Bonsai not growing to full potential

[Omar123]

Hello all,

I have had this bonsai for approximately 2 years, however it has never really grown to be thick and has always been quite sparse.

After doing a bit of youtubeing, i was thinking of repotting it in spaghnum moss. However, I wanted to ask on a forum to get further advice before doing something potentially wrong.

I don't know the species etc. If anybody knows, that'd be helpful to know.

Essentially, I'd like to learn how to revitalise it, so it can have a second wind.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AshleyMammal]

Hi,

What you have there is a Chinese elm, and it’s not looking too healthy. The good news is that these are very resilient and yours still has a few healthy leaves on it so should be more than capable of bouncing back.

Where are you located and where does the tree live - indoors or outdoors? They should be kept outside but depending on where you are it might need acclimatisation.

I’d get rid of everything that is quite obviously dead and dried out and take a look at the soil. Is it in a potting soil, is it wet, is it dry?

 

[Omar123]

I am in the UK. The tree has always been indoors, but I have found that it didn't like shaded places. So, it lives on a window sill where there is lots of light, assuming the sun is out.

I water it by dunking it under the tap once a week for about 30 seconds.

The lowest stick on the far left has never had leaves on it since I purchased it from the nursery.

When you say get rid of everything that is dead, I assume you mean the leaves or are you referring to the twigs?

I'm unsure about the current soil, should I just pop it out and see?

Thanks

 

[Omar123]

I gave it a little tug and it lifted without much effort.

One of the photos had the flash on, so the soil looks lighter in that picture.

 

[AshleyMammal]

ok, so the soil appears to be coco coir - which isn’t great but for now it will do. It would be worse to repot now out of season and a sick tree.

It really needs to go outside, I get a bit of leaf burn on elms in full sun so I’d keep it slightly shaded. Water throughly if it’s dry, don’t if it’s wet.

 

[Omar123]

How often and how much to water do you recommend?

In relation to outside, is on the floor okay?

 

[rockm]

Your tree isn't growing and is in decline because it's being kept indoor. Move it outside if you can. Continuing on indoors will kill it. Elms are often sold as "indoor" bonsai, when, in reality, they can't really tolerate it. They decline and die inside because of extremely low light, humidity and air circulation.

 

[Cajunrider]

Your tree isn't growing and is in decline because it's being kept indoor. Move it outside if you can. Continuing on indoors will kill it. Elms are often sold as "indoor" bonsai, when, in reality, they can't really tolerate it. They decline and die inside because of extremely low light, humidity and air circulation.

A lot of time they are sold by Flower companies as indoor bonsai. Treated that way, it is nothing more than a longer lasting flower arrangement that the flower companies actually want to die so they can sell more later.

 

[Omar123]

To clarify, in summary:

1) move it outside
2) keep it in a partly shaded area

Final questions:

3) how often to water it outside?
4) if the frost comes, should I bring it in?
5) is it fine on the floor or should it be on a raised surface?
6) don't re-pot it, as it's not the season to do so. When/how should I?

Thanks

 

[rockm]

3--water when the tree needs it. There shouldn't be a set schedule, as the plant's needs will vary (sometimes tremendously) day to day. Learning how to water is a key to learning bonsai. Watering errors are one of the primary things that kills first time bonsai. Water when the soil is dry (ish) and inch down into the pot is a good rule of thumb.

4--you don't say where you live. Overwintering is hard to determine without local climate info. If you're in an area that experiences mild winter, simply putting the pot on the ground in a sheltered place can work--in a place where you can monitor water needs. In areas that get winters with repeated frost/freezes and snow, but temps don't get radically low (like sub-zero F), you do the same with placement on the ground, but add a top covering of mulch over the pot to protect from drastic temps.

5--the plant shouldn't be on the ground during growing season. Growing on the ground in spring and summer invites pests and disease into the pot. In the winter, all that insect and disease activit is at a minimum. And practically, a tree on the ground is vulnerable to being kicked over, eaten by rabbits, peed on by cats and dogs, etc.

6--Repotting deciduous temperate zone tree is usually done in very earl spring before leaf buds burst open and growth begins. Since we don't know your location, we can't really give an idea when that would be for you specifically.

 

[Omar123]

I am in the UK. The tree has always been indoors, but I have found that it didn't like shaded places. So, it lives on a window sill where there is lots of light, assuming the sun is out.

I water it by dunking it under the tap once a week for about 30 seconds.

The lowest stick on the far left has never had leaves on it since I purchased it from the nursery.

When you say get rid of everything that is dead, I assume you mean the leaves or are you referring to the twigs?

I'm unsure about the current soil, should I just pop it out and see?

Thanks

As mentioned here, I am in the UK.

But, thanks for the detailed answers. Really helpful.

 

[rockm]

As mentioned here, I am in the UK.

But, thanks for the detailed answers. Really helpful.

It makes it much easier for us if you fill out the location info in your avatar to the left. Otherwise everyone who posts here have to sift through your posts to find that critical information. With the info in the avatar which accompanies each post, that info is readily seen.

 

[AshleyMammal]

My Chinese elms stay out all year round and I’m in the Uk too. I do know people in my club that put them in unheated outhouses/garages over winter but I’ve not found it necessary (yet).

In terms of pruning off the dead stuff, I suggested this more as a psychological trick to instantly make the tree look a bit healthier, it’s not really necessary for the health of the tree and if you do prune the dried dead branches the last thing you want to do be doing is creating wounds for the tree to expend energy trying to heal - so only remove the obviously dead.

With the soil it’s currently in, I’d be worried about it staying too wet, only water when the top inch or so is dry - use a wood chopstick to check moisture levels in the soil and never let it fully dry out, ever. Don’t worry about anything other than watering and putting it outside, certainly don’t fertilise until it’s picked up. All being well, post us a photo next month when it’s all new green growth.