Dead tips on Seiju Elm

coltranem

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This was my first winter with bonsai. I have two seiju elms. They were brought inside last November and kept in my bulkhead where temps were between 25 F and 40 F. When i brought them outside this spring i did not get new buds on the tips and clearly they are dead.

What i am trying to understand is why. I dud prune them at the end of september is it possible this was new growth that didn't hardenoff. Or could it have gotten too cold one night before I brought them in.

20180518_165439.jpg
 

Bonsai Nut

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When trees come out of dormancy, they are strongest from the trunk to the main branches to the tips of the fine branches. It is not uncommon to get some die-back. In some cases, I will have branch tips like yours that look dead, but are simply still dormant and weak. When I do my first pruning in the spring I will sometimes see those branches recover and bud out.

I am having trouble with some of my elms this spring not because of cold, but because of our strange weather this winter. It was 90 here in November and 80's through Christmas. We didn't get any cold weather until February - which is usually when my elms start to bud out. I have a couple of trees that look like yours.
 

KingJades

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I think seiju elms are notorious for having some dieback over winter. My seiju has the same thing, though the dead regions are smaller after fully leafing out. Mine are typically <1/4" at the tips.
 

M. Frary

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Real fine tugging on elms in general can die back some during winters where they are exposed to cold. It even happens to Siberian elms.
As long as it's the tips you need not worry. It's going to need those cut back tomorrow anyway. Then in a week and the week after that and so on.
If it was a whole branch ( which seiju elms can lose to die back) I wouldn't worry.
Seiju elms look delicate. They're not by any means. I had one up here and it took the winters. Voles on the other hand wiped it out.
 

Timbo

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You couldn't leave them outside in 6a? Seems like the right zone.
I've had better luck leaving mine outside with snow cover. I bring them inside a greenhouse or something without snow cover and some trees just don't seem to make it.
 

sorce

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If it grew after September....September is too late to cut.

With those smallest twiglets...

I'd want them lignifardened a month before dormancy, so they can build protection before winter.

I wouldn't cut after Mid August.

Sorce
 

coltranem

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If it grew after September....September is too late to cut.

With those smallest twiglets...

I'd want them lignifardened a month before dormancy, so they can build protection before winter.

I wouldn't cut after Mid August.

Sorce
Thanks Sorce i am going to limit my late season cutting this year.

Timbo i dont get that much snow and when i do I also have voles.
 

M. Frary

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I do too.
I keep mine outside in winter.
You need to take steps to keep them at bay if you are ever going to be keeping temperate trees.
Or build an expensive greenhouse.
I find it way more satisfying to wage war on the V.C.
 

coltranem

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These wintered in my bulkhead where it stay cold but i can seal out the voles.
 
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