Indoor/Outdoor



Chinese elms are very hardy and can grow happily indoors or out. The like full sun and can handle the cold. However during the hottest months of summer they prefer semi-shade. If they are kept indoors, it is necessary to have them near a window with plenty of light. Indoors Chinese Elms can remain evergreen but are deciduous outside.





Watering



Maintain soil moist in summer but not saturated and water slightly less in the winter allowing soil to dry slightly on the surface between watering.





Re-Potting



Re-pot every two to three years in early spring. Be careful as the roots are very soft and are easily damaged. When trimming make sure to use sharp tools in order not to squash the roots and ensure a nice clean cut.





Training



A Chinese elm can become very ‘messy’, make sure to keep all the new growth pinched back to two leave. Responds well to trimming in mid-summer with tons of new shoots. Wiring is a good way to train younger trees but older branches can be quite brittle. With all the vigorous growth, the easiest way to train a Chinese elm is to pinch out the new growth before a leaf which is pointing in the direction you want the branch to go.