Tips on Caring for Your Chinese Elm Bonsai – Part I

The Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) is among the most well liked trees available for doing bonsai. There are, obviously, many outstanding tree varieties for bonsai, but the Chinese Elm is a perennial favorite. In case you are just a starter in bonsai this is a great choice for a first bonsai tree. The Chinese elm bonsai has a fairly predictable pattern of growth and you won’t need to be a professional pruner because this tree is quite forgiving. Beginners usually fare best with a slow growing tree for them to become acquainted with it, and the Chinese elm fits that description.

The Chines elm is indigenous to Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and China, where it might grow as tall as 60 feet. The smaller leaves of the Chinese elm are perfect for bonsai. The leaves have a blunt serrated edge, and are dark green and kind of leathery to look at. The Chinese elm is adaptable to both an indoor environment or an outdoor ecosystem. It is a hardy deciduous tree and will drop its leaves in the fall and spend the winter in a state of dormancy. If grown in the house it is going to stay green throughout the year.

And don’t be concerned with regards to Dutch elm disease with your Chinese Elm bonsai – they aren’t susceptible to the disease. So for people only starting in bonsai the Chinese elm makes an ideal choice.

How to Water Your Chinese Elm

Because most bonsai pots are rather shallow, and the soil used is relatively coarse, the soil can easily dry up fairly quickly. When the soil gets to be too dry you might need to water your tree each day depending on environmental conditions. Dig down about a 1 / 2 ” into the soil; water the plant if the top half inch of soil feels dry. The easiest method to water your Chinese elm bonsai is to fill your kitchen sink with just enough water to come up to just under the pot’s rim. Allow it to sit in the water for a few minutes soaking up water from the drain openings in the base of the pot. Remove your bonsai from the kitchen sink or container after it has been soaking for 5-10 minutes and then let it totally drain all unnecessary water.

A very important factor you want to always be conscientious of is to under no circumstances permit your bonsai plant get completely dry. By checking the soil level of moisture in your bonsai pot you’ll always realize whenever your plant requires watering. It really is a good idea to check the moisture level every day. If you feel moisture in the top half inch you don’t have to water yet. However, if your bonsai is in a very small pot and/or it is a hot or breezy day, or if your bonsai is pot-bound, then you may need to water. Don’t simply check in one place for moisture. One area might be dry and another moist. If the area is dry then just water that area.

Location and Sunlight

The Chinese elm tree can adapt to a number of diverse environments. Not all hardy deciduous trees may be grown indoors, but for the reason that Chinese elm is so adaptable it can survive indoors and will stay green throughout the year. Full direct sunlight is acceptable for your Chinese elm, the truth is it will prosper under this condition. Make sure that the plant is used to full sunlight before you leave it exposed all day. You can adapt it by leaving it in the sunshine a little longer each day. If the tree has been in the house, you’ll want to expose it to sun slowly so that the leaves don’t burn. Your Chinese elm bonsai will reap the benefits of very good air flow too. If you are growing your Chinese elm bonsai indoors then you definitely must make sure it is kept in a very well ventilated area.

Some Elms originate from warm parts of the world, and have never experienced cold conditions. It may not be smart to keep these Elms too cold the first year or two. Once the days get shorter in winter and the tree receives fewer hours of natural sunlight it might drop some leaves. This isn’t unusual. As with many bonsai trees, your Chinese elm bonsai ought to be shielded from intense winter conditions like cold and wind.