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bonsaiTALK Neophyte
Join Date: Dec-2005
Location: Canberra
Country: Australia
Posts: 3
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My new Seiju: Advice/Tips appreciated
Hello,
I recently got this Seiju elm as a Christmas present from my girlfriend.
I'd heard that bonsai's die very easily without proper care and immediately set out to find a reputable site/forum.. and ended up here  .
I had a look through the various FAQS/posts and learned quite a bit about my particular tree but I guess I just wanted to post and "verify" my learning and maybe get some tips from the pros:
1) As I understand my seiju (like most other bonsai) like the outdoors and enjoy partial sun and well ventilated areas.
At the moment the tree is outdoors and enjoys approximately 5 hours of afternoon sun.
2) They like plenty of water.. but not too much  .
Ok so this is a tricky part for me... Every day, at around 4 PM I stick my finger into the soil and if the soil is not moist an inch beneath the surface, I water... At the moment I am simply using the force and trying to "feel" when the tree has had enough water. I understand this may not be the most effective method but I wasn't able to find more explicit instruction on the subject..( I gather because amount of water depends on the soil, tree type, tree size, temperature?)
Also do I water the tree less during winter?
3) Seijus grow quickly so cutting the branches and/or roots is required or the tree will require a larger pot.
I don't mind putting the tree into a larger pot, I am really more interested in giving the tree a cool shape.. something I have no idea about??
4) When cutting the branches do so only from the top..?
I'd like to snip away (or rather shorten) a few branches which are hanging down to tidy up the shape a bit.. Is this a no no? Also maybe a bit of a "haircut" on the top to get a smoother surface?
5) Need to fertilize twice a year (start of autumn, start of spring).
Is this right?
6) During winter, to avoid frost the tree should be in a sheltered area (garage?) and maybe protected from the frost in a cardboard box (top open)
Winter here (Canberra, Australia) isn't too terrible, but it does get down to around 0 to -5 degrees (celsius) with some frost, should I be putting the little buddy away during these times? Also am I correct in assuming that the tree doesn't need sun during dormancy, since it probably will have no leaves anyway?
I apologize for asking so many questions (many of which have probably been answered countless times on these forums) but I really like my little bonsai and want to give it the best care possible and hopefully expand my bonsai collection to the more advanced specimens. Who knows? Maybe I can be the one person among my friends who actually kept a bonsai alive for longer than a couple of weeks .
Any advice or comments are extremely appreciated. Also if you need more pictures of any specific part of the tree I'm happy to take more.
Thanks.
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