Question
I received the bonsai from my husband at christmas. All its leaves turned yellow and started falling off two days after I got it. It was really wet when shipped to us. It started to put on new leaves, but the leaves are small and the stems are very long and leggy. From pictures I have seen it just does not look right. It is not filling in. It gets moderate light and I have fertilized and only water when dry to touch. Any help you can give?

Answer
Hi Jasmine,

I always recommend contacting the person / company that sold you the bonsai. At BonsaiOutlet.com, we include care instruction for every tree we sell and they are specific to that species of tree.

It's normal for a Chinese elm to lose some leaves once it changes location (from humid nursery to dry house). Your bonsai was also in a box traveling across the US for a few days without light. It takes a little time for a bonsai to acclimate itself to it new location, but since it's growing new shoots, it sounds healthy.

It does sound like your bonsai may need a little pruning. An inexpensive pair of bonsai shears will do the trick. And the wet soil is also normal. Nurseries will soak the bonsai in water prior to shipping it. We add additional water to the soil because you bonsai could sit in a hot UPS truck for a few days as it travels to your home. I think your husband purchased your bonsai from a reputable bonsai nursery.

I'm not sure what your definition of moderate light is, but all bonsai trees need light. In the summer, i leave my Chinese Elm outdoors all day / night and it thrives.

And finally, if your tree looks stressed and unhealthy, do not fertilize it. It hard to diagnose the health of your bonsai without seeing it, but if it's growing new leaves and shoots, it sounds healthy.