5 Ways to Tend and Start Loving Your Chinese Elm Bonsai

The art of tending bonsais has captivated people all over the globe. One would stop to think how species that can be so big would be able to fit a small pot or container. The miracle of this form of gardening is, of course, no longer a secret.

There are forty-five known species of the Chinese Elm Bonsai, most of which are evergreen in color. The most common habitats for the Chinese Elm are woodlands, hedgerows and thickets, most specially in Northern temperate areas.

The Chinese Elm bonsai is often interchanged with the species called Zelkova (also known as the Japanese Elm). The only difference between the two is the appearance of their fruits. The Chinese Elm has fruits with wings while its Japanese counterpart don’t.

More often than not, Chinese Elm is sold as an indoor plant because it stays green despite being kept inside your home. Although they do look good indoors, putting them as an outside décor could also do the plant some good.

Here are ways to care for your Chinese Elm whether you prefer to keep it indoors or outdoors:

1. Indoors—keep in a place where the lighting is sufficient (for example, a window sill) and where the humidity is high. When the winter season is done, you could place the plant outside and keep it there until autumn so that the leaves will fall off naturally. To water the indoor type, make sure that the compost is always moist. Daily watering isn’t necessary, the compost should be your gauge for when to water next.
2. Outdoors—if your Chinese Elm is used to the winter season, it will be able to cope even with the lowest temperatures so there is no need to worry about it. These should need more frequent watering than its indoor version.
3. For both types, the pruning should be: 3-4 nodes are allowed to shoot as you prune at 1 or 2 leaves. Autumn and the last part of the summer season are the best times to prune.
4. Be sure that no aphids, gall mites or grasshoppers eat up your plants.
5. The best shape that this type of bonsai could take would be the shape of a broom. This is because it would be following its original shape so pruning would be easier.

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