Chinese Elm

I live in Central Texas Zone 8 I believe. I have a Chinese Elm that I have had for 2 yrs. I have always brought it in during the winter to protect it from the freezing temps. I know it is a deciduous tree. Is that the proper thing to do, or should I let it freeze? Does it matter?

I'm zone 8 also, tho perhaps at a bit higher elevation(?) and my elms stay out every day of the year.

it can matter depending on what it has become accustomed to...
if raised to go dormant in the winter it will be happy to continue doing so and the visa versa applies...

having said that, i am currently attempting to convert one from wintering indoors, to wintering in my garage...

check with me in spring and i will tell you if it worked

Zone 8 ? Ha! I'm in zone 4 and mine are outside. Buried. With a blanket of straw and snow. They will be fine come spring.
Don't take it outside now while it's freezing but in the spring when you put it out leave it out. It will acclimate itself in the fall. Mine came from North Carolina in the spring and the next winter they stayed out and survived.

I love Chinese elm, in my 4 years of bonsai ive observed the Cork bark variety to be fully deciduous and must be kept outdoors. the Smooth barked Chinese elm acts like a semi evergreen tree, it keeps most of its leaves in winter, only seems to drop leaves when its replacing with new ones or shedding old ones. Mine stay out all year on a balcony, they are tough and seem to adapt to most climate changes.

Mine are from London/Italy via Holland and ultimately China.
They rest for about 2 months and then start to grow again.
Have had the mother plants since 85 and 92, and a catlin from 81 or so.
The seiju gives problems, so I have been getting by on root cuttings.
Very adaptable trees.
Later.
Khaimraj

Ron wrote:I live in Central Texas Zone 8 I believe. I have a Chinese Elm that I have had for 2 yrs. I have always brought it in during the winter to protect it from the freezing temps. I know it is a deciduous tree. Is that the proper thing to do, or should I let it freeze? Does it matter?

I'm in South Louisiana, and mine stay out all year. They go on the ground below about 25F. Never any issues.

Zach

Zach Smith wrote:

Ron wrote:I live in Central Texas Zone 8 I believe. I have a Chinese Elm that I have had for 2 yrs. I have always brought it in during the winter to protect it from the freezing temps. I know it is a deciduous tree. Is that the proper thing to do, or should I let it freeze? Does it matter?

I'm in South Louisiana, and mine stay out all year.  They go on the ground below about 25F.  Never any issues.

Zach

I would stay outside all year too if I lived in south Louisiana!

M. Frary wrote:

Zach Smith wrote:

Ron wrote:I live in Central Texas Zone 8 I believe. I have a Chinese Elm that I have had for 2 yrs. I have always brought it in during the winter to protect it from the freezing temps. I know it is a deciduous tree. Is that the proper thing to do, or should I let it freeze? Does it matter?

I'm in South Louisiana, and mine stay out all year.  They go on the ground below about 25F.  Never any issues.

Zach

 I would stay outside all year too if I lived in south Louisiana!

Yeah, definitely beats the colder climes, but the older I get the less I like even the little cold we get. I'm heading out for bald cypress today and it's 40 degrees. Brrr!

Zach

Genetically they're supposed to handle quite the frost. I believe mine died because I worked it to death, never let it have a winter dormancy. I bought it as a 'tropical' only later to learn that they need a resting period or they'll die. I wish I knew that before.

If you have any pictures I would enjoy seeing them!

Thomas,

I am in the Tropics, and they seem to begin the dormant state with the shorter daylight. Then from after Christmas to February's end they stop growing and may lose some or all of the leaves.
However, in this case it seems to be shorter daylight that gives the dormant state, not cold as we only go down to 68 deg.F at night for a great length of time.

We still have sunlight from 6 to 6.
Please try again.
Laters.
Khaimraj

If I find another good one, which since then I haven't been able to, then I will definitely give this species another try.

Thanks for the motivation

Thanks for everyone  and their information.  Being it is February already, and spring for us is just around the corner I will keep it from freezing, and just start next winter.