Plants as bonsai give your garden a Far Eastern flair and are also space-saving and easy to care for. How about an elm in bonsai form, for example? The deciduous tree is one of the most common types of plants that are cultivated in the Asian bucket form. With a little knowledge, you can grow a beautiful bonsai tree.

Don't be afraid of miscuts!

The elm is ideal for keeping bonsai

A bonsai requires regular topiary. In contrast to other deciduous trees, the elm tolerates this very well. It sprout again after a short time, thickens quickly and has dense branching. In particular, the Chinese elm is often used for bonsai breeding. No wonder, after all, the plant comes from Asia, the home of bonsai art. The most common forms are

  • the free upright form
  • and the strictly upright form

After the purchase

You can get elms not only in the tree nursery, but also for little money at the discounter. In this case, however, the bale is surrounded by a thick layer of clay. Although this is very useful for transport, if the clay dries, your elm will die. Therefore, free the bale from the lump of clay immediately after purchase and place the deciduous tree in a species-appropriate substrate.

Point of time

The elm grows about 15 cm per month in summer, so pruning up to three times a year may be necessary to keep it in shape. Generally suitable times are:

  • for topiary: in spring
  • for removing thick branches: in autumn
  • for wiring: in the spring after the topiary

The technique

You should always use sharp tools for both shaping and pruning in order to keep the wounds as small as possible.

The cutback

  • let young shoots grow to 6-8 leaves
  • then cut back to two leaves

The wiring

You can either wire or stretch an elm. The latter is particularly recommended for young, tender twigs that are still agile and flexible.

Don't be afraid of mistakes

Due to the rapid growth, irregularities are evened out in a short time with a shape cut.

Category:

Trees