Indoor Chinese Elm, Bougainvillea & Serissa?

[superfortress]

Relative noob here. Bought a couple of junipers last year at christmas and learned some lessons relatively quickly, nighty night junipers.

Bought a chinese elm in June, and after reading some of Gnome's threads picked up some things. I live in Long Branch on the Jersey shore. Brought the tree with me to work in Asbury Park and let it be outside as much as possible.

I recently (two weeks ago) bought a cascading bougainvillea and a serissa. My issue is that I live in a condo with no patio or deck, etc. I can't trust it to the communal area out front. In my place we have a "curious" cat which leaves one suitable window. Our place is pretty dark.

Now not sure if I should try to put the elm in the ground, or keep it inside. It is dropping a lot of leaves this week. I don't like how they are looking collectively with the biggest impact on my Elm.

Mister Gnome, I'd like to keep my plants inside. If I put them in the ground I will do so at my parents, which will make it a little more difficult to keep an eye on. My parents also have a closed porch with a bunch of plants I am considering moving them to. Might get a little cool in the winter being we no longer heat the porch as all of our rabbits have passed.

If I look to care for them in indoors, what kind of lighting should I look to implement? I am looking to join a local bonsai club, and it seems like man advise putting threes like the elm in the ground. I am pretty sure the others are not candidates for this.

Does anyone have any pointers on indoor care for the elm as well as the serissa and bougainvillea? I am ceasing feeding them as of now. just water. Any input from our more experienced members would be greatly appreciated.

[djlen]

Hi Superfortress -

I am a newbie to this forum and also to indoor bonsai, but I can tell you that if the tree in question is an Elm (ulmus) it is by nature, in need of a dormant period and also subject to leave drop in the fall in preparation for it's rest.
Losing it's leaves is perfectly natural to it and it needs to be put outside for the winter, and in a place where it can get rain/snow etc. Nature will take care of it over the cold months.
I would heel it in, in an area were it will get the moisture it needs. Some people leave them in their pots but I have found that in the event of a really cold snap the pots can be subject to breakage due to expansion inside when the moisture inside them freezes.
I would pull it out of it's pot, put it into the ground on the south side of the house and put some leaves around it to help protect it. In the spring it should be just fine for re-potting and short periods inside the house.
Remember that this is an out door plant and will do much better in that environment.

[Gnome]

superfortress,

The Serissa and Bougainvillea are not suited to be grown outdoors year round in your climate so they will have to be kept indoors over the winter. Some have suggested that Serissa can tolerate, even benefit from, some cooler weather in the fall but I can't say first hand.

If I put them in the ground I will do so at my parents, which will make it a little more difficult to keep an eye on.

Chinese Elm is sub-tropical and apparently exhibits some variability in terms of cold hardiness depending upon where it originated. I have generally allowed mine a full dormancy but not outside with my more cold hardy plants.

In my case I am lucky enough to have an unheated garage where I can keep things that I don't wish to leave out. It might very well be fine outside as Len suggests and if I did not have access to the space I do I would indeed keep it outside.

Another option with the Chinese Elm would be to allow it a short dormancy early in the year, perhaps until around Thanksgiving, and then bring it inside where it will leaf out. The one thing I don't suggest is keeping it in active growth year round. I must admit I have never tried but allowing a dormancy, even a short one, really seems more appropriate for this species.

If your lighting is inadequate you have options depending upon how committed you are and how much money and space you wish to invest. Fluorescents are a reasonable compromise between the weak and inappropriate incandescents and the superior, but expensive, high intensity lighting such as Mercury or Sodium lamps.

In recent years fluorescents intended for horticultural purposes have improve greatly but I must admit I am still using conventional 4 foot shop lights for my few tender species.

Norm

[superfortress]

Thank you very much Len and Norm. I appreciate the time you both took to respond, especially being my present concern for the trees. For whatever reason I am just as concerned to put the tree in the ground this year, so I am considering letting the tree have a dormancy period in either an unheated garage as Norm suggested or shed.

