BS: Bonsai tree question

Subject: BS: Bonsai tree question
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 28 Sep 19 - 03:33 AM

I don’t know if anyone here grows bonsai trees but it’s worth a try…

I got mum a Chinese Elm last July and its shed and regrown its leaves twice this year.

The first time was probably in May. We put the tree in the porch for winter as we were not sure how it would take to the living room with a sometimes raging wood burner during the day. The porch is pretty cool in the winter months although the heating system should at least try to hold the temperature at 5C. The tree seemed to be flourishing in there until, come spring, we got this leaf drop. We thought the plant had probably died but kept it a while just in case and after a few weeks, new buds and leaves appeared and the tree was soon looking healthy again.

We moved it into the living room around that time and, while the temperature may have approached 30C on some of our hottest days a month or so back, the tree has looked very happy there. The shedding started a couple of weeks ago but this time it hasn’t been as complete. New leaves have started to grow and the tree is “filling out” while some of the older leaves remain.

We do keep the tree regularly fed as per the instructions on the bottle and watered.

I suppose the tree is responding to some kind of stress but what? It’s looked so healthy before this has happened and there have been a few months between the changes of location and the shedding.

Subject: RE: BS: Bonsai tree question
From: JHW
Date: 28 Sep 19 - 07:09 AM

Not a Bonsai but I have a rosa glauca in a tub out front. Three years running it has lost all its leaves though later replaced them. I thought stress or too dry in tub and planned ground planting.
BUT, my sister (full time gardener) visited this year and told me leaves were all being eaten. Showed me tiny caterpillar.