Just got a Bonsai. My first one

[corridale]

Hello all. I found your forums in a google search regarding Bonsai care. Me and a friend both brought Bonsai's yesturday, they are both chinese elms.
I live in Australia. what im looking for is information on how to care for it, as I really have no idea, and I don't want to kill it.

Thank you all in advance

[Gnome]

Corridale,

Chinese Elms are an excellent species for bonsai culture. Really quickly, they should be outside. If your weather is especially hot, some mid-day protection may be advisable. Ideally it should be potted in a fairly gritty free draining soil mix. If not be very careful to ensure that the soil is not kept constantly wet. When watering, water thoroughly then wait until the soil approaches dryness before repeating. Frequent, shallow watering is the wrong approach.

As long as you are seeing growth a younger tree, still in the early stages of development, can be fertilized regularly throughout the summer. A balanced (10-10-10 or 20-20-20) water soluble fertilizer mixed according to directions about every two weeks will be fine.

If your weather is damp be on the lookout for small dark spots on juvenile foliage, this is black spot fungus and must be treated quickly.

Unless you have purchased older, well established specimens there won't be a lot to do right now other than your daily routine. Just take some time and learn how to manage them properly.

http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Ulmus.html

Norm

[corridale]

Thank you for the Infomation. I had it inside yesturday, and have moved it outside now.

It is a young plant, any tips I should know about pruming and the like would be greatly appreciated.

[Gnome]

corridale,

It is a young plant, any tips I should know about pruming

Most texts recommend pinching new growth back to one or two leaves, and this is good advice for trees that are further along in their development. But for young trees pruning is really counter productive to producing strong trunks. If you want a larger, more powerful looking tree don't do any pinching now.

Chinese Elms bud back so readily that growing the trunk and growing the final branches are really two distinct processes. Once the trunk is established to your liking all of the existing branches are removed, as they will likely be out of scale anyway, and re-grown.

Of course if you are shooting for a very small tree this strategy may not be appropriate for you. You as the artist much decide where this tree is going. For now I suggest you just let it grow for a few months at least. By then perhaps you will have done some reading or spoken to another enthusiast who can offer you some specific guidance.

BTW, pictures would be helpful if you are looking for styling advice.

Norm

[corridale]

Thank you for the advice Norm. At the moment the trunk it very small, so I shall be leaving it grow for now. I shall take some pictures of his this arfternoon after work.

[Gnome]

Corridale,

You are welcome, I look forward to seeing your pictures. Here are some of mine. http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3544

Norm

[corridale]

Norm.

Here are the pics I took today, the first one is good, the last one not so hot.

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2484/bonsai001fr7.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/7538/bonsai002xj4.jpg
http://img237.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bonsai003ic0.jpg

I also brought a book today, on Bonsai care. Also thinking of getting another plant

[Gnome]

Corridale,

The Elm looks good. The files are so large I only downloaded the first one and without something to indicate scale I am left wondering if it is indeed a Chinese Elm. They are sometimes confused with Zelkova serrata. Here is a picture of both leaves for comparison. Notice the difference in size as well as the distinctive zig-zag pattern of the Zelkova (on the left).

It won't really make much difference in the short term but a proper ID is always best.



Norm