Outdoor Bonsai
Chinese Elm for the Bonsai Beginner
How to enjoy with Chinese Elm Bonsai.
Growing bonsai is not that difficult. It takes time to master but you can start with easy one like Chinese elm. All you need to know is some basics, like how much water, where you should place your Chinese elm, what kind of fertilizer you should use, what types of tools you need and when to repot your Chinese elm.
1. Water
You should probably be watering once every 4 or 5 days with Chinese elm. Indoor trees take up water at a slower rate than outdoor trees. Keep an eye on soil moisture, and if it is moist an inch deep, don’t water.
If you have a chopstick, try to use the chopstick method for watering. Take a chopstick and stick it an inch or 2 into the soil. Leave it for 5-10 minutes. Pull it out and feel the tip of the chopstick to see if it is moist. If it is, don’t water. If it feels dry ,then water.
Some people use moisture meters to help them get used to linking actual moisture levels with other methods like chopstick one.
2. Feed your Bonsai Tree.
There are many species of bonsai trees, there are also many kinds of fertilizer too. Many fertilizers are best added during the tree’s growing months, typically spring and summer.
Elms don’t need fast acting, high nitrogen fertilizer. Low nitrogen, slow acting 3 or 4 times a year is sufficient to keep elms growing. If you want to produce large leaves, over do the nitrogen, the leaves become much larger.
If your Chinese elm becomes weak for some reason, you can use vitamins or hormones not fertilizer. You don’t want to use fertilizer to weak tree. Wwait about 2 weeks after no bad signs, and you start to see new growth, then its time to start fertilizing again. Maybe go 1/2 strength the first time, then go back to the normal strength after that. If the tree seems healthy, and you have new growth, then go for it.
In fall you should start using a very low Nitrogen or no Nitrogen what so ever for your decidious trees to get them ready for the winter dormancy.
3 place.
In many cases, people tend to keep it bonsai indoors. It is not right, many outdoor bonsai suffers inside house. Make it simple that indoors indoor, outdoors outdoor. Chinese Elm is a tree that can actually be either indoors or outdoors. If indoors, make sure it gets enough light an humidity as you furnace will be very drying for it. If out doors, you have to leave it out all fall first so it can shut its self down naturally into dormancy. To make it sure, if you put your Chinese Elm out side for the winter do not bring it inside to live, it is now an outdoor tree. However, if you keep it inside then it will live inside your house untill you put it out for only one winter. Placing your Chinese elm out side in the summer is good for your tree, it gets more sun and air the wind also make the tree stronger and grow thicker.
3. Feed your bonsai tree.
There are many species of bonsai trees, there are also many kinds of fertilizer too. Many fertilizers are best added during the tree’s growing months, typically spring and summer.
Elms don’t need fast acting, high nitrogen fertilizer. Low nitrogen, slow acting 3 or 4 times a year is sufficient to keep elms growing. If you want to produce large leaves, over do the nitrogen, the leaves become much larger.
If your Chinese elm becomes weak for some reason, you can use vitamins or hormones not fertilizer. You don’t want to use fertilizer to weak tree. Wwait about 2 weeks after no bad signs, and you start to see new growth, then its time to start fertilizing again. Maybe go 1/2 strength the first time, then go back to the normal strength after that. If the tree seems healthy, and you have new growth, then go for it.
In fall you should start using a very low Nitrogen or no Nitrogen what so ever for your decidious trees to get them ready for the winter dormancy.
4. Tools you need.
You also need tools. I recommend you buy a decent one but you do not need to.
Here’s a list of tools you might need
Bonsai knife, A pair of larger Concave cutters, Root cutter, wire pliers, pruning shears Sharpening stick, Sieve of screen.
These are not everything but they will get your job done.
5. Know when to re-pot your bonsai.
For bonsai, there is time to repot. The time of year of repotting depends on bonsai species. Like ficus, it falls into the tropical category and can be repotted and root pruned pretty much anytime of the year. Many of bonsai, however like Chinese elm should be repotted early spring before the buds open but usually it is ok to do it till summer.
Like this growing your own Chinese elm is not that difficult. Why don’t you grab a Chinese elm and start your bonsai hobby.
About the Author
Brian is a bonsai grower who loves to spend time on bonsai.Get more info on bonsai equipments and bonsai pots and Bonsai Tools
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