AusBonsai

Hi everyone, I got this Celtis in September and training has been going well so far. I did some work on it awhile back and something has gone a bit funny. The leaves are turning a brown colour, with many brown spots underneath. I removed a bit of foliage when I did the work, but didn't change my watering routine, so could this be some early/mild root rot?

Thanks

Could be sunburn to the newly exposed leaves is one thought.

Grant

The last pic shows petty bad mite infestation. Spray with soapy water a few times to get rid of them. Keep the plant exposed to the elements. Full sun unless it's really hot (over 34C). These trees like to be fed heavily. Allow to dry between waterings. When it's growing well, it should dry out every day. (that means that you can no longer see evidence of moisture on the soil surface). This time of year, you should be able to almost see them growing. Many people are simply not giving their elms enough food and exposure.

I think Mike is correct. The speckled back of leaf is indicative of tiny sap suckers like mites. The damage will cause leaves to start to change colour and die. Try Mike's soapy water but I think you will need to keep treating every couple of weeks as new ones hatch out or try a miticide from the plant centre.