I have an elm that has some leaves turning yellow, and don’t know why it is happening!
Any help with this would be appreciated. IMG_20200601_075323|375x500 .
Hi Luis, it could be spider mites. There is a stream about detecting and treating them but basically take a sheet of white paper, hold it below the leaves and tap the leaves. Check on the paper for tiny (you will probably need a magnifying glass) insects crawling about. If that is what it is spray with a suitable insecticide. It’s best not to use a systemic on Chinese elm as sometimes it causes it to defoliate.
Luis! Did this work itself out?
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Probably just mid -summer shedding of used up spring leaves.
My elms are doing this, too.
In your photo, notice the yellow leaves are all smaller, and the extension leaves are huge…
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Now is the proper time to cut back the extensions, or at least the terminal leaf or three. Forces the tree to start new buds- leaves, further back-- for limb ramification.
Unless, you want the tree to get real big faster. Let em run for two summers, then cut back. Elms are resilient, and will bud back easily. I think of it as reaching critical mass… where they get big enough to put on trunk size fast.
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One of MY favorite bonsai Asian elms was a volunteer , mowed for three summers before I took pity on it…
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Already cut back the 12" extensions to 2-3 leaves. Backbudding is already evident. Will do this again in 3 weeks.
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Bonsai On!
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Going to check tomorrow for spider mites and hope that is not the case.
No spider mites I am happy about that. It looks like it worked itself out. I don’t have leaves turning yellow. It must be the tress was not happy I cleaned up the area and mowed some grass. They are looking good so far.
Now it is time to decide if I would be leaving the branches to grow or to cut back. They are still in development so might want to get the branches thicker before cutting back.
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