Japanese Elm Broom Style
Zelkova serrata
Dob - 2021
Height - ±22cm
Origin - UK
 
All the required assets for a quick start to a broom style bonsai.
The first root training and basic branch establishment work has been done. The new owner just has to continue with the steps to grow a great broom style bonsai.
(Bonsai Pictures are for inspiration example only).
 
The Japanese elm is a deciduous tree which is native to Japan, Korea and Taiwan. It can reach a height of 30 meters (100ft) and develops the characteristic broomstyle shape with a straight trunk fanning out into many branches and twigs.
The bark is grey and smooth and the young shoots are reddish at first. The leaves are simple and ovate to oblong-ovate with serrated margins, rough on top and glabrous on the underside. They are dark green throughout the summer, changing to yellow, orange, red and purple in autumn. The leafsize decreases quickly when the zelkova grows in a pot.
The Japanese greybark elm is a classic Japanese bonsai and the prototype of the broomstyle, but it can also be styled in other upright shapes. The species can tolerate a slight frost and is easy to care for.
The elm likes a place in full sun during the growing season or, if the sunlight is very intense, semi-shade during the hottest weeks. In winter the greybark elm should be protected from frost, especially when it is planted in a shallow bonsai container. A cold but frost-free greenhouse, garage or shed is a good winter place for the zelkova.
The zelkova is hardly bothered by pests and diseases. Aphids, leafhoppers, gall mites, spider mites or leaf spots can occur in rare cases. Use a specific pesticide and check the growing conditions if the tree is attacked by one of these pests.
 
Download link for growing a broom style Zelkova guide
https://www.bonsaisouthwest.co.uk/_files/ugd/c5105c_9a7e8d1601e14512a65839b8d8b0e558.pdf
 
zelkova care guide
https://www.bonsaisouthwest.co.uk/_files/ugd/c5105c_bdb904e369ac450faa1f89b993a1ef03.pdf