The Gardenia comes from South Africa and enchants here with its white flowers that appear from June to September. Since gardenias tolerate cutting well, they are suitable for growing as bonsai. However, the care is not that easy.
How do I properly care for a Gardenia Bonsai?
To successfully care for a Gardenia Bonsai, the plant needs a bright location without direct sun, lime-free water for watering, regular cutting, relaxed wiring, appropriate fertilization and protection from drafts and pests.
Gardenia tolerates pruning well
The gardenia is characterized by its good cutting tolerance. It tolerates frequent pruning and recovers quickly.
Design forms of gardenia as bonsai
Gardenia can be grown as a bonsai in very different designs:
- single-stemmed
- multi-stemmed
- Cascade shape
- Half cascade
- free upright
When should the Gardenia be cut as a bonsai?
While the gardenia is still young, prune it continuously. As soon as five or more leaves have formed on a shoot, shorten the branches so that only two to three leaves remain.
Older bonsais should only be cut until August. Otherwise, remove the shoots on which next year's flowers will form.
Cutting is always done directly above an eye that faces outwards.
What should you pay attention to when wiring?
Gardenias that are grown as bonsai can be shaped quite easily with wires. Wiring is only carried out when the shoots are half woody. Begin wiring in October and remove wires in February before the growth period begins. This will prevent the wire from growing in.
Wiring flower shoots can cause the gardenia to drop its flowers.
The right location for gardenias
Gardenias like it very bright, but do not tolerate direct sun well. If you grow the bonsai in the flower window, you should protect it from direct midday sun.
In summer you can also put the gardenia outside in the garden. You just have to get them indoors in time before the temperatures outside drop too much.
How to care for Gardenia as a bonsai
In order for the gardenia to thrive as a bonsai, it needs a lot of care:
- watering properly
- fertilize sufficiently
- repot regularly
- pay attention to pest infestation
- overwinter frost-free
Watering with sensitivity
The gardenia tolerates neither waterlogging nor complete dryness. Always water when the top layer of the substrate has dried slightly. Do not leave water in the planter.
To promote flower formation, you should occasionally spray the Gardenia with water.
For watering and spraying, only use lime-free water. The gardenia doesn't get any lime at all. It is best to water with rainwater that should be at room temperature. Alternatively, you can also use still mineral water for watering.
Fertilize Gardenia properly as a bonsai
From March onwards, fertilize the gardenia at fortnightly intervals. Special rhododendron fertilizers or bonsai fertilizers are suitable. Make sure that the fertilizer is lime-free.
When is repotting necessary?
The bonsai will be repotted in spring. It is sufficient if the plant is placed in a new planter every two to three years. You should only repot the gardenia when the pot is completely rooted.
Carefully remove the gardenia from the old pot. Shake off the old substrate. Prune the roots to limit growth.
Plant the gardenia in a new planter that is slightly larger than the current one. As soil for the new pot, use slightly acidic soil for rhododendrons. Loosen the substrate with a little sand or gravel to make it permeable to water.
Prevent brown leaves and falling inflorescences
Brown leaves on gardenias indicate iron deficiency. You can prevent this by occasionally adding some iron to the irrigation water. Make sure that the plant is not too moist. Wet soil promotes iron deficiency.
Gardenias are very sensitive to drafts and changes in location. They react to this by dropping inflorescences.
Place the pot in a place where it is protected from drafts. Avoid moving the bonsai frequently.
Check regularly for pest infestation
Gardenias are not easy to keep because they are quickly attacked by pests. Common occurrences:
- Scale insects
- Aphids
- Thrips
- Black weevil (if located outdoors)
Inspect the bonsai regularly and combat pest infestation immediately.
Overwinter Gardenia as a bonsai frost-free
The non-hardy gardenias do not take a break in winter. However, you should keep the plant a little cooler from autumn onwards. Wintering temperatures of 15 to 17 degrees are ideal. Under no circumstances should the Gardenia get frost.
Watering more sparingly in winter. You should also fertilize the bonsai during this time. It is sufficient if you fertilize the gardenia at monthly intervals from September to February.
Tip
Despite its name Gardenia jasminoides, gardenia has nothing to do with jasmine. It owes its name to the flowers, which exude a very pleasant scent. The warmer the location is during flowering, the stronger the scent of the gardenia.
