Beginner question - is my tree ok?

[katiekatie24]

Hi.

I'm new to bonsai and just received my very first Elm tree. I only have it for couple of days but noticed something bit odd about its surface roots. They seem bit ''wet" and sticky. Is it possible that these roots are rotting? How to stop this from happening?
It it possible that the problem comes from the shop?

I attach picture for reference as my description is probably not great.

Many thanks for advice.

 

[Bnana]

These Elms can handle a lot but it does look very wet.

Is the soil free draining or does it stay wet? What kind of soil is it?
Is the tree outside or inside?
Where do you live (region/climate zone)?
How do you water and how frequently?

 

[Shibui]

Maybe there is a couple of things going on.
The soil does look a bit wet. You should only water when the soil gets a bit dry. Hard to explain exactly how dry is dry but don't water when just the surface is dry.
The other think is that elms release a sort of gel when the roots are damaged so if you are seeing that and it looks like it is around a cut or scraped root that's perfectly normal and will go away soon.

Please note before the tree starts to look sick that Chinese elm bonsai do not grow well inside despite some outlets promoting them as indoor trees. They can grow inside but usually only with special setup and lighting.
An indication of your location will certainly get far better advice for your particular location so updating your profile is a great idea.

 

[katiekatie24]

Thanks a lot for your replies.

Yes, the wet look is what concerned me. As a beginner, unfortunately I don’t know much about the soil so not sure which type it is. However it seems like it does indeed stay wet. Looks bit clay like underneath but more powdery on the surface.

The tree currently lives inside the house, on east facing windowsill in the kitchen. I've put it there as its brightest bit of the house, I dont have any south facing windows. The tree was indeed advertised as indoors tree, I didn't think to keep it outside and unfortunately i don't have much outdoor space to put it out. I live in south England, so sadly not much sun (specially in the winter) and its quite cold and rainy. If it is better for the tree I could put it outside for a few hours in the day time and then take it in for the nights. Would it get cold outside when its mainly below 10C out there?

Regarding watering, I only watered it once so far, when it arrived 3 days ago. The instructions from the nursery were to put in in a water bath for 10 mins and let it soak on arrival, which I followed. As it now seems very wet, it makes be think its not best way to water the tree, so next time I intend to water it from top. As it is wet I'm waiting till it dries a bit to water again. What's the best way to water these? I find it a bit tricky how to tell when it need water, as it should be between damp and dry, but not dry. It all sounds so complicated.

Thanks for the comment about the roots @Shibu, that is very helpful. I think this is what I'm seeing as it does seem bit scraped. That's a relief.

 

[Bnana]

The temperature in southern England is no problem for this species. If will be happier outside, not just because of the light but also air moisture and air movement.

If it looks like clay that's not good. They're grown in clay soils but in a pot that doesn't work well, it becomes waterlogged. Don't do anything for now but repotting in early spring will help it a lot. There's a lot of info on proper soil on this forum.

To know whether you need to water is easiest to such a toothpick in the soil and check whether that's still wet. If it's almost dry you need to water if it is wet you don't.

 

[Shibui]

Bonsai are trees. They are not babies. Bonsai can cope with nearly all the same things their cousins in the garden do. My Chinese elm bonsai all line outside all year round with temps up above 40C and down to 5 below freezing with no problems. Unfortunately they will cope with those temps outside far better than they will with conditions inside a house. Some growers with limited indoor light use grow lights to maintain better conditions. LED grow lights are now relatively easy to obtain and economic to run. I don't need them so cannot offer practical advice but I have seen some threads discussing LED indoor plant lighting on Bnut.
Your window does sound like the best option. It may appreciate some time outside each day if you can do it.
Soaking the pot is a good idea when the soil is dry because that's the best way to wet the roots right through. Ordinary watering often does not penetrate properly into dry soil but is Ok while the soil still has some residual damp. Each tree uses water differently. Each potting mix uses water differently. Each different location uses water differently and indoor trees tend t use less water than outdoors so there is no fixed watering schedule. Your tree may only need water once a week or possibly only once a fortnight or it may need some every 2-3 days. You will need to monitor and observe and look for a pattern. Water use will also change depending on time of year. It may need more when the heating is on in winter so keep checking.

I agree with just trying to coax the tree through winter then repotting into better soil in spring.
Good luck with your new baby.