Seeded Siberian Elm - Now What?

[Wulfskaar]

The issue is he can’t put it back outside until spring arrives. In zone 3 Calgary last frost is May 23. So freezing weather lasts well into May. Feb and March are the dead of winter

Understood. I have a tendency to try to figure out a way to make it work, but you're right.

@Frznrth have you considered just planting the tree in the yard?

 

[ponderingsage]

If you’re looking to keep it inside, I would get a tropical like this. I have one I keep it inside under grow lights…but like everyone is saying ,trees will sulk through the winter. I put an outside come spring time once it’s warm enough.

‘Green Island’ Ficus – Round Leaves – 8″ Pot – Wigert’s Bonsai

 

[yashu]

It must get just cold enough here, because the leaves change color in fall and fall off, then new growth begins in March. Mine have been through 2 "winters" so far with good results so far.

I thought if the OP can keep it outside until leaf fall, then put it in a basement window, that might be even colder than what I get here in the dead of winter. I grew up in the Midwest and we had basements. I remember the window wells in the basement being very cold. It's worth a try, since the OP doesn't want to bury the pot or mulch over it.

Maybe the OP should just plant it in the yard and let it be a full tree, as a lasting gift from his daughter that they grew from seed.

Either way, you're still right. He should look into something appropriate for what he wants, which is a tree in his kitchen window.

My Siberian Elms (from @cmeg1) are kept similarly and behave the same as yours. Mine go into the garage after leaf fall and a little taste of some freezing temps. The garage is kept between 33° and 40°F and I get bud break in March at which time they go under commercial grow lights until daytime temps are above freezing and the shuffle begins.

Current condition;



That said I I would not have an issue leaving them outside if I didn’t have the current set up that I do. My current situation lets me get almost a full month of growing season more than I would if all my trees had to remain outdoors for the Maine winter.

 

[leatherback]

I would not straight away dive into doing "bonsai stuff" to these trees that you grew from seed which were donated by your daughter. Much of what we do for bonsai can easily kill a tree if inexperienced. I would probably keep these, grow them out in a fairly large pot for the time being and try my hand at some cuttings, which you can grow as bonsai. (You could even plant one in the ground, so you have a stock plant which just grows safely in the full ground). Then practice with the cuttings/airlayers you take off the stock plant.

For indoor growing, chinese elm seems to handle cool rooms in winter well, and move outside in spring. Ficus is another species that handles indoors reasonably well.

Maybe some evening watching:

 

[Wulfskaar]

My Siberian Elms (from @cmeg1) are kept similarly and behave the same as yours. Mine go into the garage after leaf fall and a little taste of some freezing temps. The garage is kept between 33° and 40°F and I get bud break in March at which time they go under commercial grow lights until daytime temps are above freezing and the shuffle begins.

Current condition;
View attachment 596214


That said I I would not have an issue leaving them outside if I didn’t have the current set up that I do. My current situation lets me get almost a full month of growing season more than I would if all my trees had to remain outdoors for the Maine winter.

Mine are also from CMEG, but yours are fantastic! Mine probably won't be on par with yours for another couple years.

 

[Jrmcmich]

Mine are also from CMEG, but yours are fantastic! Mine probably won't be on par with yours for another couple years.

My Siberian elm from @cmeg1 is doing great this year. Really has taken off this spring. Will repot next spring