Chinese Elm red mite recovery?
My indoor Chinese Elm is suffering from a bad attack of red spider mite and I have been spraying it with Provado which I hope will do the trick. But it is dropping it yellow and green speckled leaves each day and soon it may have none left. My questions are assuming I get rid of the mites how do I get the tree to recover from the leaf fall? Will is produce another set of leaves this year. Should I just let it recover naturally and accept that I will not get another leaf crop until next year? In fact if I do get a total leave fall how do I know that it has in fact survived?
I don't know the product you're using, so I don't know if it'll be effective. BUT, most "broad spectrum" vegetable garden (note: *less* toxic to humans and pets) sprays should bring the problem under control after a single treatment.
That's not to say the tree will recover, however. Perhaps the best thing you can do is get it outside, if it's not there already (elms belong outside, from repeated experience). Defoliate, repot into a well draining bonsai soil, and water ONLY when it's completely dried.
IME, a spider mite infestation as bad as you describe is only a symptom of some underlying issue with the tree. Solve those problems (I've attempted to above) and you might be able to save the tree.
That's not to say the tree will recover, however. Perhaps the best thing you can do is get it outside, if it's not there already (elms belong outside, from repeated experience). Defoliate, repot into a well draining bonsai soil, and water ONLY when it's completely dried.
IME, a spider mite infestation as bad as you describe is only a symptom of some underlying issue with the tree. Solve those problems (I've attempted to above) and you might be able to save the tree.