Species · Deciduous trees like maple and elm
Chinese elm
Ulmus parvifolia
Chinese elm tolerates more neglect and more styles — formal upright to full cascade — than almost any species in the catalog, with small leaves, flaking bark on older trunks, and vigorous backbudding that makes ramification build quickly. It is evergreen or briefly deciduous depending on climate, and it is often the first tree a beginner is handed for exactly these reasons.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Check daily in growing season; water when the surface starts to dry. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 2 in summer, 3 in autumn and 6 in winter.
- Light
- Full sun to light shade.
- Winter
- Hardy once established; semi-evergreen, may hold leaves in mild winters. Protect it when the forecast drops below -10 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 14 days, Apr to Oct, paused in the hottest weeks.
- Repotting
- Every 2 to 3 years, as buds swell, in Mar or Apr.
- Growth
- Fast growing. Hardy in zones 5 to 9.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Mar | Apr | Sep | Oct | ||||||||
| Wire | Jan | Feb | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||
| Pinch | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | ||||||||
| Defoliate | Jun |
Styles that suit it
MoyogiHokidachiSokanYose-ueKengai