Chinese elm tree health

Phillthy

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hi so I bought this elm at a garden nursery for $30. When I got home, I repotted it in a white pot with bonsai soil. After that I wired and pruned it to my liking. After a few days, the leaves are turning yellowish/brownish and it doesn't look very healthy. I've been keeping it outside in full sun and watering it once the soil feels dry. The temperature outside is between 60-70 in the day and 50-55 at night. Is this normal for Elms? What am I doing wrong.
 

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Redwood Ryan

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Well there's your problem, you shouldn't have repotted it at this time of year. Why did you repot it? How much of the roots did you trim?

Don't worry about the temperature, this tree can stay out year round.
 

Phillthy

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The soil it was in looked like potting mix and it wasn't draining. I was afraid the roots would stay wet and cause some root rot. I took away 40-50% percent while trying to rake out the roots.
 

M. Frary

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It's had a tremendous shock. Luckily it's an elm.
They're tough customers but can be killed.
Did you remove 40 to 50 % of the roots or soil?
Whichever the case you don't want it to get too dry. That will kill it faster than overwatering or root rot.
You're going want to keep the soil moist. Use a wooden skewer or chopstick kind of like a dip stick. I used to use wooden tooth picks. Poke it down into the soil. Leave it for a while like 10 or 15 minutes. Pull it out. If it's wet almost to the soil line hold off on water. If it's dry down around halfway,water the tree. Water until it runs freely out of the bottom.
Since its not brutally hot keep it in full sun.
Don't fiddle with it no matter how bad you want to.
It's had about all it can take for a moment.
If it starts to recover you will know soon enough. It will start pushing new leaves.
 

sorce

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Trim And Style....

Then repot.

After a New pot...
You Don't even wanna move it for a month.

Nother reason I don't understand the "dance"...
But hey!

Sorce
 

Phillthy

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@M. Frary i took off 40-50% of the roots. i took away all of the old soil. so if it recovers, it should be pushing out new growth in a couple of weeks?

@sorce whats the general rule for waiting to repot after a prune and style? or is it safer to repot then wait to prune and style?
 

sorce

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whats the general rule for waiting to repot after a prune and style? or is it safer to repot then wait to prune and style?

Generally...
With an elm, or any D...

You're going to come into repotting season with stubs from your fall cutback. (Within 2 weeks of leaf drop)

Repot....

Then 3-4 weeks later you'll be gently wiring the new hardened or almost hardened shoots.

There is a @markyscott thread with the pro schedule.

Of course...as always, it depends though!

As we see here, and with the million situations you encounter...purchasing new trees, collecting stuff, health..

There are mad stages of grow out!

But basically....

Even if really well secured in the pot....

You don't watch to much mess with a fresh repot.

After them new shoots harden though..
The roots will have grown as much as well...
So gentle wiring is safe.

The best take away aha for anyone reading this....

If you managed to set back an elm...
Your work was Very Too Rough!

Work that will set back an Elm will most definitely kill many other trees.

I would guess a poor root mass to begin with is your problem here.
Which would make your repotting time...poor...but absolutely necessary....

And if you just water....it will live.

One of my elms has some yeller leaves too...
Very similar.
Lol!
I guess it don't help that the pot it's in is on a hair pin pivot...so it twirls in the breeze like a figure skater!

Sorce
 

markyscott

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The safest time to repot your elm is in late spring between the time the buds swell until shortly after bud break and before the new growth begins to harden. Avoid repotting during the growing season.
 
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