The Japanese Grey Bark elm or the Zelkova Serrata Description: Zelkova serrata is a medium sized deciduous tree

usually growing to 30 meters tall. This tree is upright and erect spreading stems forming a broad, round topped head. Make a lovely graceful bonsai. Especially popular as a Broom Style due to its fine branching. During the colder winter months, you would notice the Zelkova has small, green l eaves with a slight, sweet fragrance. However, in the fall, the leaves change co lor to a bronze or golden yellow color and the fragrance seems to disappear. The trunk of the Zelkova is straight with smooth bark. One of the distinguishing ch aracteristics of the Zelkova is the color of the trunk, which ranges from green to gray when at a mature age. In winter they produce small, greenish flowers that have a slight perfume. In th e fall the leaves turn shades of golden yellow to bronze before falling. Keep ou tdoors. Position: Outdoors in full sunlight. Protect from frost. In hottest day of the s ummer a semi-shaded position may be advisable. The Zelkova bonsai will at times require semi-shade and at times full sunlight, in order to grow quickly. During the summer months, the bonsai should be placed in semi-shade, so that the leaves do not dry too quickly due to direct sunlight. In the summer, the Zelkova needs a lot of water and sun. Watering - Zelkova bonsai does not require too much watering. They will be fine if you water them in the morning and let the soil dry until the next day. During the summer months, you can keep spraying water on the foliage, as this will hel p to keep the tree cool and fresh. Also remember that the bonsai must not be ove r watered during the winter months as the plants do not like wet feet , but at the same time, do not let it dry out. Water daily especially during the hot months of summer. If necessary water twice a day and do not let the pot dry out otherwise finer branches may suffer from d ie back. Make sure you do not over water the Zelkova in the winter nor allow it to dry ou t completely. Feeding and Fertilizer Regular fertilizing the Zelkova bonsai is important. A ba lanced chemical fertilizer needs to be used every alternate week. You can also f ertilize your bonsai each week, by giving it half the dose. You can use natural fertilizer without any problem, from spring to fall. Feed bimonthly use a balanced fertiliser in early spring. Use a low nitrogen fer tiliser between summer and late autumn. Leaf and Branch Pruning: You should carry out any major changes in the structure of the bonsai during the winter months, so that there is no excessive loss of sap. Shaping the bonsai du ring the winter months is also a smart move, because you will be able to see the whole silhouette of the tree, as well as the branch structure. Prune leafs back to two nodes once stem has about 6 or seven leaf on it. Leave h eavy structural pruning to spring. While wiring the Zelkova bonsai care should be taken because the branches are ex tremely fragile and thin. Do the wiring work during the summertime. Zelkovas are best shaped with pruning. Wiring however, can be done anytime of th e year. The foliage is developed by pinching back the new growth during the growing seas on. Wait until new shoots have at least 4 sets of leaves, then pinch back to 2 s ets of leaves. To reduce leaf size, healthy trees can be leaf pruned in early summer. All of th e leaves are removed, leaving only the leaf stems on the branches. The tree will respond by putting out a second set of leaves, smaller than the first set. Do n ot leaf prune the same year that the tree is repotted.

Re-potting & Growing Medium: Root prune in spring, use a well drained soil. You should note that the Zelkova bonsai requires deep soil that is well drained and fertile. While the younger bonsai must be repotted every year, it will be en ough if you repot the older bonsai every two to three years, when the container becomes too small for the bonsai, or when the roots become matted. Repot every 2-3 years in early spring. Prune the roots by up to half their lengt h. If the tree is in a shallow bonsai container, repot every 1-2 years to avoid having the roots push the tree up out of the pot. This tree is typically potted in a shallow bonsai pot that is either glazed in c ool (blue, green, beige) colors or is unglazed in earth tones.