Notes: Be on the alert for sudden warm spells which may induce new growth.  All new growth that will not have a chance to "harden off" should be removed.

Remove all wires from deciduous trees to prevent damage due to sudden spring growth next year. 

Watch your watering carefully and do not over‑water.  Do not water if the soil in the containers is frozen. Wait until mid‑day when the soil thaws to water.  Do not allow bonsai to go into a hard freeze in a dry condition.  If you cannot water, provide protection against freezing.  Preferably you should water before freezing temperatures set in.

All seeds and fruit as well as leaves from deciduous trees should be removed. 

You can start to collect some native material this month.  If the ground is frozen, mark you selection and return on a mild day to dig it up.  Do not dig trees out of frozen ground. 

Clean up garden area but let fallen leaves stay on garden beds and your over‑wintering bonsai.  The leaves will give additional protection from frost and some of them will decompose by spring providing humus and nutrients to the soil. 

Spray bonsai trees with a dormant spray to protect against over‑wintering insects and fungi.  Dormant oil spray is easiest to use but be certain to read the label thoroughly and completely before using the product to avoid any damage to your trees. 

TRANSPLANT/ROOT PRUNE:

Quince should definitely be root pruned, and re-potted before the first hard-freeze of winter.  Other plants can also benefit from minor root pruning and re-potting at least 2 weeks before the first hard-freeze of winter,  such as: apple, cherry, peach, all hollies, juniper, mountain laurel, camellia, white pine, pyracantha, rhododendron/azalea and yew.  You can delay this activity into December and January  if you plan to over-winter your bonsai in an area or cool (above 32_ and below 70_F) structure where winter temperatures will not drop below freezing. 

BRANCH PRUNE:

Beech, Chamaecyparis ‑ Hinoki, Cypress, Maple ‑ trident, Peach, Pine ‑ white, Quince. 

TRIM/PINCH NEW GROWTH:

Nothing.

FERTILIZE:

Using a low or 0 nitrogen fertilizer you can fertilize the following plants before the first hard freeze and water thoroughly.  At this time of year you want to provide nutrients in the soil for root development over winter without starting up new top growth:  Apple, Citrus, Crabapple, Chamaecyparis‑Hinoki, Hawthorn, Hemlock, Juniper, Pear, Podacarpus, Pomegranate, Pyracantha, Quince.

WIRE:

Azaleas ‑ main branches and trunks can be wired this month and the wire can remain until spring ‑ do not wire small branches ‑ they may grow too quickly and suffer wire damage.  Spruce.