Need some advice with gardenia bonsai

[Okkiedokki]

Need some help with this gardenia bonsai. A co-worker of mine had it in his office by a window that got no sun light. He had it in a metal bread pan and didn't water it for a week and then over watered it after it dried up. He gave it to me because I am good with plants and have brought back others in the past. I just have never messed with a bonsai before. I did a little reading and repotted it in a pot that drains, the roots looked good. I got some miracid and gave it a half dose when I rewatered it in the new pot. The window it's in faces the north and gets the morning sun and is then shaded the rest of the day.

All the leaves are shriveled but I notice green on the trunk. Should I just leave it for now and see if anything starts to grow in a few weeks? Thanks in advance.

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Zach Smith]

Your only chance is to put it outside immediately. This appears to be a dwarf gardenia. They're sensitive to being repotted and moved from place to place, but they can come back from mistreatment. Don't water until the soil is dry on the surface, and even then you'll want to check below to see how moist the soil is down in the root zone. No need to water until the soil is only slightly moist down below. Good luck!

 

[KingJades]

I also wouldn't be fertilizing. The plant has a water deficit (even if it's from being overwatered) so fertilizing only exacerbates this.

 

[Boerboel313]

What about removing all the leaves which are already dead? Some one wiser than I will chime in shortly. Just my .02.

Good luck. I love my litttle Gardinia over rock.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

You don't say where you live, but the green outside the window suggests you are in a warm climate. Only put it outside if it will be frost free for the next couple months. Or if you put it outside, bring it in to protect from frost. You will always get better growth out of gardenia growing them outdoors as long as the climate permits.

Later, after it has grown and recovered, a healthy gardenia can tolerate some frost, even freezing. Most gardenia are hardy through into the 20's F, roughly -5 C.. There are some varieties that are hardy down to about +10 F, or -7 C, but without knowing the variety or cultivar name, you should assume it is not freeze hardy. There are a couple gardenia species that are true tropicals, the ones in cultivation tend to have single flowers that turn yellow quickly, these are only hardy to the lightest of frosts. 32 F or 0 C, not much colder.

So in summary, if weather permits put it outside. Bring in to avoid frosts.