Newbie here

[Michelle80]

Hello,

I joined this forum last night, the first thread I saw was about Covid newbies
We bought our very first bonsai last weekend, although I’ve always really loved them and my grandfather used to have 3 of them

The bonsai we bought, we don’t actually know anything about it because we only realised when we got home the tag had fallen off, so I’m hoping someone will be able to give us some details from the (hopefully attached photo)?

We have bought the liquid feed, clippers and the mist

We also have 3 indoor cats, which we later found out they are toxic to them, so at the moment the bonsai is on the top of a bookcase until we can find a suitable place the cats can’t get to it.

Oh! We are in East London too, not sure if that makes much difference but I have seen so many forums that don’t like people introducing themselves and going straight into questions.....

Hopefully we’ll be good enough to keep it alive, but also wondering if anyone else thinks it ‘might’ need repotting?

Thanks

Michelle

 

[sorce]

Great Place Settings!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[sorce]

It's an elm and elm leaves are edible.

Sorce

 

[Michelle80]

It's an elm and elm leaves are edible.

Sorce

Ahhh brilliant! Thank you for confirming the species for us

Would you say it does need repotting yet?
My fiancé was looking closely at it last night and we’ve noticed it already does have wire around some branches and it seems to be growing ‘outwards’ at the back (is this normal)

We’d love to have known how old it was too, this is definitely going to be a new long term hobby as they are so beautiful!

 

[Michelle80]

Great Place Settings!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

Thank you

 

[sorce]

That soil isn't the greatest, but now isn't the best time to repot. Season wise, and your experience wise, maybe just top that off a bit.

What do you mean by growing outward?

It seems you may be in this belief, which we all found ourselves at one point, where we don't realize a bonsai is just a tree. All the growth attributes of trees are the same.

Observation is your best tool!

Sorce

 

[Michelle80]

Thank you,
I have just taken it off the bookcase and taken some pictures all around, looking at it now, when I say ‘outward’ it’s probably because the pot does seem a bit small but we’ll wait until spring time. Which I did also read last night. We’ll get some better soil for the top as well.

 

[sorce]

I don't know where everyone else is....

The ones who care to tell you to put it outside.....blah blah.

Well....I am the one known for "telling you how good your shitty tree is"...please don't mind that, it has nothing to do with you....

The truth is, everything has potential, but more importantly, we are here 80% for people, and community, 20% for trees.

This does echo the amount of time we should be bothering with our trees. 20%.

This is just to say, it seems like you are feeding into my need and love for contraband in pictures.

What tree?

All I see is a rotary telephone! Awesome! If it works....awesomer!

Cheers!

Sorce

 

[Michelle80]

I don't know where everyone else is....

The ones who care to tell you to put it outside.....blah blah.

Well....I am the one known for "telling you how good your shitty tree is"...please don't mind that, it has nothing to do with you....

The truth is, everything has potential, but more importantly, we are here 80% for people, and community, 20% for trees.

This does echo the amount of time we should be bothering with our trees. 20%.

This is just to say, it seems like you are feeding into my need and love for contraband in pictures.

What tree?

All I see is a rotary telephone! Awesome! If it works....awesomer!

Cheers!

Sorce

Thanks!

And yes the phone works

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Most trees sold for bonsai really do better as outdoor trees. Yours is a chinese elm. Ulmus parvifolia. It is 100% winter hard in the London climate. But if you want to grow it indoors, it is possible to keep it alive and growing indoors. Elms are 100% non-toxic to cats, dogs and humans. They are not edible, as they do not have much flavor, and the fiber - cellulose content is high, so they are not palatable. But elms are definitely not toxic. Who ever told you they were toxic is someone to ignore, treat as pet quality at best and should be trained to not make messes on the carpet for they are incapable of critical thought. (I an teasing, but I do find hysterical proclamations about "this is toxic" or "that is dangerous" somewhat annoying).

I do find house plants and cats are an less than ideal combination. Just because you pay attention to your bonsai, your cat will insist on batting it around, and using it for a chew toy. The elm won't hurt the cats, but the cats might hurt the elm. I solved this problem by personally choosing to not have cats. But there are those that can successfully train cats to ignore their bonsai. Good luck, I don't have techniques for you myself, as I have never had a cat in the house more than a month or two.

As soon as possible I would move your elm to the brightest window you have available. On top of a cabinet is not an ideal location, unless you add a high output LED grow light system above your elm on top of the cabinet. Elms will survive under lights. Might be worth exploring. Chinese Elms, Juniper procumbens and Ficus all make reasonable under lights bonsai. Also Serissa, Brazilian Rain Tree, and a dozen other species. Fujian Tea, or Fukien Tea also makes a good under lights bonsai.

If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor patio or balcony you could move the elm outdoors.

Welcome to a life long hobby.

 

[Traken]

But there are those that can successfully train cats to ignore their bonsai.

I'm not sure if you can ever really train a cat to do something when they've got it in their head to do so. The better bet is to put it in a place that they can't really get to. Heh. Thankfully, my inside shelving for the tropicals during the winter is not a hospitable place for the cats to get to, but oh how the cry and wish they could. lol