Bare Chinese Elm (all leaves turned yellow and dropped off)

[Priscilla26]

Hi,

I recently purchased my first Chinese Elm Bonsai towards the end of March from Bunnings. After doing some research, I decided to place the bonsai on my kitchen windowsill, which receives a fair amount of sunlight during the day. As for watering, initially I used the method of watering until the water came out through the bottom of the pot whenever I noticed the soil getting dry (every second day or so).

Two weeks later, I noticed that the leaves on my Bonsai were turning yellow and crispy, and falling off. I didn't change the pattern of watering or the location and the leaves continued to fall. Mid April, I decided to repot the Bonsai into a proper bonsai pot as after inspection of the roots, the bonsai appeared to be root bound in the small pot it was purchased in.

The Chinese Elm was successfully repotted (using a proper Bonsai soil mix) and I set it up away from sunlight for a month as this is what was suggested. Throughout this month, the leaves continued to turn yellow and crispy and fall off gradually until now I am left with a bare tree. I have been using the immersion method of watering within the past week or two.

I have tested the bark and concluded that it is still alive as there is green beneath the bark, however I am unsure where to go from here.

I have currently taken it out of the shade and placed it back on the windowsill as it has been a little over a month since the bonsai was repotted.

Would anyone be able to tell me what has happened with my tree? Has it entered dormancy? What steps I should be taking now in order to allow my tree to thrive?

Thank you in advance.

[Max]

the afternoon sun thru the window is too intense burning/drying the leaves i would say, it's coming into winter so it's going to loose it's leaves anyway, elms do better outside
Also the shock of the different light levels from Bunnings to the window sill

[alpineart]

Hi Pricilla26 , Chinese elms along with most bonsai grow better outside in the elements , figs being 1 exception and they can be kept inside however they too grow better outside in the elements unless the temps drop down below 5 degree's which is an issue down here .
It may very well have gone into dormancy being inside or it may be lacking water considering the light and heat is intensified through a window if it has been kept on the sill . I would submerge the pot into a bucket of water for 30minutes then place it outside in full sun and monitor the watering closely .

I'm sure the Wiki here will have good info for you to browse regarding re-potting , placement/position and watering , its worth a good look .

Cheers alpineart

[Daluke]

Put it outside.

If you want it to thrive it needs outside air.

From what you have said, it sounds like the tree dropped its leaves either out of shock or because of the change in seasons.

It sounds alive -

Some of my elms outside have dropped their leaves.

The elm is very hardy - it takes a lot to kill them. I know keeping it inside will eventually lead to a long term deterioration of the health of the tree.

What is the bonsai mix you purchased?

[FruitFly]

Yes, definitely pop it outside. I'm in Canberra and have a self seeded Chinese Elm in my front garden that's about 2-3yrs old. It's still quiet green leaf wise, (I'll be digging it up mid winter once it's dormant). The mature C. Elm trees around my workplace have already turned yellow.


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[Priscilla26]

Thank you all for the helpful information.

I have done as suggested and have placed my Chinese Elm bonsai outside. Will it need to stay outside indefinitely? Or would I need to bring it back inside over the winter period?

I am currently living on the Gold Coast but will be driving down to Sydney in a month. Will the change in weather affect my bonsai? Is there anything I need to do for the bonsai to help accomodate this move?

Also, when would be the best time to fertilise the bonsai?

What is the bonsai mix you purchased?

I purchased a bonsai repotting kit from Bunnings as I will be moving soon and couldn't find a small amount of bonsai soil elsewhere. It was put together by "Bonsai Environment" and after contacting them to find out what was in the bonsai mix and if it was suitable for my bonsai, I was told that it was "professionally mixed by potting mix company" and would suit my Chinese Elm.

[benbonsai]

You wanna keep it outside all the time, Bonsai are trees and belong outside.

Your elm won't need as much if any fertilizing now as it's about to go dormant.

[Ryceman3]

Hi there,
Gold Coast, Sydney... Doesn't matter. Leave it outside. Trees are happiest as outdoor beings and that doesn't change when they are bonsai. Changes in temperatures/seasons are important to keep your trees healthy, and that includes colder winter weather as much as warm summer sun. Chinese Elms will most often lose their leaves over winter (sometimes not, but generally) and hit a dormant state before bursting into bud in Spring and growing on. Not a lot of fertiliser therefore required over winter, but when Spring comes it's a different story. I wouldn't think the change in conditions between Gold Coast & Sydney will effect your tree too much.
Good luck with it!