Keeping garden centre bonsai healthy

Dogwood87

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Hi all,

Bought a bonsai from the local garden centre and want to give it the best chance to thrive.

The label says it’s a zelkova serrata however I suspect its a Chinese Elm?

I’ve done nothing to it so far except put it outside, so wondering what I should do to keep it healthy.

I think I need to repot it in bonsai soil given the soil it came with is powdery peaty stuff, but checking it’s not too late to do this in UK?

Secondly is it best to leave the foliage to grow this year for the heath of the plant and start pruning in the winter?

Anything else you would do now for this tree?

Appreciated!
 

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sorce

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With so much foliage I'd guess it was greenhoused, so it's already going through an adjustment, I wouldn't Repot soon. Maybe July, safest with a hard prune and full defoliation then.

Hit the restart button and make the design your own.

Sorce
 

penumbra

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It is a Chinese Elm, not a Zelkova. I don't even need to click on your pictures to clearly see that.
 

penumbra

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In your climate I would rework it sooner rather than latter.
 

Shibui

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Agree with Chinese elm as ID. Typical mass produces S shaped trunk mallsai Chinese elm. Seems common for Chinese elm to be labelled as Zelkova in UK. We seem to get a few posts each month along the same lines. Probably the same operator but it would be better if they knew enough to get the species correct.

They are tough enough to cope with less than perfect soil provided you monitor watering carefully.
Chinese elm are also reputed to cope with repotting almost any time of year. Growers in warmer climates find Chinese elm do not drop leaves so never really fully dormant so they have had to repot while trees still have leaves and report no problem with repot any time of year. I have not tried it but assume that means in cooler places we should still be able to repot in the growing season. I'll have to leave that decision to you.

Outside is definitely better for tree health than indoors. While it is possible to maintain Chinese elm indoors and they are marketed as indoor bonsai the reality is that the vast majority of them do not live long. Provided you can maintain water outdoors is almost always better.
You'll need to transition slowly, gradually building up exposure to sunlight over a few weeks rather than straight out or you can expect sunburnt leaves.

I'd be comfortable with trimming any time. Adjusting to new location is not too stressful so it should cope with some trimming and new growth will also be better adapted to the new conditions than the older leaves and shoots.
Looks like there's way too many 'branches' on the trunk so I'd also consider thinning out excess branches while shortening desirable ones to promote ramification.
 

Dogwood87

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Thanks for the advice. I think I will keep a close eye on the plant and the moisture in the soil for a few weeks until it's adapted to its new environment. Will then make a decision on whether to repot now or wait until next year.

Assuming the tree is still vigorous in a few weeks will begin with some light pruning and will do some more research on when and how to do the branch/hard pruning.

Appreciated!
 

AaronThomas

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As mentioned before… With that soil water very carefully… Especially if there’s not a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.
 

jerzyjerzy

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it would be better if they knew enough to get the species correct
I bet it is not that.

AFAIK, Chinese elms are prohibited to import into EU because they are carriers of Dutch elm disease (fungal pathogen, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi), which wiped out elms in most European countries. So they are deliberately mis-labeled as Zelkova in order to pass the phytosanitary control check-up at the border.
 

Shibui

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AFAIK, Chinese elms are prohibited to import into EU because they are carriers of Dutch elm disease (fungal pathogen, Ophiostoma novo-ulmi), which wiped out elms in most European countries. So they are deliberately mis-labeled as Zelkova in order to pass the phytosanitary control check-up at the border.
o_O You are probably correct but I would hope quarantine officers down here would know the difference between prohibited imports and allowed species.
Does not seem much point prohibiting import of a species if they can just be rebadged to get round the restrictions.
 

jerzyjerzy

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I would hope quarantine officers down here would know the difference between prohibited imports and allowed species
I guarantee they do not. They check the paperwork and that's the end of it. I used to import orchids for some time, and it never happened, not even once, that the phytosanitary officer actually opened a package and looked at the plants.

No, I am lying here - they opened the boxes, and COUNTED the plants, once :)

And we are talking about protected species here, with CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) strict rules, and incomparably more paperwork than just regular trees.
 
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