Help with my Chinese Elm Bonsai

[mmirza16993]

Hello everyone

A couple of weeks ago I was gifted a Chinese Plum Elm bonsai as a birthday gift. It was bought from bonsai direct.

I’m aware that these plants take time to acclimatise, but I’ve noticed a lot of leaves going brown/black, and appear almost eaten.

I’ve managed to find the culprit - what appears to be a worm.

Please can someone advise me on how this occurred and what are the best ways of preventing further damage?

Thanks in advance

 

[ShadyStump]

Welcome aboard!

Just a little caterpillar. It happens. The past two years I've lost most of my cuttings to grasshoppers that found their way into my little greenhouse.

Elms are very hardy, so it should shrug off the damage without flinching. The chewed foliage will replace itself in the next season.
Just a bit of a warning: these are often labeled as "indoor" bonsai, but they're not really. It's possible to keep them inside if you have some stout grow lights, but even then the tree won't like it much. Best to find a sunny spot on the porch.

Also, adding a general location to your profile will let us know your climate, and we can help you out a bit more accurately.

 

[Shibui]

I don't think that tree is any sort of elm or at least not one I know of.
I note the term Chinese plum is part of the name. Possibly Sageretia? - Chinese sweet plum

Caterpillar is the larval stage of some sort of butterfly, moth or possibly a beetle. It just means at some stage, probably weeks ago, A butterfly laid an egg on the tree which hatched and began to feed on the leaves.
If the tree is outside it is possible another bug could fly in and lay another egg. Just monitor for signs and deal with anything that turns up before it eats too many leaves. The tree will always grow new leaves to replace any that are lost to pest and disease. Nothing I know of that will prevent further visits except for an insect exclusion cage.

If it is kept inside there's very little chance of more bugs visiting so no problem. I don't know Sageretia so have no idea if it does well inside or should be outdoors or what climates it will tolerate.

 

[bluesky]

Hi, that's definitely chinese sweet plum, bird plum, various nicknames - it's a Sageretia Theezans.
Bonsai direct - so I assume you're in UK? If so, Sageretia should be indoors for most of the year, otherwise it won't survive the cold nights. It's not a type of elm; it's a tropical species - anything below 10°C will start damaging the leaves, and any frosty mornings will kill the bonsai.
Place it in your brightest window, preferably south-facing and not right above a radiator which would dry it out in no time. If you see signs of more insects, give it a squirt of insecticide. If it starts to lose a lot of leaves, put a clear plastic bag over it and mist inside to keep it humid for a few weeks. Don't forget to water it before the soil gets completely dry.

Also Sageretias are very susceptible to
scale insects, they are small and hard to see.
I did a video about reviving your bonsai here (that's a Sageretia on the thumbnail):