Chinese Elm advice

[ojdenby2366]

Hi all - hoping you can help. Will provide as much info as possible but please ask for specifics if I miss them!
I received this tree as a gift for Xmas 2023, so I’ve had it a little over a year. When I received the tree it was healthy and had lots of green leaves. It was doing really well until around 6-8 weeks ago when it lost a bunch of leaves pretty much overnight and now it’s almost bare. I’ve attached a pic from September 2024 (healthy) and also a current pic of the tree.
I live in the UK, the tree currently lives on the windowsill and gets a decent amount of light as it’s a south facing window. I’ve watered the tree weekly (more often in the summer when it was hotter) and wait for the soil to dry out a little so it’s not drowning.
I’ve looked at similar threads and people are saying to put them outside as they don’t do well indoors and also to repot them with better soil (happy for someone to provide a link for better soil).
I’m desperate to save this tree as I’ve grown very fond of it!! Thanks in advance.

 

[Gabler]

I would hazard a guess that keeping the tree indoors is killing it. Notwithstanding, sticking it outside in the middle of winter could shock it. Do you have a cold place that's protected from freezing? Maybe an unheated garage or a Florida room?

I also would not assume that's the only problem. Have you moved it recently? Did it dry out recently? Have you taken a look at the roots? Can we get a closer look at the leaves and branches to look for signs of pests?

 

[brentwood]

It’s hard to tell, but is that a furnace vent under that window? Air return? That kind of dry air flow, maybe hot dry, is super hard on a tree - it’s a common window trap.
Brent

 

[MeDupree]

Many roots appear exposed in the pic with less leaves on the elm

 

[ojdenby2366]

Thanks all for your replies.

@Gabler - I have a shed outside but not sure what the internal temperature would be (doubt it would be freezing) but obviously wouldn’t get any sunlight.
Yes it did get dry (went to Portugal for 10 nights end of September and was very dry when I got back). I have kept up the watering since (every few days as the soil gets dry on top) but slowly the leaves have been vanishing. I have attached pics of the roots. Soil seems to free of pests and nothing on the branches (unless they’re too small to see with the naked eye). There are very small growths on the branches which I’ve attached a pic of.

@brentwood there is a little draught where the window is, you can feel the air is colder around the window but I put it there for the sunlight.

@MeDupree yes I feel like some of the soil has dissapeared through the hole in the bottom of the tray when it’s been watered. There is no mesh at the bottom so think it’s steadily lost soil volume over the last 13 months.

 

[AshleyMammal]

The good news is that Chinese elms are tough and all hope is not lost… yet!

It’s tough to advise the best recovery action plan. You’ve quite rightly said that it should be in better soil and it should be outside, but repotting and/or putting it outside in the middle of winter is not a good idea at the moment. Never intentionally stress an already stressed tree.

If it were mine, I would put it in the coldest room of your house - maybe a bathroom windowsill? Keep an eye on watering, it won’t need much at all without leaves, but it cannot dry out completely at any point.

The trouble with the sort of potting soil it appears to be in is that it holds water - which can rot the roots, but if it drys out completely the soil can become hydrophobic, meaning any water will just run straight off the soil without penetrating. It’s a constant balancing act. With a decent bonsai soil it is almost impossible to overwater as it’s so granular, but also means you have to consistently water almost every day.

If you see new growth in spring then I’d think about an emergency repot into decent bonsai soil and get it outside (after the last frost)

 

[AshleyMammal]

Ooops, you posted as I was writing. Removing it from its pot right now is not a great idea, however, it does help us look at the roots and they appear to be very dry. I’d get it back in it’s pot right now, use the soil you have already - unless you can add anything granular: perlite, small pine chippings, fine gravel or those fancy clay balls for houseplants. Sphagnum moss would be a good addition if you have it.

Because of how dry it looks I’d soak it in the sink for 30mins (sink water level right up to the top lip of the pot).

 

[ojdenby2366]

Hi @AshleyMammal - thanks for your comments. It’s now back in its pot (same soil) and have given it a thorough water. I have a cold downstairs bathroom so will put it on the windowsill in there for now. You may also be able to see the small leaves in this photo so I’m not giving up yet!

 

[snowman04]

Chinese Elms are tough and losing leaves in the winter is normal. If you can keep it in a cooler space that would help it stay dormant until spring. Don't over water until then. Get it outside in March / April and let it recover in the open air and sun.

 

[Wulfskaar]

Honestly, I would put it outside unless you have freezing temperatures. Once it's been outside for a while, freezing temps won't hurt it.

Plan B is to keep it inside in a cool place.

As soon as the weather allows, put it outside and leave it outside.

 

[Stormwater]

I mulch mine in the ground next to the house (zone 7a). They loose all their leaves like other deciduous. Seem pretty hardy. Tried keeping mine indoors one winter, it lost most of its leaves by spring