On 23 Aug 2006 15:40:57 -0700, "Scooter the Mighty"
wrote:

This is really more of a bonsai question, but the bonsai group seems
dead.

Do deciduous trees need any light during the winter after their leaves
fall off? The reason I ask is I want to get a bonsai tree that isn't
suitable for my zone. Rather than wintering it outside where it will
likely freeze and die, I want to have it go through dormancy in a
refrigerator (or maybe my garage). It would be dark in there, but then
the tree wouldn't have any leaves so I'm kind of thinking it wouldn't
matter.

There's summer dormancy where nothing grows or if it does it's very
slow growing. And winter dormancy, which requires two things,
temperatures, but more importantly, light or foot candles.

You may want to do more research about the specific species you are
attempting, but trees start going dormant and foliage turns autumn
colors when light is low in the sky.