help.. Chinese Elm!!

tanlu

Shohin
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Hi everyone!

Does anyone have experience with Chinese Elms? I actually ended up purchasing one (imported from China) this past weekend at a local bonsai nursery for $25, a steal really. The Japanese bonsaist who overseas the care of all the bonsai there keeps them in a greenhouse with indirect light and high humidity. All seem extremely healthy. She says she waters them once a week.

Now I don't live in a greenhouse, but my tiny upstairs kitchen has the most humidity in the house, possibly 40% or 50%. It's 65F daytime, 55F nighttime. It's also very bright since there are 3 windows (light from east, south, and west) and the white walls and cabinets reflect it. I've been keeping it there for the past few days. Does anyone have any experience and tips on indoor care for this plant?

I'll post a pic soon

T
 

Redwood Ryan

Masterpiece
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Chinese Elm is NOT an indoor tree. It will live a short unhappy life if kept indoors.
 

Alex DeRuiter

Chumono
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From bonsai4me:

Ulmus parvifolia/Chinese Elm are often sold as indoor bonsai and as such are acclimatised to indoor growing conditions, however Chinese Elms are temperate trees and fully frost hardy. Chinese Elms grown indoors (or in climates with very mild winters) will remain evergreen whereas outdoor cultivation results in a deciduous tree.

Though Elms should be able to cope with the adverse growing conditions indoors, they are never as vigorous as their outdoor counterparts. To be entirely frost hardy your Chinese Elm must spend the Autumn outside to harden up for the Winter; never place a Chinese Elm that has been grown indoors straight outside during the Winter,

I am reliably informed that given protection from cold winds and mulching of the pot with straw, soil or bark, Chinese Elm bonsai will actually cope with temperatures of -10°F. (Zone 6 Winters). Chinese Elms planted in the ground will survive in zone 5 Winters; that's temperatures down to -20°F (-28°C).

http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Ulmus.html

Good bit of information there.
 

drake

Seedling
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AS said Chinese elm are out door trees and so do best out doors. they will tolerate in door conditions if kept moist, sprayed daily and have plenty of natural light which is relay making the indoors like the out doors. They can get very long leggy shoots with leafs only on the end of the branches and tend to be on the yellow side of green. so really just keep it outside if you wont nice healthy Bonsai
 
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