Kperdrizet
Newly Registered
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 16, 2016 3:23 pm

Chinese Elm Bonsai care?

Hell Everyone, I am new to this site and wanted some opinions on the Chinese Elm bonsai tree. I recently picked one up and I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can to help it thrive. I live in flagstaff Arizona so the air is quite dry here, and very very windy as well. I plan on keeping this bonsai as an indoor tree if possible. The conditions outside are fairly sunny approx 70-90 in the summer in the day but drops to about 40-60 in the winter. At night its much worse usually close to or below freezing all year. I have a humidifier inside my apartment to avoid any heat source from drying it out, I also moved the heat source far from the tree.

One of my biggest concerns is light, how much is enough? For now I place it outside for less than an hour for some extra light, but was told that bringing the tree in and out of my apartment everyday would cause the tree much stress. So because of the small amount of natural light that enters my apartment I plan on getting an indoor light. What kind of bulb would work well for this? And how many hours of direct light does a Chinese Elm usually need in a day?

My other big concern was water. I have been watering the plant everyday as it is extremely dry here in Arizona, but with the help of my humidifier I am beginning to think that watering the tree everyday might be a bit overkill. I have heard many tips on how to tell if the soil is ready to be watered. many say wait until its damp not dry, however this window of opportunity is small before the soil drys out completely, is it better for the tree to be a little over watered or under watered? I also picked up a liquid fertilizer with an NPK of 10-10-10, is this combo ideal for the Chinese Elm, and how often should it be fertilized?

I think that just about covers my main concerns, if anyone has any information or suggestions, it would much appreciated, thanks!

User avatar
Gnome
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 5122
Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A

Kperdrizetm

Hello, sorry for the delay but I have tried several times this week to compose a reply but found each wanting so I froze. :oops: We have a thread here that discusses indoor lighting. Chinese Elm should be able to be grown indoors if you are committed to the venture. Please see this article: https://www.evergreengardenworks.com/indoors.htm I say should because I have never kept one inside for more than a few months at a stretch.

Check this site out for more information on lighting and indoor culture: https://www.bonsaihunk.us/cultural.html

Chinese Elms are classified as semi-tropical and have a very wide distribution. Some behave more as deciduous trees and others more as tropicals. Of course you have no way of knowing the origin of your particular tree.

Regarding watering, if your soil dries that quickly more organic material could be incorporated into your mix at the next re-potting, but don't rush into it for that. A well balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) is fine.



Return to “Indoor Bonsai Forum”