名媛直播

Quick explanation of my circumstances:

I had a juniper and started experimenting with different local species and soil/rock mixtures, it went good for a few months, but eventually i went on vacation and didnt realize my watering system was off... so all my trees dried. I lost a lot of momentum and got discouraged from that and I don't think I have enough discipline to get back to it as hard right now, maybe in the future. And I decided I will only get one right now if i can keep it indoors because that requires a lot less effort in my living conditions, and I have taken care of my indoor plants well, as opposed to a couple outdoor plants i have sometimes forgotten for like 3 days etc.

I know what you all are going to say and I have done my research, :lol: but hear me out: I live in central mexico, I have a very bright and massive south facing window with direct sunlight for about 6 hours and I can even place plants inbetween the window and the blinders if I ever use them (I have a portulacaria afra i do that with).

I was thinking of going the chinese elm route and getting nursery stock, repotting in the appropriate season, then chopping the trunk in the next season (the only ones they sell are about 1 meter tall). Then take it indoors once it recovers. Is this the appropriate way to go? (my issue with outdoor plants is once i get them in draining pots they have extremely high maintenance because its semidesertic here, i need to water twice a day or more in the summer but planted trees wont visibly dry in 2 days) if this is a sensible way to go, what age/size/characteristics should i look for in a chinese elm tree sold for planting as a normal tree?

my other option, due to availability and research online are bushes like bougambilia and boxwood, what kind of characteristics should i choose? what age, size etc? can/should I also chop these plants like with trees to thicken the trunk and keep them small or will they die without leaves? or what is a good procedure for my first bush "bonsai" if chinese elm is out of the question

my climate is semidesertic/tropical but we have winters where it goes down to around 0-5 degrees C at night, and humidity is relatively low most of the year, maybe someone can suggest another tree to learn bonsai with in this climate

thank you

Though I’m only a beginner, I would think ‘why not change your soil?’ Make it a soil that keeps water better and longer. And of course use local trees. I started of the same, looking for ‘名媛直播’ soil until, I read, I think it was Tropfrog who wrote it, the trees grow up in the soil you buy them in, so it can’t be bad for them. Besides, the trees in the ‘wild’ don’t grow in akadama, pumice and lava rock here (the Netherlands) either.
So I have repotted a few in very free draining soil and left a lot of them in their own pots.
So far, they are still alive and I need to water them less then the trees in free draining soils. Of cours it depends on tree and pot size and species.
I cannot advice you about your question though, no experience with the Chinese elm and your climate. But this is what I learned about my outside trees. Good luck!

Chinese elm is a temperate semidecidious tree. It is very hard to grow healthy indoors as they don't get their much needed dormancy. Its possible, but very hard.

The information you have provided makes me think that your climate is next to perfect for chinese elm outdoors. But I have never tried to grow trees in Mexico

Thank you, I dont know why it never occured to me that I could train it to be in the small pot at first, with more dirt so that it doesnt dry as fast, since my climate is hotter than other people online... Silly of me :lol:

thank you as well, topfrog, we have a lot of chinese elm outside my home actually, i tried growing some from seeds in the summer but the rain killed them (it was too harsh) then i learned it would take like 3 years until theyre viable material!! i thought maybe a year was enough, so i decided to instead get nursery stock

i assume if i keep it inside during the hot season and outside in the winter it will help with dormancy, but stunt growth/thickening of the trunk, right?

I guess i maybe need to just accept bonsai tree are supposed to live outside and find a way around my issues (like more dirt in my soil and less rock) instead of fixating in bringing it inside with me

void wrote:

i assume if i keep it inside during the hot season and outside in the winter it will help with dormancy, but stunt growth/thickening of the trunk, right?

I have never seen any recomendation to keep trees indoors in summer and outdoors in winter. Normally the only time people recomend indoors is when talking about tropicals in winter.

People in places with very hot summers normally use shade cloth outdoors to protect the trees.