Chinese Elm Bonsai problem :(
 

Hi guys,

I have had a Chinese elm bonsai since last July and now that the weather here is warming up for the summer I decided to keep it outside on my sunny balcony as I have been reading up on them a lot since purchasing it and it seems that they tend to do better outdoors than indoors.

It has been outside for a week now and I two days ago I noticed some problems with the leave colours.

They are beginning to turn white and fall off and it's really starting to worry me :/ some are also turning yellow/brown but the vast majority are going white.

My girlfriend trimmed it the day before it was put outside as she thought it was growing all crazy (she is experienced at trimming plants but not bonsai so I'm pretty annoyed at her for that).

Is there a chance that it is struggling to cope with being outside after such a harsh trimming? And is there anything I can do to help it?

I really don't want to lose this tree, I have grown really attached to it in the past year :(

I can't upload photos on my phone but I will post them once I have access to a laptop.

Cheers,
Danny

Here are some photos showing the condition of the tree:-

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1e92428c.jpg

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5d81f229.jpg

http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/...psf138a096.jpg

Cheers,
Danny

Chinese Elm Bonsai problem :(
 

I hope I am not answering too late. Perhaps you have already found the solution. Your mistake was to put the tree suddenly from indoors out in the sun.. Like an unsuspecting tourist, it got sunburned. You should have put it out in the shade & then gradually in full sun. I hope you are still keeping it outdoors. Leave it out until the night temperatures go below freezing. Then find a cold protected location where it can remain dormant over the winter. In the spring, put it outside as soon as the buds swell. Then you will not have a sunburn problem.
Iris