Many thanks in advance ,
Lewis
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lewisgeorgee
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2014 8:49 am
Chinese Elm help!
Hi there, I bought a 15 year old Chinese elm, when I got it, it was lovely and green. I water it so I believe well enough and it's on a suitable window sill. Just as a precautionary, when should I be watering it ? My tree has lately deteriorated, leaves have fallen off, and if they grow back it's only short lived. It hasn't been the prime condition it was when I got it. Also, I am unsure on how to trim and care for it, anyone care to enlighten me? I have attached pictures. P.S mushrooms have started growing! Is that a good or bad sign
Many thanks in advance ,
Lewis
Many thanks in advance ,
Lewis
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
mushrooms growing is a bad sign. It means your soil is too organic and peat mossy and is holding too much moisture. Mushrooms like to stay damp all the time; tree roots do not.
Proper bonsai soil is mostly inorganic, very gritty. That makes it very free draining, which is what trees in tiny pots need. You should be watering it when the top inch or two of soil is dry, not damp. If your soil is moisture holding that may be a number of days between waterings, maybe even a week.
And elm trees don't like to be indoors. Indoors is very little light and very dry air. It is not strictly an indoor tree or an outdoor tree, but it will benefit from being outdoors in the summer. Note that since the tree
has been indoors, you would need to expose it to sun slowly so that the leaves do not burn. Once they are acclimated, Chinese Elms thrive in full sun—and a lot of sun also helps to keep the leaves smaller.
Proper bonsai soil is mostly inorganic, very gritty. That makes it very free draining, which is what trees in tiny pots need. You should be watering it when the top inch or two of soil is dry, not damp. If your soil is moisture holding that may be a number of days between waterings, maybe even a week.
And elm trees don't like to be indoors. Indoors is very little light and very dry air. It is not strictly an indoor tree or an outdoor tree, but it will benefit from being outdoors in the summer. Note that since the tree
has been indoors, you would need to expose it to sun slowly so that the leaves do not burn. Once they are acclimated, Chinese Elms thrive in full sun—and a lot of sun also helps to keep the leaves smaller.