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| Indoor Elm Tree |
Elm Trees can be grown indoors as a bonsai, or just as a regular tree. Whether you trim your elm tree to keep it small or let it grow as big as it can, elm trees are an excellent choice for a houseplant! This guide will give an overview of how to grow an elm tree as a houseplant.
Water: Water your elm tree frequently to avoid letting the soil dry out. Elm trees like to stay moderately moist. Watering every 2-3 days is optimal. Too much water can lead to root rot, but not enough water will lead to your leaves dropping off.
Light: Elm trees can be grown in full sun to partial shade. It is best to keep it 2-3 feet from a window.
Soil: Elm trees do not need any specialty soil to grow well. A general all-purpose potting mix will work fine.
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| Elm Tree Leaves |
Fertilizer: Elm trees should be fertilized in the spring at the beginning of their growing season. An all-purpose houseplant fertilizer will work fine.
Propagation: Elm trees can be propagated by cuttings. Take a 6-inch cutting from an unnoticeable area on your tree and stick it into the dirt. For more information on how to propagate cuttings successfully, read my post on
How to Propagate Plants from Cuttings.
Pot: If you are aiming to make your elm tree a bonsai, you will need a bonsai pot. Note that if you use a bonsai pot, you will have to trim the roots when you repot your tree. Otherwise, if you are looking to just let your elm tree grow, a regular terracotta or ceramic pot will work. Repot about every two years, or when the roots start to outgrow the pot.
Over Winter: Your indoor elm tree may lose its leaves over the winter even if it is left indoors. An elm tree can either be left indoors during the winter or brought outside. If you notice that your leaves begin to turn brown and fall off, check for pests, but if it is around winter time, it is probably natural. Beginning in spring, your elm tree will begin to get new leaf buds.
Pests: When grown indoors, elm trees are susceptible to spider mites. To avoid spider mites, keep your elm tree well-watered, and keep the humidity around your plant high. Check for spider mites by misting your plant with water to check for webs. A warning sign for spider mites is yellowing and dropping of leaves. If you see spider mites, be careful treating your elm trees. The leaves are fragile against chemicals.
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| Elm Tree |
To treat your elm tree for spider mites:
1. Separate your tree from the rest of your plants.
2. Spray your plant down with water to remove the spider mites. Cover the soil when you do this so you do not wash the spider mites into the soil.
3. Spray your plant with a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half water.
4. Repeat twice a week.
Since elm tree leaves are sensitive, do not use any oil-based solutions because this will lead to leaf burn. Since you can not use neem oil or any other horticultural oil to help get rid of spider mites, it may take longer than usual to rid your plant of the pests. Be persistent and they will eventually go away.
Issues: Browning leaves can be a sign of too much or too little water. Monitor your soil to make sure it does not dry out or stay sopping wet for too long. Dropping leaves can also be a sign of too little or too much water; however, this can also be a sign of pests. Monitor your plant to prevent infestations.
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| Elm Tree Houseplant |
Whether you chose to trim your elm tree to make it a bonsai or just let it grow, they are a beautiful plant to add to your indoor collection!
Good Luck!
Lily's Indoor Jungle
