Newbie bonsai lover needing input!

[clynn72]

Hello!

I've had a bonsai gardenia for about 5 years that I repotted a few months ago. I used a bonsai soil with pumice, lava, calcined clay and pine bark. Since repotting, it hasn't been the same.

I ended up cutting a few branches that died - which seemed to help but the leaves still look kind of droopy and DULL. It's still sprouting new leaves, which is good but I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong that the leaves don't have that nice gardenia glossiness. Not sure if it just needs more time to recover? It's been about 3 months.

Any guidance/advice would be appreciated. It was doing great until I repotted it. :-( Thanks!!

 

[coltranem]

Do you have pictures before it was repotted?

 

[Tieball]

Where abouts are you located? It will help if you post your general location to your profile.

 

[Tieball]

Gardenias seem to like good sunlight in the early part of the day but not necessarily the fun hot afternoon sun present in some locations. Your location update will help.

I’ve always known Gardenias as an outdoor grower. Always outdoors. Are you growing this Gardenia outdoors or indoors? I imagine the Gardenia can be grown indoors with a good amount of attention to light, watering and pest control.

It could simply be a case of the Gardenia responding to your change of growing conditions while in leaf.

 

[Carol 83]

I imagine the Gardenia can be grown indoors with a good amount of attention to light, watering and pest control.

They can. I have overwintered two Gardenia's for a couple of years. They aren't really bonsai, just Lowes garden plants I use as patio plants. They aren't really under the grow lights because they're too big but they do get some benefit from them. Nice having blooms in the winter.

 

[clynn72]

Do you have pictures before it was repotted?

Hmmm... unfortunately, I don't. I wish I did. It was of similar size... a few more branches (as I mentioned, I had to trim some)... more leaves that were glossy and "perkier". More frequent buds. I had one good bloom in the 5 years I've had it. I repotted it because I was noticing an increase in yellow leaves and the soil itself was looking unhealthy. I'd also had a recurring bug problem that I managed to get rid of with organic insecticidal soap... but after that, the soil never really recovered and felt the need to start fresh.

 

[ShadyStump]

First: WELCOME ABOARD!
Second: What @Tieball said. Location helps allot.
Third: DO NOT take gardenia advice from me! All mine get subjected to slow painful death.

That said, how have you been fertilizing it?
They like acidic soil conditions, and do best with acid fertilizer. They also dislike drying out, but don't keep the roots soggy.
The soil mix you have it in may not be acidic enough, and could be drying out faster than you realize. Bonsai mixes tend to be airy and don't hold water as long, so you'll likely need to change up your watering routine.

 

[clynn72]

Thanks All!

I am in Pine Beach, New Jersey - on the Jersey Shore. This gardenia has been inside from the get-go. I purchased it from a bonsai store in our local mall. It sits near a window and gets nice direct morning sun for a bit (less than an hour as the sun comes up) and indirect sun for the remainder of the day. I have noticed a need to change my watering routine since repotting. It does seem very dry in between waterings. The bonsai soil I got says that one of the ingredients in it retains moisture, but I'm not sure I'm buying it. Lol.

I wonder whether it might be a good idea to mix the bonsai soil with some more "regular" soil? When I purchased it, it was in what appeared to be regular potting soil. Maybe it's not adapting well to the new soil?

 

[ShadyStump]

Maybe it's not adapting well to the new soil?

That's my guess.
You should be watering daily at least. You can try the chopstick trick: stab a bamboo/wooden chopstick/skewer into the soil all the way to the bottom of the pot, and leave it there. Use it like a dipstick to check soil moisture.
I wouldn't do it until you can get it healthy, but when it's time to repot again mix your bonsai soil with peat. Peat is rather acidic, and should help bring the pH down.
Start fertilizing using an acid fertilizer like MirAcid or similar. There aren't really any nutrients in the bonsai soil alone, so you'll have to fertilize often. Every week or so.

I could share some other things I've attempted in similar situations, but,like I said, don't listen to me. I love gardenias, but I apparently just kill them.

 

[Deleted member 47471]

I don’t know about Gardenia, but proper balance of sunlight and water is what trees need. Sick foliage from the outside-in usually is caused by under watering and from the inside-out is too much.

