chinese elm growing period

i have not long started bonsai as a hobby,i have a question and hope someone can answer for me.I have a chinese elm indoors it is actually growing fast now,should it not be dormant at this time of year,and can i prune it or leave until spring.

Hello Stephen and welcome. Chinese Elms are perhaps one of the easier bonsai to grow indoors but unless you have a proper lighting system, you will struggle to keep it healthy and vigorous. I have one Chinese Elm but it lives outdoors all year round. Because yours is not dormant it would be foolish to place it outdoors now but come the warmer weather in April/ May, it should be fine.

hi will, thanks for your advice,while i wait until the weather warms up can i prune it or yet again do i wait until spring, its growing pretty fast

Wow! Scotland ! those Chinese Elms sure do travel.
Sorry, nothing to offer, I am from the tropics, but it is a bit amazing to see where these elms end up.
Welcome to IBC and hope to see you around.
Khaimraj

hi khaimra,thanks for message, ihave only been a bonsai hobbyist 6 weeks and have 4 trees (all indoor) but im enjoying ityes it would be nice to keep in touch thanks

Stephen,

we can share notes on Southern Chinese Elms, which I believe is what you are growing indoors?

You would probably find, the Catlin, Seiju and Hokkaido, enjoyable as well. Will, would have to advise you on their hardiness, but I am growing elms down here in the Caribbean, with no problems. Look up the name Jack Wikle - he developed a simple system for growing indoors. You have I believe, until April/May and might appreciate the extra information for wintering growing trees indoors.

At the library or Amazon.com you might want to read this -

Indoor Bonsai -Brooklyn Bontanic Garden Record - 1991

The article by Mr. Wikle is on page 12
Catch you later.
Khaimraj

* Try Celtis as well

thanks khaimra, will keep in touch and let you know how my trees are getting on

To finally answer your question . . . If it is growing you can pinch and prune it. I would wait until spring to repot and do root work.

It IS important that you keep it under a bright light -- 4-5 inches under a fluorescent tube for 13 hours at a shot probably will be fine.

thanks john yes at last my question answered,at least we got there in the end,i will take your advice thanks again

Hi Stephen, and welcome to the forum. I have sent you a PM. Let's take your new found hobby from there because all though some of the advice you've been given here is fine, you may end up going down a route that will waste a few years of your bonsai life and have you spending money you could better direct to more rewarding bonsai in your own climate. Please do not take that as a negative comment - it's a well-worn record on here about us all wasting our early bonsai years on unsuitable trees. Add to the mix that your climate is also my climate, and please let me share all the experience I and others in Scotland have. There is none of us too proud to admit that our experience has come about through years of getting it wrong. If we can help you avoid the pitfalls and bear-traps of early bonsai owning life in Scotland, we'd be only too glad to do so.

A lot depends on where you got these trees from, and it is probably fair to say that a significant number of people in Scotland come to bonsai through Chinese Elms, usually those sold for around £5-£15. They are not the best trees to start off with unless you have absolutely no access to "outside" - be it garden, patio, balcony etc. Unless you have spend a considerable amount of money on a large/old/prize specimen tree, don't waste your time with fluorescent lighting and other expensive kit. Your elm will do fine on a well-lit window sill. I keep my few trees that need cold protection (above 5C) just sitting on a table top at a south-facing window. They're currently sitting grinning smugly out at their friends who are under a few feet of snow in the garden!

But anyway, drop me a PM back and we'll take it from there.

Regards

Fiona

hi fiona, thanks for your message it is good to know there are people nearer home who share my new found hobby.I have bought a few tees off the internet which have not cost the earth over the last 3 months,and they seem happy, a elderly man a friend of a friend is giving me a 25yr old larch next week already in bonsai pot so i have done nothing but study about them it is dormant at the moment,so i will be asking questions about it,i believe it has been neglected for 2yrs,so this will be my first challenge of my bonsai future.
thanks steve