Chinese elm no leaves yet

[Shaw81]

Hi everyone. New to forum and bonsai. I purchased a Chinese elm 3 years and have usually brought it in for the winter. This year I kept it outside for the winter. Im in New Jersey. Im beginning to become worried that it didnt make the winter. The tree has small buds but they are not growing or opening. Branches are still flexible and alive. Everything around me is budding out and green. Am I right to be worried? Any advice will help. I also did a repot about a month ago.

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

I'm way South of you and my Chinese elm overwintered outside just started bud break about a week and a half ago. I'd guess yours may take longer due to being farther north. You could always try the scratch test but I'm becoming less of a fan of that as time goes on.

 

[chrischester1]

I have Chinese Elm here in RI and I think the climate in NJ is similar. It does get pretty cold and Chinese Elm are not as hearty as other deciduous trees. I put them in an unheated room next to my garage where they can get light from the windows. The roots cannot take much freezing so I watch the temps and if it goes below 30 degrees I add a little heat so the roots don't freeze. They do need a period of dormancy for the health of the tree. You can scratch the bark in several places and if it is green underneath the surface the tree is alive. All of my Chinese Elms are growing new leaves and doing well. I would just leave it alone, no fertilizer, water as needed and see if it comes around.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I also did a repot about a month ago.

Welcome to the site!

Best time to do a repot on deciduous is in the early spring AFTER the tree has woken up and you can see the buds swelling and just about to burst into leaf. If you repot too early, particularly if you trim a lot of roots in the process, you can set back a tree's ability to strongly come out of dormancy, and a dormant tree's roots are much more susceptible to fungus and bacterial infection.

Not what you wanted to hear, I know, but it doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence. Rather the tree may just take longer to bud out because it doesn't have the same level of energy reserves, or it is a little stressed because it has not had the ability to recover from the repotting. Time will tell... just provide good care and be patient. DON'T try to do anything else, and definitely don't fertilize.

 

[Hartinez]

Post a pic. Have you scratched at the branches or trunk looking for that bright green color of life? Elms want to go dormant each year and it’s possible that multiple seasons of inside warmth and not being allowed to go dormant have steadily weakened the tree, possibly to death. Can’t say though without seeing it.

 

[Hartinez]

Welcome to the site!

Best time to do a repot on deciduous is in the early spring AFTER the tree has woken up and you can see the buds swelling and just about to burst into leaf. If you repot too early, particularly if you trim a lot of roots in the process, you can set back a tree's ability to strongly come out of dormancy, and a dormant tree's roots are much more susceptible to fungus and bacterial infection.

Not what you wanted to hear, I know, but it doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence. Rather the tree may just take longer to bud out because it doesn't have the same level of energy reserves, or it is a little stressed because it has not had the ability to recover from the repotting. Time will tell... just provide good care and be patient. DON'T try to do anything else, and definitely don't fertilize.

Posted while bonsai nut was posting. Basically what he said. ??

 

[Shaw81]

There is still green under the bark at the trunk and branches. I repotted after speaking to an owner of a bonsai nursery that advised me to repot at that time. Hopefully it is slow to come out of dormancy and not slowly dying off. Thanks for all the responses.

 

[Soldano666]

Im in Maine and mine haven't woken up yet either. No surprise there. Mine over winter out doors here with minimal protection and come out swinging every spring

 

[Bonsaidoctor]

Hey there,
My chinese elm has not awoken for dormancy yet- and I an understandably concerned given the facts.
Normally healthy tree. Repotted (long overdue) a few weeks ago- per routine. But no buds yet. Here are some pics.
My scratch test is positive on the trunk (third pic down). But negative on the main top branches (I know my internodes are to long on top twigs
At best, I have a tree that hasnt reached budding yet and has significant die back. Worst- my tree is dying from poor overwintering and repotting stress.
Typically when I have a tree that doesnt respond and has a moderate to faint scratch test, I keep patient and if still no leaves, I leave it in the dark (under benches) for a time and some growth comes back.
Other thoughts on prognosis/next steps.
Thanks,
R

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Doesn’t look good. Areas that are reddish brown appear to be dead twigs. Chinese elms are usually among the first to leaf out. How/where did you overwinter it?

 

[Bonsaidoctor]

Thanks for feedback, Brian. My scratch test was uniformly positive a few weeks ago, now even the trunk is only the lightest shade of green (if that). I moved from one house to another in the winter, so they had some exposures to 20F or some temp with no protection. (I generally move them into unseated garage when it gets below 25–30F. The garage temp is in the 40s when its 20F outside).

I will definitely try to be more careful in the future. Life happens but I need to be more vigilant. I prob lost 3 trees as a result (including what I thought was a virtually indestructible Pygmy Maple. That’s why I am sharing my mistakes.. to learn.

 

[coltranem]

I am fairly new to bonsai too but I thought you wantef to repot these as the buds were swelling since that was a sign the tree had moved energy out of the roots. Did you take a lot of roots off?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I am fairly new to bonsai too but I thought you wantef to repot these as the buds were swelling since that was a sign the tree had moved energy out of the roots. Did you take a lot of roots off?

Yes. In addition to the reason you state, there is simply the practical reason of waiting until you see the tree is alive. If the tree is really weak, and either is pushing buds very late, or only pushing buds in a few spots, you may want to cancel or change your repotting plans.

You want to keep the roots warm, and keep it in a sheltered, humid location with plenty of light. If you have a cold frame or small greenhouse and can place it on a seeding mat, it can help.

I also want to add... I have one elm that was very late in budding out this year, probably due to the fact that I pruned it last year late in the season. I was a little worried, particularly because I have several cuttings from this tree that are already in full leaf. However it eventually budded out everywhere.

 

[0soyoung]

I think of Zelkova serrata as a Chinese elm even though it is not, strictly speaking, but they are among the very latest to leaf out in my climate (and are just now doing so). I have 'Seiju' which is an ulmus parvifolia (Chinese elm) cultivar and it/they (clones) start leafing out somewhat earlier (a couple of weeks ago).

I've repotted zelkovas and 'Seiju' both in spring 'as buds swell' and around August. I prefer summer repotting of these species.