 

[clynn72]

That's my guess.
You should be watering daily at least. You can try the chopstick trick: stab a bamboo/wooden chopstick/skewer into the soil all the way to the bottom of the pot, and leave it there. Use it like a dipstick to check soil moisture.
I wouldn't do it until you can get it healthy, but when it's time to repot again mix your bonsai soil with peat. Peat is rather acidic, and should help bring the pH down.
Start fertilizing using an acid fertilizer like MirAcid or similar. There aren't really any nutrients in the bonsai soil alone, so you'll have to fertilize often. Every week or so.

I could share some other things I've attempted in similar situations, but,like I said, don't listen to me. I love gardenias, but I apparently just kill them.

Thank you! I've been watering every day and fertilizing (with a green fertilizer the bonsai store gave me) roughly every week. Bottom line - it's alive but not happy. :-( I'll try the peat trick. Thank you!!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Fellow jersey guy here. Looks like a watering issue to me. When you repotted, did you remove all the old soil? What did the roots look like?

 

[bwaynef]

I'd recommend putting it in bright shade outside immediately. That will help with leaf color, budding, flowering, soil drying in a timely manner, and more efficient fertilizer usage. Even if you bring it back inside later (and by later I mean before winter). Its in the condition it's in because it's starving for light.

It could probably handle some open sunlight eventually, but there would need to be a transition period to allow the foliage to acclimate. I've got several-years-old cuttings in ~6 hours of sun in 4" pots in lava, akadama, and pumice for soil. These aren't a dwarf cultivar, but I'd imagine there are some similarities in care.

 

[rockm]

If you're on the Jersey Shore, this tree should be outside. The indoor location is more than half your problem and the primary reason it's been in decline. Repotting an already weak, stressed tree is enough to shove it over the edge. INdoor conditions are extremely hostile to plants. Indoors, humidity levels are less than most deserts and lighting even near a window is 50 times less than outdoor lighting even in the shade. That stresses plants out--there are no "indoor" plants. Only those that can tolerate the bad conditions. Gardenia is tough, and is sold sometimes as "indoor" bonsai, as are Chinese Elms. Neither is really suited to be inside all the time. Even folks that grow tougher species that can handle indoor conditions, such as ficus and shefflera, put those trees outdoors in late spring and summer in sunshine. That helps them get strong enough to handle another winter inside.

At this point, I'd get it off that humidity tray, put it outside in open shade. Make sure the soil doesn't dry out, but also that it doesn't stay too wet. Leave it alone, except for making sure of the above. There is nothing more you can do really--don't be tempted to "do something" to help it more, like adding fertilizers, "growth stimulants (which are mostly snakeoil)" etc. You will do more harm than good.

 

[clynn72]

Thanks for the input! Much appreciated!

 

[clynn72]

I'd recommend putting it in bright shade outside immediately. That will help with leaf color, budding, flowering, soil drying in a timely manner, and more efficient fertilizer usage. Even if you bring it back inside later (and by later I mean before winter). Its in the condition it's in because it's starving for light.

It could probably handle some open sunlight eventually, but there would need to be a transition period to allow the foliage to acclimate. I've got several-years-old cuttings in ~6 hours of sun in 4" pots in lava, akadama, and pumice for soil. These aren't a dwarf cultivar, but I'd imagine there are some similarities in care.

Thank you for the input - appreciate it! If it's outside, do I stick with the same watering schedule? Or let nature take care of it?

 

[clynn72]

Fellow jersey guy here. Looks like a watering issue to me. When you repotted, did you remove all the old soil? What did the roots look like?

Too much water or too little? I did remove all old soil - roots looked ok, I guess. Being a newbie, I'm not 100% sure about that. Thank you!

 

[bwaynef]

Thank you for the input - appreciate it! If it's outside, do I stick with the same watering schedule? Or let nature take care of it?

As long as its in a pot, you're on the hook for meeting its needs. Check it 2x a day. Water it only when it needs it. Its needs will change the longer its outside, and the weather will need to be factored in as well. No more fertilizer until it's undeniably healthy. You'll know. If you don't know, don't fertilize.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Ok, if you removed all the old soil, I agree with the above guidance on getting it outside into partial shade.

It will need daily watering outside so it does not dry out nor remain too wet. I think in the soil you have it in, you probably wont have an issue with the latter.

Pot has holes in the bottom right?

 

[Gabler]

Pot has holes in the bottom right?

It's easy to forget to ask questions about the basics. If the answer turns out to be "no," then that's a good catch.