I will not be able monitor the tree daily, but will check up on it as much as possible, and show my parents how to check to see if it needs water. That makes me a little nervous, being is has taken me a while to become accustomed to when the tree needs to be watered, but I am not sure I have another reasonable option.

I will certainly keep the serissa and bougainvillea indoors, as I thought they should be. Lighting will need to be addressed, and I am looking to be committed to learning and putting out the necessary investments to care for the plants.

thanks again for your time. I have learned a bit through this site over the last couple of months, and it is folks like you two responding that make this possible. cheers.

[Gnome]

superfortress,

You're welcome and thank you for the kind words. The Elm will not need a lot of attention once really cold weather sets in. I find I do not water much during the winter. My trees that are kept outside are mulched and covered with snow and basically left to their own devices.

The ones in the garage are on a gravel floor (not concrete which can really get cold) and in this situation humidity is reasonable. Couple this with the temperature and the fact that leafless trees transpire much less water and I have found that I only water about once a month. Be wary of keeping things too wet during this time. The chopstick method can still be used to judge the moisture level in the pot. When you do water, do so early in the day and only on days when the temperature is above freezing.

Norm

[djlen]

Norm - "My trees that are kept outside are mulched and covered with snow and basically left to their own devices."
LOL, I have actually brought snow in from outside, when keeping some of my not-so-hardy deciduous trees in covered/protected areas, and put the snow on the media so as to water in when it melts. Always made me feel like it was a natural way to water when they are dormant.
I have kept U. parvifolia under protective areas and also heeled in out of windy areas here in S. Jersey with pretty much the same positive result.
I did not know however that they could handle such a short period of dormancy. Thank you for that information Norm.
Actually, the reason I've gotten into the 'indoor' plants is because the outdoor ones need so little attention during dormancy and I'm bored waiting for spring.

[maveriiick]

Bougainvillea CARE

I have two of these and the key aspects for care are:

1. Provide a very good degree of light, Most important! They take full sun.

2. Allow the soil to dry out in between waterings. Also important to avoid root damage with excessive watering.

3. Has weak root system, therefore allow to become root bound and only remove minimal amounts or root when pruning. Root bound Bouguies apparently flower moreso, so is good to rootbound.

4. Very hungry plant, therefore needs more than average fertilizer. I use 20-20-20 and/or slow release osmocote.

5. As such can become chlorotic and therefore, needs iron and lower pH water (I.e. I do 2-3 tsp of vinegar per gallon of water to bring pH to 6). Iron best absorbed at lower pH. Many bonsai do best with rainwater (hint given to me by a bonsai nursery owner), and pH of rainwater is around 5.5 usually.

Lastly, I am a relative newbie as well and conflicting information exists. These assertions are based on my research and personal experience. My 2 bougies are doing very well currently, with one flowering nice red flowers in October.

[Gnome]

Len,

I did not know however that they could handle such a short period of dormancy. Thank you for that information Norm.

This is one of those things that you read about and wonder. Last year I though it was time I learned about this first hand.

I purchased a small Chinese Elm in the summer of 08 and followed the process I outlined. It performed just as expected and is doing fine right now despite some pretty aggressive pruning this summer. I think I'll bring it in again later this year while following my usual practice with my others.

Thanks for the info about the possibility of leaving them outside, I was always a little reluctant with this species.

Norm

[djlen]

You're welcome, but I would always opt for caution with regard to beloved specimens. Especially when you consider the cooler temps. you get in Western Pa.
My brother-in-law lives in Pittsburgh and I don't think I'd put anything out in the winter out there unless it was on the south side and huddled up against the house.
I like your idea of using a cool room. I have an unheated shed that sits against the south-east side of the house and it will be the recipient of a few
trees this winter.
Also, I've had good luck with Maples, both Japanese and Trident in my wife's cold frame for over-wintering. And the plus is that they pop earlier in the spring when in the cold frame.