Hi,

Being new to this I decided to go two ways with Bonsai. I bought a Chinese elm with the intention of keeping it happy indoors and am working on finding some nice seedlings to bring up myself... anyway

My question lies in the placement of my elm, I have it in the conservatory at the moment, it's kind of in the corner so it should avoid the direct midday sun but will get LOTS of light. The worry I have is the heat, in the winter it gets chilly but nowhere near freezing so i am not so worried about that but in the summer it really does get hot in there.

Is this tree able to cope with a conservatory atmosphere in such heat or would it be better suited perhaps in front of a normal window which wont get so much light but will be cooler? I dont think watering will be a problem as if it gives a hot day i would look to water before work and check again when i got home?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Andy

Hi Andy welcome to wee trees. You'll get some sound advice just not off me.

Have you thought about putting you tree outside in the summer? and bring it in to enjoy now and then? failing that you need to make for a high humidity around your tree. Some would fill a tray with small pebbles or pee shingle etc and cover the shingle with water and sit you tree on top of that providing the roots don't come in contact with the water in the tray for a long period of time (root rot).
hope this helps others will be around soon to advise.
Good luck with your new found addiction.
Not addicted? you soon will be.

Misting the leaves wouldn't be a bad thing either

Outdoors - good advice. The best place to be.

You'll still have to be giving it water every day outside. When you have the routine of going outside everyday to water you are less likely to forget than when it's inside and you do it "every so often"...

My chinese Elms never come inside. It isn't natural. They grow outside where nature intended.
Whereabouts in the world are you machonachos? You haven't put any details in your profile yet. This could be important if you don't want the wrong advice. We don't even know which hemisphere you are in. Keep the Elm moist meanwhile, keep talking to us and read as much about trees as possible.

I do grow a few Chinese Elm indoors and as many more outdoor.

During summer it is best to get the indoor Chinese Elm out doors as it can get really really hot in a conservatory. My conservatory hits well above 30C on many days and sometime well into the 40C.

Chinese Elms love temperature above 20C, and do well up to 30C. After that if the humidity in the atmosphere is not high the plants leaves can shut down its stomata in order not to lose excessive amounts of water through transpiration. This has multiple problems as now there the optimal flow plant fluids from the roots too the leaf tips has been disrupted, but also there is a build up of excess unwanted gasses mainly oxygen in the leaves as photosynthesis is still happing because of the good light and heat availability. The plant is forced to open the stomata to expel the gasses but it also looses moister in the process so all in all not good.

So unless you can get near 90% humidity in the conservatory your best option is to grow them outdoors in our part of the world, where they do well in the summer, in fact even in the winter as the Chinese Elm are semi-deciduous and will very couple of years need a hibernation period.

So if you can grow them outside and they will reward you with years and years of joy. Indoors without a dormancy period, Chinese Elm do suffer and can wilt away.

Thanks for all your help. I live in Wales so don't get the hottest summers. I completely agree that outside is where they belong, i think i might hold it indoors for a bit until the frosts have gone completely and then move outdoors for the summer... sound like a plan?

It was in a greenhouse when i bought it so i guess it gets the best of both worlds there? Thinking about it, would it appreciate it in a greenhouse full time? Door opened in the summer of course?

The only reason i say this is that we live in quite an exposed place and while outside is nice and mild in Wales, it will get a pounding from the wind.

Thanks again

Andy

I wouldn't worry to much regarding the wind with elms imo. I live a stones throw away from the coast and mine seem fine. Some of my maples are another story tho. a green house is still a a glass building like your conservatory it will get very hot in there still. Outside where the wind can strengthen those branches.

be sure to tie it down

Frosts will only affect new growth - not any leaves from last year. If worried move outside in middle of April, regardless of what the weather is like.

Greenhouse with the door open is a nightmare - all the humidity is gone BUT it still acts like a solar collector, so I couldn't recommend this. The fact your elm came from a greenhouse has nothing to do with what's best for it - they keep them in greenhouses to promote leaf growth outside the "normal" season and for convenience.

Your concern about wind is somewhat justified and DOES affect the water loss - give water on windy days since they are as bad if not worse than hot sunny days

Chinese Elm at a wholesaler in Holland..