Bonsai question

[slowfood]

HI all,

I've received a Bonsai for Christmas, I think its called 'ZELKOVA' and I've kept it in a reasonably sunny spot watered and sprayed it regularly and had some strong shoots, but it's not looking too healthy. It does not seem to have regular growth to make it 'bushy' What websites should I be looking at for pruning advice and what nutrients should I be giving it?

Thanks in advance.

Brad

[slowfood]

[Marianne]

Hello Slowfood  :)

Just found this for you on the net and hope it helps !
Good luck ! :D

Zelkova bonsai need deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Repotting should be done in early spring. Young plants should be repotted yearly, and older plants should be repotted less periodically - when plants have outgrown their pot and roots become matted.

Be careful when wiring and handling Zelkovas. Although it is a hardy tree, its branches are thin and fragile. Wiring should be done in the summer.

Shoots should be pruned back to one to two leaves during Zelkova is suited to almost all styles - the exception being literati. It is most suited to the 'broom' style, naturally developing a thick crown of branches - as shown below. Zelkovas are also good in group plantings - voted as one of the best for the forest style in the August '99 survey.

General Care : Although reasonably frost hardy, they do prefer shelter.

[slowfood]

Hi Marianne,

Wow, that was quick, 22 minutes for a reply. thanks. I have been pruning back to one leaf, but that was pure guesswork. Re-potting may be the answer.

Brad

[Marianne]

 ;) ;D

Glad I could help.

[mark_h]

Ah! another bonsai fan- i have a few in my garden- 4 scots pine, 4 oaks and 1 Hawthorn.     One of the Scots pine is looking a bit sad so I'm going to repot in a more free draining mixture.       One of the major problems is overwatering- perhaps this may be a problem??

Mark