Zelkova help please

I just have a quick question about my zelkova. I just recently moved back home to florida from southern california for a couple of months and I brought my trees with me. I have them outside. All of the new growth is lankier and thinner on all my trees (as expected).

My zelkova is not looking to hot though. It has lost a lot of the leaves on it's inner branches. It continous to grow but only from a couple branches at a time and it's very leggy growth. Oh, and the humidity here doesn't seem to allow the soil to dry very fast.

My question is should a place it indoors? Will this give it a break from the heat and humidity? Or, is it better outside to just fend for itself?

If your Zelkova thrives indoors, it most likely is a Chinese elm. Many of them are sold as Zelkova over here. Zelkova will not survive inside a house.

How did you move your trees? Trailer? Back seat of car? Shipped UPS? How long did the trip take for them?

They all could just be suffering from transportation shock.

You will probably find that you need a much coarser, free draining soil in Florida.

WHERE in Florida are you? There are lots of bonsai clubs there whose members might be able to help. Go to http://www.bonsai-bsf.com/clubs/

Sorry to bring this post back, I hadn't realized that anyone had responded, Thanks Jim.

Ok, so I know that it is a Zelkova. I also have a chinese elm. I have always kept both outside (when in southern california and here in west palm beach, florida). I shipped them through the US mail. I packaged them in a box within another, bigger box. I stuffed the space between with newspaper and rolled of cardboard. I also tightly wired the pots to the bottoms of the boxes. It worked great. I wrote "Perishable" an obnoxious amount of times. My trees arrived without so much as a leaf out of place.

They did have a period of transport shock but they are ok now.

(sorry so long winded) Now I am in desparate need of some advice. I was only in florida for a few months and now I am moving to New York City. You can imagine that my trees are a bit confused. My biggest concern now is, what do I do with the Zelkova and Chinese elm when I get to New York on Nov. 1? Do I let them experience some colder air so that they drop their leaves and then put them in an unheated room? Can they handle that? Do I keep them inside just for this first winter (i'm not moving again ). These trees have never lived in a colder climate (like me) and I am not sure of their initial hardiness to this change. I am as confused on what to do, as my trees are in


My newly acquired Ficuses will all be inside under grow lights.

I am no expert, but I would put the elms in a room with low temperature and gradually reduce the temperature acclimating them until the room is unheated. Since if I understand you correctly they have done okay in the warmer climate, and indoors, I wouldn't make any dramatic change. The problem with elms in the house during winter in the north is the drying un-natural heat of a furnance, and there isn't much you can do to increase the humidity, thus letting them go dormant in an unheated room is safer. In the north one usually lets them go through a freeze before moving to unheated room or garage. Don't be surprised if your ficus loses its leaves, but they will come back. Good luck.

Thank you Carolee. Very Helpful!!