Emperor Fish

Jenny,

Welcome to the addictive dependency that is bonsai.

My thoughts:
1. No, the tree should not be inside in our climate. Chinese elms are perfectly happy outside all winter in southern England. Do not believe this shop that told you this nonsense. Your tree needs to rest during the winter and not be fooled into thinking it is Spring and growing by having it indoors. This will only weaken it.
2. The leaf drop could have been due to a lack of light indoors, or due to the tree being fooled into thinking Spring had arrived, and it was time to push new leaves and leave the old ones behind. Chinese elms are usually very reluctant to lose their leaves at all, but they do constantly push off old ones as they are replaced.
3. The tree should be in as much sun as it can handle without baking it. Quite a lot in our climate. Mine stays on a post and gets sun all morning and into about 2pm in the summer. Chinese elm are tougher than the myth and will happily cope with frozen solid -5C once acclimatised.
4. You now have a dilemma. Is the tree strong enough to go outside and enter dormancy, or will the shock kill it? Will it survive the winter indoors without a dormancy?
If the tree was strong beforehand, I think that your best option is to find the brightest window you have in the coldest part of the house (not freezing), and nurse it through to spring. Next year, let it recover. Please do not go root-pruning or it might croak. Next year, you will be better prepared.

Oh, and please disregard anything that these shop people say.

Regards,

Fish.

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