November 2025 Bonsai "Growing Tips" Column

Hot Cocoa or Cold Beer . . . it’s day to day

It was 89˚ on November 9th, but it’s going to rain on the 13th with a high in the low 60s! The overall trend is toward cooler weather, but there will be those “fire weather” days. My watering schedule is highly variable this time of year. Make sure to check the weather, and pay particular attention to the wind. I may have to water every day for three days, and then skip three days as it cools and the humidity climbs. I’m also doing another “bonsai shuffle” with the changing of the seasons, moving trees around to chase the slanting sunlight to other areas of the garden.

Wire Off, Wire On: Branches wired during more active growth have probably set by now, so it's a good idea to check and remove any wire from earlier in the year. If you forget it over the winter, you may well have scars in the spring. It is also a pretty good time to put wire back on — cooler weather and slowing growth means larger bends are a bit safer and easier, especially on junipers, pines, and other conifers.

Fall Repotting: I may do some gentle juniper repottings this time of year, only on trees that are well established and already in good soil. I would wait until late winter or early spring for more significant root reductions, bare-rooting, or significantly changing soil type. I also prefer to wait on broadleaf/deciduous trees. As with watering, keep an eye on the weather - I want to see at least a week of cool weather following a repot for maximum safety.

Black Pine Winter Work: By now, the new growth from summer decandling should be hardened off. If you haven’t already, it’s ok to start pulling old needles and selecting a pair of shoots to keep. It’s also fine to put it off a bit, but I like to have it done by the end of the year.

Tropical Bonsai: By the end of the month, nighttime temps will be going below 50˚ pretty consistently in the Conejo Valley. That’s my signal to cease any work on tropical bonsai (ficus, bougainvillea, raintree, etc.). If you have a bright window indoors, you may be able to bring in ficus bonsai for a few months to keep them growing through what passes for winter in SoCal. Further South and/or closer to the coast, temperatures will remain more mild — a ficus will grow pretty much year-round outdoors in Long Beach, for example.

Pruning: Many trees are slowing down, but before they go completely dormant I like to make my larger pruning cuts and remove sacrificial branches that have done their work. Soon deciduous bonsai (maples, crape myrtles, bald cypress, etc.) will begin to drop their leaves, and that is a good time to do what I like to call “editing” of the twigs: removing any crossing or inward-growing branches, and cutting for taper, ramification, and movement.

Keep in mind that creating jin will be a little more frustrating now, as the live tissue has less water and will stick to the deadwood much more than in summer — you may need to scrape and brush to remove all the cambium, but it’s worth it. If you leave the live tissue to dry and “shrink-wrap” to the deadwood, it will be even harder to get off later.

I hope you all stay warm and/or cool as appropriate, and enjoy the fall work on your bonsai! Have a great thanksgiving, and I’ll see you in December.