A Glimpse of the Types and Growing Techniques of Ulmus Bonsai

If you are an amateur with a budding interest in growing bonsai, you could make a perfect start with ulmus bonsai or the Chinese elm. The Ulmus parvifolia is considered to be one of the best choices of bonsai cultivation because it is a very sturdy plant and almost resistant to death. At the same time, it has the added advantages of superior growth characteristics and a natural structure that requires minimal trimming techniques.

Moreover, the Chinese elm has its leaves on the small side that can be easily reduced. Although it is best grown outdoors, if you want you could keep it indoors too for a prolonged period with a good supply of light. Because of these qualities, the ulmus bonsai remains a universal favorite among the new bonsai hobbyists as well as the skilled bonsai technicians.

Knowing a few basic features of the Ulmus Parvifolia

The natural geographical locale of the Chinese elm is the south-east Asian countries of China, Korea and Taiwan. It is marked for its characteristic spreading broom shape. Because of its inherent hardiness, it hardly sheds its leaves even during the winters and the other less cold months. You can classify the Chinese elm based on the texture of its bark. There are some rough barked elms while the other ones bear comparatively smoother barks.

If you observe 3 to 5 year-old rough barked Chinese elms, you will notice that their barks bear a dark brown corky color. On the other hand, the smooth barked variation of Chinese elms looks silver or rather gray without any prominent texture as such. However, when it exfoliates, you can see the orange or tan under-bark. Some of these trees exfoliate more frequently while the others bear permanent patches of different shades.

Because of these genetic differences, you can find Chinese elms in a range of types. The “Hokkaido” and “Seiju” variations are classified by their full-grown frond-like leaves, which are tightly bunched and alternately grow on their shoots. However, the “Catlin” variety is better suited as an ulmus bonsai because of its natural dwarfish stature and slow growing quality.

How to take care of ulmus bonsai

If you are opting for a small-leaved species of Chinese elm like Seiju or Catlin, you must position it near a sunny patch or at least a full-sun area to ensure optimal growth of the shoots. Excessive shade could cause interior shoot dieback as well as overlarge leaves and longer internodes.

However, how much sun is required by your ulmus bonsai is greatly determined by the high pot and soil temperatures as well as the geographical features. Hence, special care must be taken for the fleshy roots of the tree so that no damage is caused to the fine shoots for lack of abundant natural sunlight. In the cold season, it is necessary to keep the temperature more than 20F by mulching the pots from time to time and maintaining insulation by wrapping the roots in plastic materials.

Best soil conditions for Chinese elm

The greatest advantage with Chinese elms is that they can be grown in almost all types of soils if you can provide the roots with a consistent level of moisture. However, water must not get stagnated around the roots and for this you could place the bonsai in a granular soil that ensures better drainage. The ideal soil mix usually consists of 60% granular red clay, 40% pumice, 60% inorganic grit and 40% of any organic matter.

You must understand that ulmus bonsai are generally fast growing and although their trunks do not grow much in diameter, they can spread the shoot very rapidly. Therefore, it is immensely important to feed the tree in every two or three months with a fresh supply of organic content and repotted during spring. There is nothing to feel alarmed about the stunted growth of your tree in the summer months due to excessive heat and moisture. You simply need to cut down on the moisture supply for a while if the soil is taking longer than necessary to dry.

Generally, Chinese elm has a natural resistance to Dutch Elm Disease and other common tree diseases. However, you must be on the lookout for black spot fungus that grows in excessive moisture. You must also protect the woody branches and shoots of the tree from aphid and scale insect attacks. You could use a mixture of vegetable oil and dish soap mixed with water to protect the beauty and versatility of your ulmus bonsai.

Therefore, ulmus bonsai can usually be molded into the style and shape you want, thus making it a truly favored choice among most bonsai enthusiasts!