My Bonsai's leaves don't grow back. Can anyone help?

Question

Hi everyone.
I have had an 8 year old Zelkova Serrata bonsai for a couple of years now and its looking at its worst.
Basically, when the leaves fall (which is obviously natural) they don't grow back.
The tree itself never really had that many branches to begin with (around 20) but the branches it did have were fully leaved.
I repotted it 4 weeks ago and trimmed around 20% of the fibrous roots. As soon as i did this a vast majority of the leaves droped off. The tree isnt dead because every so often new shoots will appear - but only at the end of all these bare thin branches (which looks a bit wrong!!). If i cut these over-length branches (up to 15 cm long), there wouldn't be any foliage left which is a bit upsetting. It just seems to me that some of the branches are dead, and others are doing fine.
The tree hasnt changed position and nothing else has changed.
The tree is now looking very bare, except around 5 or 6 healthy branches.

Can anyone help?

Appreciated.

Steven

Answer 1

If you are keeping it indoors, this is part of the problem. Advice from bahbdone is very good. If you would like care instructions specifically for your zelkove, send me an email at:
[e-mail] . You may also want to read the Bonsai Care page of my site:
http://www.american-bonsai.com

Answer 2

It may just still be coming out of shock from the root pruning.

You can cut the long new growth back by a third or so. More leaves will probably start coming out again. (I hope.)