Hi there

This is my first time posting here, but I need urgent help!! I've never owned a bonsai before, but my brother gifted me one for my birthday. As a new bonsai owner it's safe to say I have no idea what I'm doing, but something is going very wrong... and at this point I have no idea what it is.

So, for the first couple of weeks my Chinese Elm bonsai (kept indoors) was doing great. She was flourishing, her leaves looked lush and green, and overall she looked like a happy little tree. Here's a brief summary of what I've been doing: I keep her on my windowsill during the day so she can get as much light as possible, but move her away from the window during the night as it tends to get a bit chilly. I'm terrified of overwatering, as I know it can cause root rot, so I wait till I see the earth in the pot is dry before I re-water. When watering the bonsai I try to make sure the earth is humid but not flooded (shown in pics). Once a week I add a bit of Pokon Bonsai Plantfood to the water, to make sure she's getting all her nutrients.

HOWEVER, recently things took a turn for the worst. A few of her branches began completely drying out. The once lush foliage began to turn dark green, and sometimes brown at the tips, eventually drying up and crumbling. I read somewhere online that I should cut off the dried up branches, as they would probably not come back to life and would only take away from the tree's nutrients. And so I did (as shown in pics), although now I'm not sure that was the right thing to do. I've tried watering more frequently, I've tried pruning, but nothing seems to work out. At this point, basically all of her branches are dried up, although the her trunk seems healthy (if I rub a bit of water on it you can see the green coming through the bark). It's really sad tho, because she's loosing all her leaves and I'm afraid she might be dying, yet I have no idea what's wrong!

Should I try repotting? Am I watering too much? Is this some kind of disease or fungus? What can I do to help its leaves and branches grow back? I'm pretty desperate to find out, so I've come to you for help! I've attached plenty of pics to try and aid in identifying the issue. Please let me know if I can provide any other helpful information.

I apologise for the very long text, and thank you all in advance!

Best regards,
Yasmine

Place where I cut off a dried branch:


Darkening foliage:


Dried up leaves:


Brown tips:


Overall condition:


Soil post-watering:

YasminePortella wrote:

Should I try repotting? Am I watering too much? Is this some kind of disease or fungus? What can I do to help its leaves and branches grow back? I'm pretty desperate to find out, so I've come to you for help! I've attached plenty of pics to try and aid in identifying the issue. Please let me know if I can provide any other helpful information.

Is your local weather warm enough to put it outside?
I think you should do nothing by now (besides watering), and let it recover in dappled sunos open shade, at least some weeks.

I live in London, so I'm not sure if it's warm enough. The weather has been fluctuating quite a bit; during the day it's been relatively warm, and then at night it gets colder. This week for example the weather forecast predicts temperatures from 10 to 19 degrees Celcius on one day, then 6 to 13 on another... I'm not sure it's ideal?

YasminePortella wrote:

I live in London, so I'm not sure if it's warm enough. The weather has been fluctuating quite a bit; during the day it's been relatively warm, and then at night it gets colder. This week for example the weather forecast predicts temperatures from 10 to 19 degrees Celcius on one day, then 6 to 13 on another... I'm not sure it's ideal?

Chinese Elms are very hardy and can take these low temperatures with no problems. It's spring, and days will be getting warmer and warmer, right? Usually they should be outside at all times, they like it.

It would be better outside if possible or at least give it some fresh air by opening the window when you can. I have a couple of elms and water them everyday so you could be under watering it also if one of the branches dried out, it looks like a small pot so could be the reason. Chinese elms are quite thirsty trees and mine seem to like slightly wet soil all the time; I have never let the soil dry out too much if at all.

I would take it out f the current pot, and carefully peel of some of the old soil. Then repot it in a slightly larger pot, using good quality potting soil. Put it outside somewhere where it gets early morning sun and leav it there for the time being. Elms are frost-hardy and the temperatures you have now are no problem. Just be carefull with late season night time frost, as your specific tree at the moment cannot handle it.

Thanks ncole458, I'll make sure to water it daily! It seems I was severely under-watering... and I'll be buying a new pot too. Hopefully things will work out for the best!!

Thanks letherback, I will definitely be buying a new pot! I'll see how she handles the outside. Hopefully I can get her back to a healthy state.

What is this Pokon Bonsai Food? Would not water daily unless its exposed to full sun morning to evening and its hot summer. Just find good balance. How much direct sun it gets daily where it is placed now?