We have watered our trees all summer – but, don’t stop now. When you place your bonsai in winter storage be sure they are moist. Check often throughout the winter to make sure they remain moist.

As the daylight hours shorten your trees begin a period of rest. There is a gradual slowing of active growth. Deciduous trees loose their leaves. Buds develop a protective coating as lower temperature herald the winter season. Soon your outdoor trees will become dormant. They will have stored their energies for the upcoming great new growth in spring.

It is important to keep your bonsai dormant until late March. Warm temperatures encourage the start of spring growth regardless of the season. Once a tree breaks dormancy it is not possible to reverse the process. Many bonsai have been killed when warm temperatures encourage new growth of buds and roots. Then when the temperature drops the new growth is killed. Thus, it is necessary to keep the root system cold. Mulching after the soil is frozen will help. If your bury your trees in the ground, for winter storage, try to protect the part of the tree that is above ground from the sun and wind.

Now you can relax and take time to read a book on bonsai. How many styles of bonsai are there? Most books about bonsai list five -- formal upright, informal upright, slanting style, semi-cascade, and full cascade. Many books on bonsai list the above styles but then proceed to list numerous other styles - wind swept, broom, twin trunk, clump, raft, and literati. Yuji Yoshimura many years ago identified five basic "styles" of bonsai. Previously bonsai had been identified by numerous poetic impressions of bonsai e.g. "dancing dragon" or "mother with son." Yuji Yoshimura’s identification was revolutionary. He based his "styles" on the trunk line and growth habits of the bonsai. He said that there are only five basic styles of bonsai. Dave De Groot has written an excellent book "Basic Bonsai Design" in which he discusses (among many other numerous topics) why there are still only five basic styles of bonsai. You need to read his book -- available from the American Bonsai Society (see ads in the back of bonsai magazines).