Hi nanzey,

I'm sorry I cannot give any advise. I am also a newbie to bonsai. I just wanted to say what a beautiful bonsai you have. You are very lucky to have received that as a gift.Good luck with your new bonsai.

Oh wow!!! That's an amazing gift! What you need to do for now is remove the plastic (of course!) and do put in the eastern exposure. Water when the top inch of soil is dry and don't spray it otherwise. Only water from above - slowly so all the soil gets some and isn't disturbed otherwise. Don't fertilize for 6 wks, then use a balanced house plant type. Now, try to find a bonsai (not bonZai) club nearby because they're great places to learn. Next go to www.bonsai4me.com and read up on things there, plus join forums at www.bonsaisite.com and www.bonsaitalk.com - good places with lots of info. Don't think of your tree as a house plant, or treat it like porcelain - it's a strong tree. If a few leaves drop or yellow, don't fuss, it's just relocating pains. If a lot yellow, back off on water, but if they're crispy, look for spider mites (unlikely outdoors) or overly intense sun (especially in the first few wks of acclimatization). Once things are going well, and spring brings new leaves, you'll want to learn about pruning, root pruning and shaping, but those can wait for now. Good luck with your beautiful baby!

that is an excellent bonsai tree. Can you say "crash course" in proper bonsai care. Good luck.

Actually Lucy, spider mites can be a real problem here in the American west for garden and patio plants. Humidity levels from spring through fall can be very low (and mites love that! )

Plants should be inspected often for signs of pests, and action taken as soon as possible to prevent infestations.

Matt

Good point Matt, but it is January :-).

Thanks to everyone for all the advice.
OK - so I put the tree outside on Monday and today it is pouring like it hasn't poured here in years!
When my husband gets home I'll have him help me bring it back inside for the night. The temporary stand I have it on does not give it adequate drainage.
(going shopping for one this weekend)
I'm hoping this doesn't shock the poor thing.

I read up on the Chinese Elm on several websites and found very conflicting information! Especially when it comes to pruning, location and temps...

There's a really terrific garden center near here so I'm hoping they will help shed some light...
I'm so nervous!

OK - I put the bonsai out this morning while the sun was shining.
Of course, tonight it's pouring again!
I noticed that there are some new leaves opening on all the tips - is this unusual for this time of year?

Hey all -
I have a quick question -
This guy is looking great - but sprouting new shoots all over the place - should I be pruning?
I went to the bookstore this weekend - they only had 2 books and they were a little confusing. Both discussed pruning in spring and summer - uh...it's only February!
I am ordering a bunch of books online right now, but I wanted to get a quick answer from the experts!
Thanks!
N

Choose which you want to keep, and cut off the others. If some are very long and straggly, cut them back to a couple of leaf pairs each.