Elms kept inside or outside during the winter time?

[Phillthy]

I live in brooklyn NY and I have all my elms on my balcony, they're mame to shohin sized with shallow pots. Should I keep them outside or bring them indoors?
Some of them lost all their leaves already, a few of them still have some foliage. The temp right now drops as low as 20s at night and high of 55 during the day. Any advice would be great. Thank you.

 

[Eckhoffw]

What type of elms? I’m guessing Chinese elms.?

 

[Phillthy]

Here are some photos

 

[TN_Jim]

I live in brooklyn NY and I have all my elms on my balcony, they're mame to shohin sized with shallow pots. Should I keep them outside or bring them indoors?
Some of them lost all their leaves already, a few of them still have some foliage. The temp right now drops as low as 20s at night and high of 55 during the day. Any advice would be great. Thank you.

Can you explain your balcony situation? Are you on the first floor or up higher? Is it enclosed? Do you have an area outside on the ground?…this would likely be best depending on species. All our native elms want to be outside -I have kept Chinese mulched in on the ground outdoors multiple winters and in a garage last winter -no noticeable difference.

If it’s not a subtropical species and it lives in natural settings in your area, it should be kept outdoors -this is the rule of thumb used for all of my trees with success.

 

[Phillthy]

What type of elms? I’m guessing Chinese elms.?

Yeah, Chinese elms

 

[Phillthy]

Can you explain your balcony situation? Are you on the first floor or up higher? Is it enclosed? Do you have an area outside on the ground?…this would likely be best depending on species. All our native elms want to be outside -I have kept Chinese mulched in on the ground outdoors multiple winters and in a garage last winter -no noticeable difference.

If it’s not a subtropical species and it lives in natural settings in your area, it should be kept outdoors -this is the rule of thumb used for all of my trees with success.

It's actually a fire escape lol, second floor, not enclosed. I don't have a garage or a place to dig into the ground. I think my best bet would be buying a plastic container, filling it with mulch and placing the trees in there.

I attached a photo taken in October.

 

[Kadebe]

It's actually a fire escape lol, second floor, not enclosed. I don't have a garage or a place to dig into the ground. I think my best bet would be buying a plastic container, filling it with mulch and placing the trees in there.

I attached a photo taken in October.

So, when there's a fire, you're trapped by bonsai

 

[TN_Jim]

It's actually a fire escape lol, second floor, not enclosed. I don't have a garage or a place to dig into the ground. I think my best bet would be buying a plastic container, filling it with mulch and placing the trees in there.

I attached a photo taken in October.

Big clear plastic tub with a good layer of mulch in bottom may be a good bet..I’d throw a thermometer in there.

Wonder others thoughts on this…

If you’re getting lows of twenty, I’d address it quickly -below 28 I’m moving things that can’t thrive in Canada off benches.

 

[Paradox]

Inside is too warm.

A tub will act as a greenhouse and get warm in the sun. Particularly if you leave it closed.
If you leave it open, it will fill with water which will be bad as well

Exposed on the fire escape with no protection is risky when temperatures get really cold.

Can you put them up against the building and build a wind barrier around them?

 

[Phillthy]

Inside is too warm.

A tub will act as a greenhouse and get warm in the sun. Particularly if you leave it closed.
If you leave it open, it will fill with water which will be bad as well

Exposed on the fire escape with no protection is risky when temperatures get really cold.

Can you put them up against the building and build a wind barrier around them?

My game plan is to drill holes on the bottom of the container so the rain could drain out, leave the top off and fill it 1/2 to 3/4 way with mulch. Keeping the pot buried while using the rest of the container as a wind barrier.

 

[yashu]

I attached a photo taken in October.

Looks like one didn’t make it through last winter

…and I’m laughing with you, not at you. I have a small collection of tree carcasses out by the burn pile.

 

[Phillthy]

Looks like one didn’t make it through last winter

…and I’m laughing with you, not at you. I have a small collection of tree carcasses out by the burn pile.

lol my rooftop graveyard, i'm surprised i don't have more in that pile.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Chinese elms will absolutely survive inside over the winter with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

 

[Phillthy]

Chinese elms will absolutely survive inside over the winter with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

I thought Chinese elms needed to reach a dormancy period or it'll struggle over time?

If its kept indoors during the winter, then it'll be growing all year round and wont hit dormancy. Please correct me if im wrong, im still learning as i go.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

My game plan is to drill holes on the bottom of the container so the rain could drain out, leave the top off and fill it 1/2 to 3/4 way with mulch. Keeping the pot buried while using the rest of the container as a wind barrier.

I think this your best option, kudos for keeping bonsai under such challenging conditions.

As others have chimed in, indoors is not likely to be successful, too dry and too warm.

 

[Mikecheck123]

I thought Chinese elms needed to reach a dormancy period or it'll struggle over time?

If its kept indoors during the winter, then it'll be growing all year round and wont hit dormancy. Please correct me if im wrong, im still learning as i go.

Chinese elms are a special, one-off case in which all wisdom goes out the window. What you said is, however, true of 90% of deciduous trees.

But Chinese elms do NOT need dormancy. It will have a much higher chance of survival inside than on that balcony.

 

[Phillthy]

Woke up this morning and a few of the buds are swelling up and some even popped and showing green.

Should I keep them indoors for now? or is it safe to put them back outside? If i put them back outside will the tree die / swollen buds die off?

 

[Maiden69]

I thought Chinese elms needed to reach a dormancy period or it'll struggle over time?

Woke up this morning and a few of the buds are swelling up and some even popped and showing green.

I had a similar issue last winter, granted my winters are nowhere near NY's winters... consensus was to leave it outside unless expecting <25 degrees temps. I left mine outside all winter, sheltered it still outside under a frost bag when we had a week of snow and 20 degree temps. Didn't skip a beat.

Yatsubusa Elm awakening in December

I received this Yatsubusa Elm from Brent last week along with 4 varieties of Japanese quince. The tree had already gone through fall as it arrived with no leaves on it. I talked to Brent about the weird climate we are having in Central Texas and he advised me to place it in a location where it...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[rockm]

The balcony with mulch is preferable to indoors. While some believe Chinese elm don't need dormancy, it's really not all that true. Indoors, they weaken, slow and get issues (spider mites, fungal issues, etc.) when left inside. Been there done that when I started out. Indoors the trees will require high light and humidity to grow (and they will remain active if they retain leaves).

An alternative to outdoors could be a refrigerator (once the trees become dormant OUTSIDE and the trees have dropped all or most of their leaves. Skipping this step is not a great idea). Since your trees are on the small side, You could get a mini fridge and set it to about 35 F and put them in there for the winter...

 

[Mikecheck123]

The balcony with mulch is preferable to indoors. While some believe Chinese elm don't need dormancy, it's really not all that true. Indoors, they weaken, slow and get issues (spider mites, fungal issues, etc.) when left inside. Been there done that when I started out. Indoors the trees will require high light and humidity to grow (and they will remain active if they retain leaves).

An alternative to outdoors could be a refrigerator (once the trees become dormant OUTSIDE and the trees have dropped all or most of their leaves. Skipping this step is not a great idea). Since your trees are on the small side, You could get a mini fridge and set it to about 35 F and put them in there for the winter...

This is just not consistent with my experience at all. I kept my Chinese elm inside all winter. Not that great of light. Did nothing special.

This is what it looked like when I moved it out in the spring.