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Elm BonsaiWant to go for an Elm Bonsai? Well, it’s one of the most preferred bonsai species for beginners. It is very tolerant to climatic conditions, water and soil quality. Elm belongs to genus Ulmus. It is deciduous or semi-deciduous in nature. It bears fruits and flowers, and this is what makes it even more interesting to grow Elm as bonsai. Elms are found mostly in the Northern hemisphere. The most popular species chosen for bonsai are Siberian, Keyaki, Catlin, Chinese Elm etc. Elm Bonsai Tips and TechniquesSoil Although Elm is quite tolerant to the quality of soil used, it would not be out of place to spend some time on deciding the right quality of soil. A general soil composition for Elm should be around 3/5th of humus or potting soil and 2/5th of granular elements like sand, pebbles etc. Certain elm species need soil with good drainage qualities; in that case you may have more percentage of sand in the soil composition.
Watering During the summer season water the bonsai plant every day in the morning. Elm usually sheds leaves if it is fed too little water or surplus water. One way to ensure balanced moisture content is to cover the roots with sphagnum moss, and keep them moist. Pruning, Wiring and Re potting In order to promote growth and ensure that the bonsai stays in shape prune the branches twice or thrice during the summer. Extensive pruning should be carried out during the month of December when the plant is in a dormant state. As soon as the bud of the bonsai starts to swell you should know its time for re potting. It is advisable to carry out root pruning exercises while repotting the bonsai plant. Sunlight Elm needs decent amount of sunlight. During winter generally the days are cloudy; hence it would be difficult to provide sufficient sunlight to the plant. One way to overcome this would be to keep the bonsai plant under fluorescent light . Growing an elm can be very rewarding especially when you see it in all its blooming glory.
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