Bonsai Gardenia

Gardenia jasminoides is a small shrub with greyish bark and dark green shiny leaves. The white to creamish flowers flowers bloom in spring and summer and are highly fragrant. At the best of times these are challenging plants to grow, but they do make a delightfull little fragrant bonsai or house plant. Styles: Informal Upright, Slanting, Semi-cascade Location: Indoor Position: They like plenty of light and a steady warm temperature; however, they must be kept out of direct sunlight, so position them carefully or screen them with a piece of kitchen foil or whatever. They like a moist atmosphere, so sit the plant on a tray of moist gravel. It needs a constant temperature range, between 50F - 60F at night and around 70F daytime and at least four hours sunlight for it to flower. A grow lamp will be a helpfull aid during dull cloudy days. Watering: Water frequently but do not let the pot get water logged. Use rain water or de-scaled water as the plant is highly suseptible to lime, and leaves will yellow at the slightest increase in alkalinity. Gardians love being misted. Feeding: Use an liquid fertilier or oragnic fertiliser, so as to avoid salt imbalances. Use a chealted iron feed to correct Ph balances, which is ideallly between 5 to 6. A dose of Gypsum aids the vitality of the plant and gives the leafs a darker green colour. color of the leafs. Flowering is promoted by using a fertiliser with a high level of phosporous micronutrients. Leaf and Branch Pruning: Prune branches after flowering. Pinch of growing tips to encourge branching. Structural pruning if reuired is best done just before spring. Re-potting & Growing Medium: Repot every 2-3 years in spring, ensuring that you use a soil that is acidic in nature. Use 1 Part Akadama, 1 Part Pumice, 1 part of Sphagnum Moss or 1 Part Leaf Mould. Wiring: Not normally nesessary to wire Gardenia as most shaping is done with pruning. If wiring is necessary use raffia to ensure that bark is not damaged.