Chinese Elm crispy leaves

Hello guys,

I have Chinese elm bonsai tree, about one year old. It's been doing amazing on my north facing windowsill, I check it daily for watering, mist it every morning and evening (because it's summer now), prune and it about once a week/2 weeks just to keep the nice shape, fertilise about 2 times a month.. and overall everyone who saw it says that it looks really amazing and it is obvious I take a really good care of it.

But about a month ago I noticed some green stuff on the soil (akadama/kiodama soil mix). It didn't really look like a mould, but I said to myself I will lower the watering for next few days so if it is a mould, it will dry out. But it looks like my whole tree dried out, because the leaves are all crispy (though still green, just few turned yellow) and if i shake the tree a bit or even just touch it, the leaves are falling down. I went back to my watering routine immediately, but nothing seems to change after 3 weeks...

I really really love my bonsai, but could you tell me the truth - is it dead?

Regards

Moneo, London UK

Moneo wrote: I really really love my bonsai, but could you tell me the truth - is it dead?

To tell you the truth, looking at the picture, I'm going to say it.... oh, wait.

Moneo wrote: tell me the truth - is it dead?

Not yet.
Keep watering and misting as before, there is a chance it will drop all its leaves and recover after a while.

Auk wrote:

Moneo wrote: I really really love my bonsai, but could you tell me the truth - is it dead?

To tell you the truth, looking at the picture, I'm going to say it.... oh, wait.

Don't be silly Auk, that picture was there all the time.

Yep, probably not dead yet, but close. Agreeing with Clicio to continue to give it proper care and wait.

Chinese elm?

Madartej21 wrote: Chinese elm?

Yes, on a closer look, the leaves are a little too round and not serrated.
Could be an Elm, but not the CE we are used to see.

Ehm... Is it possible I've lived in a dream and it's not an Elm?
I bought it it Homebase and on the pot it stated "Bonsai in a pot" :woohoo: so I tried to identify it by myself.. so what type do you think it is?

I was thinking some type of ligustrum, or perhaps chinese plum.

It does look like sweet plum indeed, but my bonsai never had flowers nor fruits... Now I'm confused. It's dying and I don't even know the type of it

Don't freak out when you see him in that condition, usually that's when you start to kill him by overwatering thinking he needs more water and stuff. [thats how I killed my Ligustrum 1 year ago]
Don't mist him every day, once a week is fine, and for the moment stop pruning, water him only when you see that the soil is becoming dry
Use a sharp object to scratch a branch at the top, see if its green underneath, check a few, if its green its fine.

Btw, is that a radiator next to him ? I hope its not turned on