided your bonsai is growing in a free-draining soil, it should not be possible to over water. But many beginners, in their enthusiasm, manage to do just that. Over watering eliminates the air contained in the spaces between the soil particles and ‘drowns’ the roots. It also creates the conditions favored by various root-rotting fungi. The symptoms of decaying roots (yellowing foliage and lack of new growth) are not usually apparent until the damage has already been done. Having said this, it does take a few weeks for the problem to become serious, so the odd drenching now and then won’t hurt. On the other hand it may only take twenty-four hours for a bonsai to die of thirst, so it is essential to prevent the soil drying out completely.

Generally the best method is to water the surface of the soil evenly, using a fine rose or spray, until the water drains out of the drainage holes. Wait a few minutes and repeat. This ensures a thorough wetting of the soil and should he sufficient for one day during the height of summer. Try to avoid watering a tree that doesn’t really need it. Wind can dry the soil’s surface to a crisp, while deeper in the pot it may still be quite wet. If in doubt check by scraping away the surface in a couple of places and adjust the amount of water accordingly.

The best time to water is in early evening. This gives the tree plenty of time to have a good drink before morning. If you water in the morning the tree doesn’t have much of a chance to refresh itself before the heat of the day. If you can’t avoid watering in the morning do it as early as possible. Another advantage with evening watering is that you can douse the foliage at the same time without the risk of leaf scorch caused by the water droplets acting as miniature magnifying glasses in the sun. All bonsai appreciate a daily shower.

Don’t assume that the rain will do the watering for you. A bonsai acts like umbrella, and it shelters the poi from ill but the heaviest downpour. Your neighbors night think you’re ,T;1Y,y, hilt it is well worth continuing to check the need to water even in wet weather.