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saliman88
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Joined: Mon May 25, 2009 9:46 am
Location: London

Chinese Elm too much sun?

I very recently got myself a really nice indoor 40cm Chinese Elm Bonsai tree.
A few of the leaves have turned yellow and have fallen off but the leaflet I got with the Bonsai says this is perfectly normal as this is how the tree is acclimatising to the new environment.
I am living in the UK so good weather and good sunlight is not to be taken for granted. I was just wondering: could I make good use of the sunlight during the summer by leaving my Bonsai outdoors in the sunlight during the day and bringing it in during the night?
I also have a indoor sun lamp which imitates the wavelenthgs of sunlight that I use sometimes in the winter to brighten up the house, would I be able to use this as a form of sunlight for my Bonsai when I bring it indoors? Is there such thing as too much sunlight (leaving Bonsai outdoors in sunlight in morn, with sun lamp atr night)?

Heres a pic of my tree:
https://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g23/saliman88/Photo0164.jpg

I would greatly appreciate any tips, I really want to keep my Bonsai well and healthy!

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IndorBonsai
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Posts: 268
Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 5:15 pm
Location: Seattle area WA

If you place your tree out side during the day, find a spot that has good morning sun and shade or filtered sun during the hottest part of the day. This will help prevent the leaves from getting burned.

Kinda like you, my out side temperatures at night are still to cold to leave my trees out all night long, so I bring my trees back in side at night.

My trees live under fluorescent lighting during winter and most of spring. My fluorescent lighting is on timers that run 12 hours a day.
I bring my trees in side when the temps outside drop to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, then I place them back in their spot on my shelves, where they get the remaining hours of fluorescent lighting until the timers turn off.

This has been working for me and my trees are looking healthy still.
I just ordered 2 Chinese Elms because I don't like giving advice on trees I don't own, or have experience with. I will find out soon if Chinese Elms like the same care as my other trees.

Nice looking tree :) Welcome to Bonsai :clap:

Imarhil
Full Member
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun May 10, 2009 11:07 am
Location: England, Middlesbrough

saliman

Firstly welcom to the forum :D and secondly nice bonsai! I am also from the UK and so I understand what you mean when you say we have to take advantage of the weather.

I am by far the least qualified person to take advice of but from the little reading I have done your Elm would love to be outdoor in some of the sum we have had of late. However it may require some shade in the afternoone and could even be left out throughout the night during the summer.

Also sunning it during the day and at night would be a bad idea as the plant needs time to rest.

Anyway I'm sure some other people will give you much better advice than me and suggest why the leaves are yellowing but for the time being id suggest reading up on Elms. Here is a good place for an overview https://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Ulmus.html

Mark

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Gnome
Super Green Thumb
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Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

saliman88,

Hello and welcome. I have been growing Chinese Elms for about five years now and my usual practice is to provide them with full sun in summer and to allow a dormancy period during the winter, they never come inside. A location such as IB describes would be fine though. I say 'usual practice' because I have recently experimented with keeping a small one inside over the winter, more on that below.

It is not too cold outside for your tree. We had an unusually cold spell here recently and, while I was covering my tender species, I did not give a second thought to the Elms, they can take it.

If you follow this method you will not have to worry about indoor lighting at all, just let nature take its course. When fall approaches you will have the choice of allowing it to remain dormant (with some protection perhaps) or bringing it in for the winter. Chinese Elms are a subtropical species and as such they are more flexible in this regard than either temperate or tropical species. You don't need to concern yourself with any of that now though.

Norm

moulman
Cool Member
Posts: 94
Joined: Wed May 30, 2007 1:35 pm
Location: Idaho, USA

A word of caution - if your tree has been inside all winter do not thrust it directly into full sun. Allow it to sit in the shade and gradually (over a week or more) introduce it to the sun. You do not want to shock it right now.

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snowblind
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Posts: 90
Joined: Tue May 26, 2009 11:55 am
Location: uk kent

hello

I'm from the uk aswell and you got to love sunny old england with the lovey lack of sun or so much sun you begin to melt =P

I myself have had many trees over the years and my elm has got to be the hardyist tree ive eva had. it wen I fist had it lived indoors and sufferd badley for it droping leaves drying out. it was driveing me mad till one day I put it outside and let it grow "wild" for a year no pruning nothing I watered it wen I thort about it I even left it out in the snow it was just a ball of wite with a trunk XD. I then one day just looked at it and said you need a hair cut badley little one and now after 2 more year of liveing outside she is the prize wining tree again she once was =D there is a piccy on here btw if you wonna look

anyway in my round about way I'm saying whot I have found is find a nice place outside for it if you can don't move it around to much and mabby let it grow wild for a wile till the leafe yelling and leaf droping stops

msg me and we can chat more if you wont hunny

good luck



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