If you can identify my tree it would be much appreciated as there was no tag on it
https://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k236/beanie9700/
-
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:03 pm
- Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
Beanie,
I don't grow fukien tea but a quick search on google shows foliage lacking the serrations that your tree exhibits. So I will have to go with Chinese Elm as well. Here is a link that has photos in order to confirm this identification. There is also cultural information there.
[url]https://www.dallasbonsai.com/bonsai_tree_care_TomM_ChineseElm.html[/url]
And a care sheet
[url]https://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/elm.html[/url]
Have you been growing the tree indoors or did you bring it in for the picture? It is not bad looking starter material but the soil looks to be mainly peat, is this correct? If so you should excercise caution when watering and begin your research on proper bonsai soil mixes.
Norm
I don't grow fukien tea but a quick search on google shows foliage lacking the serrations that your tree exhibits. So I will have to go with Chinese Elm as well. Here is a link that has photos in order to confirm this identification. There is also cultural information there.
[url]https://www.dallasbonsai.com/bonsai_tree_care_TomM_ChineseElm.html[/url]
And a care sheet
[url]https://www.bonsai-bci.com/species/elm.html[/url]
Have you been growing the tree indoors or did you bring it in for the picture? It is not bad looking starter material but the soil looks to be mainly peat, is this correct? If so you should excercise caution when watering and begin your research on proper bonsai soil mixes.
Norm
-
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:03 pm
- Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
Beanie,
Chinese Elms are subtropical and are able to be grown indoors or out. I prefer to keep mine outside during the summer and shelter them in an unheated garage during the winter where they will go dormant but still are protected from temperature extremes.
Being that you have been keeping yours indoors it has not begun the process of hardening off that is necessary to allow it to withstand the low temperatures of winter. So I would continue keeping it indoors though this winter. In the spring you can decide what to do then. You don't indicate where you are located, or if you have access to an outdoor growing area.
Spring is the usual time to repot into a free draining mix. You may be able to repot out of season though if you keep it indoors. The main thing that concerns me is that you don't know how much time has passed since its last repotting. For now it may be best to just concentrate on keeping it in good condition, pay particular attention to your watering, peat heavy soil retains a lot of water. Don't keep it soggy, allow it dry a bit between thorough waterings. A little bit each day is the wrong approach.
Norm
Chinese Elms are subtropical and are able to be grown indoors or out. I prefer to keep mine outside during the summer and shelter them in an unheated garage during the winter where they will go dormant but still are protected from temperature extremes.
Being that you have been keeping yours indoors it has not begun the process of hardening off that is necessary to allow it to withstand the low temperatures of winter. So I would continue keeping it indoors though this winter. In the spring you can decide what to do then. You don't indicate where you are located, or if you have access to an outdoor growing area.
Spring is the usual time to repot into a free draining mix. You may be able to repot out of season though if you keep it indoors. The main thing that concerns me is that you don't know how much time has passed since its last repotting. For now it may be best to just concentrate on keeping it in good condition, pay particular attention to your watering, peat heavy soil retains a lot of water. Don't keep it soggy, allow it dry a bit between thorough waterings. A little bit each day is the wrong approach.
Norm
-
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:03 pm
I got it from a garden centre in birmingham,uk I have left it in its original soil and am misting it twice a day and giving it a thourogh watering and feed once a week is this ok, I have access to a garden so should I put it outside in its original soil from now till autumn then bring it in for winter and keep on a humidity tray and gravel for winter. Then repot it in spring and put out till winter
- Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
Beanie,
Watering cannot be put on any kind of schedule, but only as required. Fertilizing once a week, (with full strength fertilizer) may be bordering on excessive, especially with your soil. I certainly would not increase that. I fertilize my trees about every 10 days to 2 weeks depending on when I get to them. If you see any evidence of dark spots on your leaves discontinue misting. Chinese Elms are susceptible to a fungal disease known as black spot.
You could put the tree out for a while. A little cool weather certainly will not harm it, but as I said earlier I would not let it experience a hard frost. Winter hardiness is a slow and cumulative process that begins after Summer solstice and continues up until the first frosts. From next spring on I would handle it as I outlined above.
Norm
Watering cannot be put on any kind of schedule, but only as required. Fertilizing once a week, (with full strength fertilizer) may be bordering on excessive, especially with your soil. I certainly would not increase that. I fertilize my trees about every 10 days to 2 weeks depending on when I get to them. If you see any evidence of dark spots on your leaves discontinue misting. Chinese Elms are susceptible to a fungal disease known as black spot.
You could put the tree out for a while. A little cool weather certainly will not harm it, but as I said earlier I would not let it experience a hard frost. Winter hardiness is a slow and cumulative process that begins after Summer solstice and continues up until the first frosts. From next spring on I would handle it as I outlined above.
Norm
-
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Sat Sep 09, 2006 7:28 am
- Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
Jennifer,
Chinese Elms are prone to black spot on new tender growth in the spring when it is damp and cool. You may have some now of course but it is usually worse in the spring.
I always remove infected leaves to keep the fungus from spreading, it can kill your tree. I do use a fungicide called Daconil by Ortho. It has never harmed my Chinese Elms.
Having said that, I know from your other post that you are uncertain of this identification. So I would proceed with caution, some plants resent being sprayed.
In the future, you will get a better response if you start your own threads.
Norm
Chinese Elms are prone to black spot on new tender growth in the spring when it is damp and cool. You may have some now of course but it is usually worse in the spring.
I always remove infected leaves to keep the fungus from spreading, it can kill your tree. I do use a fungicide called Daconil by Ortho. It has never harmed my Chinese Elms.
Having said that, I know from your other post that you are uncertain of this identification. So I would proceed with caution, some plants resent being sprayed.
In the future, you will get a better response if you start your own threads.
Norm