How to make a gardenia bonsai

Select potting soil

Select pot

It is best to choose glazed ceramic pots for gardenia bonsai, and use small pots for small seedlings and gradually move to larger pots. When the width of the plant is twice the diameter of the pot, change to a larger pot.

Soil preparation

Gardenias prefer acidic soil, so keep the pH level between 5 and 6. Leaf mold or weathered pond soil is usually used. Soil that is iron-deficient or contains a lot of alkali is not suitable for planting.

plant

It is usually planted in March and April, and some branches and leaves are cut off to reduce water evaporation.

Posture

If you want to grow a perfect bonsai as quickly as possible, try to choose mature plants. It takes 3 to 5 years to cultivate from a seedling before the branches and trunks of the plant become thick and have better ornamental value.

Processing

Process the prepared branches, tie the thick branches with brown silk, and the remaining thinner branches can be pruned. Posing and shaping can also be done after flowering or during the dormant period, and it will not have an impact on the growth of the plant.

Tree

Gardenia can be made into curved trunk style, slanted trunk style, straight trunk style and cliff style. There are fewer materials and limited space at home, so most of the bonsai are small and medium-sized.

Maintenance management

Placement

Gardenia likes light, but can also grow in semi-shady environment, but the branches are slender and there are fewer flowers. Therefore, except for appropriate shading in July and August and during the dormant period, normal maintenance in the sun at other times can ensure lush branches and leaves.

Watering

Gardenia requires a lot of water to grow. The soil in the pot should be moist but not dry, but there should be no water accumulation in the pot. In addition to watering during the high temperatures in summer, you should frequently spray water on the leaves and the ground, or place the bonsai next to a pool to increase the air humidity.

Fertilization

Starting from April, apply a thin layer of cake fertilizer or manure water once every 15 days, and stop after the beginning of autumn. If you continue to fertilize after autumn, the branches will grow wildly and are prone to frost damage in winter. If the leaves turn yellow during maintenance, add a small amount of ferrous sulfate to the fertilizer.

"One flower is divided into six parts, and ten petals form a multi-layered platform; it is pure jade without any spot, and the golden color fills the fetus." This is the ancients' description of gardenia. I believe that as long as you plant it patiently and carefully according to these steps, you will definitely see its beauty.