Hokkaido - What's life without a little challenge?

[Bailey]

So far I have killed every Seiju and Hokkaido I have gotten in relatively short order. But I keep trying and learning each time. They cannot stand drying out, need to be close to a light source without being burned, and they hate my cold winter's despite being cold hardy.

The latest one I have gotten is bigger than the others and I believe there are 2 separate trees growing very close together. There was many broken branches and dried out leaves. I was scared the week long transit in the mail would do it in... yes, I have seen them die from being in the mail to long.

I have since cleared the dead, cut back the old and removed the moss from the trunk. It is completely root bound and I am contemplating how best to separate the 2 trees when it's safe in the Spring. I won't be risking putting this one or the other 2 seiju elms in have in the cold. Best news so far is that new leaves are coming in

 

[Dav4]

Fwiw, I believe both Seiju and Hokkaido are only reliably hardy to zone 6, so giving them extra winter protection in your location is a pretty good idea. They also need a dormancy period to grow well.

 

[TrevorLarsen]

I just got a Seiju this year so I’ll see how cold hard it is this winter. It was the last of my trees to drop its leaves, and was still green for weeks of below freezing weather.

 

[Bailey]

Fwiw, I believe both Seiju and Hokkaido are only reliably hardy to zone 6, so giving them extra winter protection in your location is a pretty good idea. They also need a dormancy period to grow well.

I live in zone 5, I have a fully enclosed porch that I keep most of my parts in over winter. It's usually 10 degrees warmer than it is outside, but very dry. I have found that seiju's and Hokkaidos won't survive January in there without greatly considering other over wintering strategies.
The Hokkaido came from Oregon and the the seijus came from Ohio so I can to consider acclimation. I also don't want to risk them freezing with new leaf buds opening.

 

[Bailey]

I just got a Seiju this year so I’ll see how cold hard it is this winter. It was the last of my trees to drop its leaves, and was still green for weeks of below freezing weather.

The first seiju I got survived the cold on the porch until January when we got some really cold temps and bad windchill. It become obvious it didn't make it was February came around

 

[Dav4]

I live in zone 5, I have a fully enclosed porch that I keep most of my parts in over winter. It's usually 10 degrees warmer than it is outside, but very dry. I have found that seiju's and Hokkaidos won't survive January in there without greatly considering other over wintering strategies.
The Hokkaido came from Oregon and the the seijus came from Ohio so I can to consider acclimation. I also don't want to risk them freezing with new leaf buds opening.

Again, I was just pointing out that the two cultivars you have aren’t cold hardy in your location. The fact that your trees are pushing leaves in mid November is also an obstacle, and it sounds like you realize this. Anyway, good luck with them.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I bought 4 last year, one was a small but well established plant I got from Eric at bonsaify in San Francisco and the others were small rooted cuttings from Hirts in Ohio. I kept all of them in a window well 3’ below ground off my garage. The bonsaify plant was in his usual soil of primarily perlite and a little peat, whereas the Hirts plants were in a peat based rooting medium. The one from bonsaify survived but the Hirts did not. Based on my autopsy, I suspect they were sold when still poorly rooted to meet the sudden demand when a bunch of bonsainutters discovered them in late fall 2022 and ordered all at once. That experience soured me on Hirts.

 

[John P.]

I’ve certainly lost elm and Zelkova air layers that I removed too soon.

 

[River's Edge]

I bought 4 last year, one was a small but well established plant I got from Eric at bonsaify in San Francisco and the others were small rooted cuttings from Hirts in Ohio. I kept all of them in a window well 3’ below ground off my garage. The bonsaify plant was in his usual soil of primarily perlite and a little peat, whereas the Hirts plants were in a peat based rooting medium. The one from bonsaify survived but the Hirts did not. Based on my autopsy, I suspect they were sold when still poorly rooted to meet the sudden demand when a bunch of bonsainutters discovered them in late fall 2022 and ordered all at once. That experience soured me on Hirts.

Just to clarify first and second year cuttings generally require extra winter protection regardless of species. That was probably the major factor if the plants were healthy when received.

 

[Bailey]

I bought 4 last year, one was a small but well established plant I got from Eric at bonsaify in San Francisco and the others were small rooted cuttings from Hirts in Ohio. I kept all of them in a window well 3’ below ground off my garage. The bonsaify plant was in his usual soil of primarily perlite and a little peat, whereas the Hirts plants were in a peat based rooting medium. The one from bonsaify survived but the Hirts did not. Based on my autopsy, I suspect they were sold when still poorly rooted to meet the sudden demand when a bunch of bonsainutters discovered them in late fall 2022 and ordered all at once. That experience soured me on Hirts.

I have noticed mine are not root bound coming from hirts, but they are doing better now. I do think they need a lot more light than I am currently providing and looking for a better solution.

 

[Bailey]

Again, I was just pointing out that the two cultivars you have aren’t cold hardy in your location. The fact that your trees are pushing leaves in mid November is also an obstacle, and it sounds like you realize this. Anyway, good luck with them.

I may look into a fridge of sorts to help with dormancy. My porch offers a lot of hard frost protection, but there are draw backs like the humidity always being very low. Most of my trees pull through out there

 

[Scrogdor]

This looks like one of the ones that Iseli Nursery produces. I bought a couple of these last week. Sweet little trees, hopefully will make some nice mame bonsai