Return to the Bonsai Forum | Post a Follow-Up

o
Gardenia is in Shock ???? or Dead????

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings
Posted by Edeck Maine (My Page) on
Sat, Jun 11, 11 at 11:54

I have a Bonsai Gardenia, I bought it for my Father before he passed away. I took possession of it afterwards. My wife and I do volunteer work and it requires traveling to different countries from time to time. I left the plant with my Grand-daughter with instructions to care for it. She went away for a few days and decided to fill the bed of the plant with ice cubes so it would still get watered. She is 11. When she returned home she found the plant dropping its leaves and looking quite dead. I have been trying to revive it for a month or so but it still looks dead and there aren't any leaves at all nor signs of any new buds, etc. It doesn't have the dead wood look through out the plant but there are some areas like that. Some parts of the tree still has that reddish brown look to the bark and is flexible to bend, not like the dead wood which is very stiff and brittle. Can it be revived? Is it in shock or dead?. Do you have any suggestions or should I just trash it.

Follow-Up Postings:

o
RE: Gardenia is in Shock ???? or Dead????

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Ed, first, I'm sorry about your dad.

I have a few bonsais and Gardenias, however, I do not have a bonsai Gardenia. :)

My advice is towards your Gardenia.

There are many reasons plants go down hill..It's possible, the ice cubes shocked the Gardenia's roots. Is the soil still wet?

Since the stems are flexible, your Gardenia is alive. Cut a small section of stem. If the inside is green, all the better.

For the time being, set your Gardenia in a medium, bright light window.
Water when soil is on the dry side..not bone dry, a little crumbly.
Spray/mist leaves daily.
Withhold fertilizer until new growth forms.

Do you have Superthrive or VF-11? If so, apply proper dossage. Superthrive is added to soil...VF-11 can be sprayed on leaves or in soil.

When baby leaves produce, foliar spray with Fish Emulsion. Fish Emulsion is an organic fertilizer. Do not use with your regular fertilizer. When leaves are fully developed, go back to your normal fertilizer.

Hope this help..Good luck, Toni

o
RE: Gardenia is in Shock ???? or Dead????

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

I also have a bonsai gardenia that my son gave me for Mother's Day. It had several buds on it and they bloomed almost immediately. But the leaves also started falling off. I tried watering it a little more, but more leaves fell off, so I let it get a little drier, but more leaves fell off. Still it bloomed again last week. I bought some acid type fertilizer that is good for camelias and gardenias, but still the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. I mist it several times a day, moved it from a west window to an east window for more sun, but still leaves are falling off. The soil is tremendously hard packed around it, the water rolls off if it is dry, it seems to be almost solid, you can't pick up grains of soil and it is domed above the planter. I do try to keep a little water in the humidity tray below it too. I don't know what to do next to try to save this plant! Can anyone help?

o
RE: Gardenia is in Shock ???? or Dead????

clip this post email this post what is this?
see most clipped and recent clippings

Sounds like the soil is the problem, Samie.

I rescued a gardenia from that peat-based hard-packed soil.
Half the plant was lost from the death of the roots, but now the other half is on the mend.

I think you'll have to soak the root-ball until moist, then gently remove as much soil as possible.
Then you'll need to re-pot using a better soil - nothing from a bag, hopefully.

I also add vinegar to my water to make it more acid for the gardenia.


Josh

o Post a Follow-Up

Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum.

    If you are a member, please log in.

    If you aren't yet a member, join now!

Return to the Bonsai Forum

Instructions

  • You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
  • Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
  • After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
  • It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
  • HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
  • No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
  • If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
  • If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.



 
Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.