Question
I got a gardenia bonsai for a gift from my son it is 3 years old, I keep it in the sun when it is shining in a south window, I have been trying to keep it watered to stay looking dark on the surface, it has a tray of water and pebbles under it, but not sitting in water. I move to the outside on sunny days in full sun for 4 hours, it has buds, hasn't bloomed yet, I fed it once with miracid. It has been getting yellow leaves that drop off, or turn brown and fall, what can I do? I don't want to loose a 3 year old bonsai and is a special gift. it said to set in a tray 2 inches deep with water and water this way from the bottom, should I switch to watering from the top? when I sat in tray of water it drank in a lot and it did seem to be dry before at the holes in the bottom. Am I over watering? I too gave it some iron grains I put on the top. I want to stop the yellowing of leaves and the dropping of them.
Thanks for your help. Rena

Answer
Hi Rena,

A gardenia is an outdoor plant. It should be kept outdoors in the sun for it to thrive.

Also, the plant should either be watered from the top or you can dunk the whole pot in a tub of water. However, the way the tree is currently being watered is not correct - very risky. It may be receiving too much water and the roots will rot, or it's not receiving enough water.

Take a look at the watering articles on http://www.Learnng2Bonsai.com Hoepfully this will help you maintain the health of your gardenia.