Question
QUESTION: I received a gardenia bonsai plant in the mail from a friend in March. Since then I have learned alittle about it. My once very green and healthy looking leaves are slowing turning to yellow and then brown leaves. The leaf is actually green with the veins turning yellow first then the rest of the leaf follows. Is it because I have over watered it? I was spraying the leaves everyday at least twice a day. I have it in a room that has a glass-sliding door in it and gets sunlight but not direct light. I do have it on a  pebble base and it has been in the same place since March. I don't want it to die and I'm trying my best to learn about it. I did give it a fertilizer only once since I have it. I fed it Miracid Pro Select water soluble acid-loving plant food and followed the directions to cut it in half. I used 1/4 teaspoon for a 1/2 gallon of water. I sat the plant in a small container and let it drink for about 15 min. I haven't used the fertilizer since then. I read you should only use it once a month. I don't know if that's right but I'm trying hard to do what ever it takes to keep this beautiful bonsai alive. Please help me learn. Oh, by the way I am from NJ and the weather has been inconsistant lately too. I do keep the bonsai in the house. any suggestions??  It has bloomed many beautiful flowers that were amazing and smelled great! There seems to be more buds coming but if I don't get rid of these yellow leaves I may not have a plant to look at! HELP PLEASE!!!!!

ANSWER: Hi,

This response will likely contain more questions than answers. I apologize in advance.

I can't be 100% sure, but i suspect it's not receiving enough light. How close to the window is your plant, and how much light per day is it receiving?

How often are you watering the plant? Misting should not replace watering. Misting is primarily to keep humidity around the plant and often done in the winter. You should not have to mist the plant twice a day this time of year.

Stop fertilizing the plant while it's unhealthy. You can resume feeding it once it gains strength - probably in a couple weeks.

If possible, try placing the gardenia outside during the day. The wind, sunlight, and warm weather will help.

And if you see yellow leaves, remove them. you do not want the plant to feed these leaves with its energy so removed them as soon as they become yellow.

If you've had the plant since March and it hasn't moved, it may be something other than the light, especially if you said that it flowered.

I wish I had the perfect answer. It's hard to troubleshoot problems via email.  


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I do water the plant every few days or if the dirt gets light in color on the top. I know it likes to be that dark chocolate looking color. When I do water the plant it is always from the bottom and let it drink the water up to the top of the soil. Is this right? or should I be watering from the top down? I also have the plant about 4 feet from the glass sliding door and gets light most of the day but not direct sunlight. I was afraid to put it out in the daytime because the weather in NJ has not been typical or consistant. What temperatures does the plant actually like?? I will try leaving it out during the day and taking it in during the night. Would that be a better idea? I have removed all the yellow and brown leaves from the plant and hope it gets stronger. Oh I must add one thing maybe it makes a difference. I have an african grey parrot in a cage that sits a foot away from the plant. Do you think maybe the bird dust could kill the leaves? I'm trying to give you all the info. I possibly could think of. I will try to put it outside but I'm afraid of the temperature changing. What is the best and the worst temp for it? I want to thank you in advance for any help you can give me. I really appreciate it. :)

Answer
Hi,

Watering from the bottom is fine and often recommended to make sure the entire root ball absorbs water, but personally, I top water all of my bonsai trees. I use a Haws watering can with a fine rose, but as long as the tree is getting ample water, it should not make a difference. But I am wondering if you are giving it too much water. You really should not guage if it needs water by the color of the soil. The best way to test if the soil is moist is to sink your finger in the soil about 1" down. If the soil is moist, then it does not need water. Otherwise, it is very difficult to tell from the soild top layer. You will notice this when the tree is placed outdoors in the wind. The top layer of soil will quickly dry, but the root ball is still moist.

I can offer any suggestions regarding bird dust. I can't imagine that would have an impact, but i honestly do not know.

As for the weather, if the temperature drops below 60 degrees then i would definitely bring your tree indoors. But anything about 6o and it should be fine outdoors. Keep an eye on it and maybe try placing the tree outdoors this weekend.

Keep an eye on the watering. It seems like your tree has plenty of light, but concerned with over watering.