Privet and Chinese Elm show no signs of life after being permanently moved outdoors

[HeroAKKD]

Hi all,

Some time ago, I have created a thread about "Permanently moving a Privet and Chinese Elm that have no leaves outside". Previously, I kept both of my bonsai indoors and with time they started looking worse and worse. Based on the advice I received on this forum, I have decided to move the bonsai outside. This was just over a month ago. Since then, the weather in London was great. I could say that for at least 2-3 weeks, it was more then 20 degrees Celsius outside during the day. The plants also have direct sunlight for more than 6 hours a day; from 10:00/12:00 till past 17:00. I also water the plants regularly; I have a wooden stick in the soil and I check it daily if it is still moist. Before it dries completely, I water the bonsai. However, I do not use any fertilizers. Despite all this, my bonsai are not showing any signs of new life. Is this normal? Should I given them more time? And am I doing anything wrong.

Links to previous posts about these bonsai which show photos of the condition they where in:
Privet: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/p...onsai-with-a-possible-fungal-infection.42054/
Chinese Elm: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/please-help-with-recovering-chinese-elm.42078/#post-717065
Moving them outside and what they looked like then: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/p...hinese-elm-that-have-no-leaves-outside.42244/

 

[River's Edge]

Hi all,

Some time ago, I have created a thread about "Permanently moving a Privet and Chinese Elm that have no leaves outside". Previously, I kept both of my bonsai indoors and with time they started looking worse and worse. Based on the advice I received on this forum, I have decided to move the bonsai outside. This was just over a month ago. Since then, the weather in London was great. I could say that for at least 2-3 weeks, it was more then 20 degrees Celsius outside during the day. The plants also have direct sunlight for more than 6 hours a day; from 10:00/12:00 till past 17:00. I also water the plants regularly; I have a wooden stick in the soil and I check it daily if it is still moist. Before it dries completely, I water the bonsai. However, I do not use any fertilizers. Despite all this, my bonsai are not showing any signs of new life. Is this normal? Should I given them more time? And am I doing anything wrong.

Links to previous posts about these bonsai which show photos of the condition they where in:
Privet: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/p...onsai-with-a-possible-fungal-infection.42054/
Chinese Elm: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/please-help-with-recovering-chinese-elm.42078/#post-717065
Moving them outside and what they looked like then: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/p...hinese-elm-that-have-no-leaves-outside.42244/

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From the pictures, no close ups to show if buds are present, both trees appear dead!
Perhaps if you post close up pictures of the branches it would be possible for one to determine if buds are present.
You could scrape the branches in a small area to see if it is still green underneath. This will tell you if that area is dead or alive. The green would be live cambium. In this case there is still a chance that area might live. If it is brown then it is dead already.

 

[rockm]

Off the top -- soil looks very bad, compact and probably has either dried through, or has remained too wet indoors. A chopstick is good, BUT it's the interior of the root mass that makes a big difference in trees in soil such as this. Watering it could mean the water either soaks in the first two inches and can't penetrate the remainder, or it remains too wet. Both lead to root death.

I suspect these plants were too far gone to recover before you move them out--the shift in environments pushed them over the edge for good. Along with moving them outside, I would have also done an emergency repot on both to replace the soil and improve drainage.

Scratching is a good idea to see it there is live tissue on them. If so, there is a small chance for survival. I wouldn't hold out much hope though.

You've learned why "indoor" bonsai are very very difficult to pull off successfully.

 

[rich815]

Where are you located?