New to bonsai. New Chinese elm. Winter?

[Mikexmayhem]

Hey everyone. I'm new to the bonsai world and received a 5 yr old Chinese elm as a gift. Tree looks to be in great health. Was shipped from Maryland and I'm in Minnesota. My one question is winter. Mn winters are pure brutal. So for this winter I've decided to keep it indoors in a humid well lit environment. However when spring comes around ill be placing it outside. However I live in an apartment and don't have a garage or anything. And I've read not to let the tree get below roughly 25F. How can I still give the tree a dormant cycle when temps get so low and I have no where to store it at that temp. I thought about bringing it inside at night. But sometimes even the high for the day doesn't get about 10F. Any ideas of what I can do next season? Or after preparing outside during fall will it be able to handle an mn winter?

 

[stacy allen muse]

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[Brian Van Fleet]

Discussed recently here:
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?9427-Winter-setup-for-Minnesota

and the first ten posts here:
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?9444-Would-a-Chinese-Elm-work-indoors

and here:
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?9440-Elm-Wintering

Short answer given your parameters, it will need to stay inside in winter, no freezes. Outside in summer.

 

[Mikexmayhem]

Nice! I did read all those threads but none suggested any ideas for those without a garage of anything like that. Was more hoping for alternative ideas people have done successfully

 

[Poink88]

also...depending on the size, I've read others cover their less cold hardy trees with a styrofoam cooler (upside down on the ground) and leave it outside. No idea how well it will work in your case.

 

[davetree]

Well if you have a balcony you could put it in a styrofoam box, fill that with mulch, place outside out of the wind and sun, and cover it all with lots of snow. It probably will survive. Otherwise you will have learned your first hard lesson in bonsai.

 

[rockm]

The short answer to your question it --Keep it indoor for THIS winter. Get it outside next spring and leave it there.

I assume you bought the tree from Meehans' (which is in Maryland). Many of their trees are grown in greenhouses. That means the deciduous species may not be acclimated to overwintering--especially in Minnesota. They may lack the reserves and "cold hardening" that trees that have been outside all the time have.

Keep the tree in a bright humid place inside, watch the watering. When the weather warms up in the spring and the danger of frosts and freezes have passed, get the tree outside in full sun. Leave it there all spring and summer. THEN you can start planning on overwintering it outdoors (NEXT winter)/

 

[davetree]

Rockm makes an excellent point. To me this is a clear example of how expert advice gained from experience is given freely on this forum. Do the words expert and experience have the same root ? Probably ....