MY GARDENIA

BEEMERW · Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:57 pm

Norm maed a very good suggestion to split my plants up into different topics. the Gardenia's are ok. The new one has new leaves that are still yellow coming in and yellow and geen spotted ones, as well as green. but new growth is coming. The first one I prunes all of the yellow so though it is all green, it is not very full, but new leaves are budding and everything coming in is now green. both are outside only and I am doing the bug treatment of the alcohol/water/dishdrops. any suggestions on flowering, or just sit and wait. the second does look healthier and though it came infested with bugs, it truly came in better shape. Barb :D :D

BEEMERW · Wed May 07, 2008 10:27 am

I sprayed the spray for 7 days, and the second gardenia has oodles of these bugs again, so I moved her and spe[rayed and by the afternoon, though I checked all the plants, the other gardenia had one or 2, so I sprayed it and moved it. Today, they have more. Should I just get rid of them. It just must by infected soil. The first did not have as many as the second, but now, forget it.

kdodds · Wed May 07, 2008 11:49 am

There are a few brands of "plant safe" sprays that are mostly canola oil and pyrethrins. IME, they work very well, better than the dish soap option anyway. Might be worth a try for you. Aphids usually are gone with a single application, fungus gnats seem to be more resistant.

BEEMERW · Thu May 15, 2008 12:23 pm

[url=https://img300.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan0004iv6.jpg][img]https://img300.imageshack.us/img300/2721/scan0004iv6.th.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan0008dt6.jpg][img]https://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9519/scan0008dt6.th.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://img253.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan0003oa9.jpg][img]https://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2409/scan0003oa9.th.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=scan0005dj2.jpg][img]https://img527.imageshack.us/img527/6954/scan0005dj2.th.jpg[/img][/url]

Well, the more full gardenia is the second buggy one. she has not been fully pruned until after the picture. she still has the yellow leaves. both are now scraggy. the first looks cut down. but I shaped her at one time. no flowers.

BEEMERW · Thu May 29, 2008 9:38 am

Ironically enough, I think the second Gardenia will bloom 4 or 5 flowers while the 1st will maybe bloom1. I will keep you posted. it definitely looks like there are finally buds there. I finally have very little yellow leaves and once in a while bugs, but I think they are from wet soil, not from anything else.

GlassB · Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:27 am

"Bugs" isn't specific enougn and I'm curious what you're dealing with. I agree that there are more effective treatments than the homemade dishwater soap + water solution. Over time this solution contains harmful chemicals. Given that spidermites are difficult to kill off completely, many treatments are needed and it becomes counterproductive to use those homemade solutions over weeks at a time.

Neem oil is organic and suffocates pests the same way that soap solutions do. They are far safer than mixing something homemade, and do not hurt the tree or leave residual chemicals behind.

I am terribly sorry to hear about your gardenia. They are extremely fragile plants and susceptible to pests and disease. Their flowering requirements are very specific. Congratulations on the buds.

BEEMERW · Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:20 pm

I actually figured out the problem....the bugs are I guess from soil that is too wet. I have them with all my bonsai. But if I watch to make sure the plants are not soaked to much, but have enough water, the bugs are gone. The gardenias seem to have these little black bugs hanging around a bit more. Norm said they could be from fungus. The trees are now more green than ever and both have buds, though irnically the 2nd tree I got with more scattered bugs , has 6 or 7 buds ready to blossom and looks very healthy. My first tree has maybe 3 or 4 buds and it is green, but it does not look as healthy.

I keep the trees seperate from my others because they both seem to be without the little bugs, then they pop up, then they disappear. both the trees came with the bugs. So they are flourishing, so I am taking care of them, watching them grow and they will bud and I am not pruning right now because I want to see these buds and I do not want to disturb anything. once they bloom, I will take a picture again.

Gnome · Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:22 pm

BEEMERW,

Norm said they could be from fungus.

I'm not sure in which of your various threads I mentioned this but I probably meant to suggest the possibility of 'Fungus Gnats" not that you necessarily have a problem with fungus. These small larvae are likely in your soil and the small flies are the adults.

At any rate they thrive in moist, organic soil. By keeping a close eye on your watering habits they can be kept somewhat in check. Besides it is better for the plant in general to be able to 'breathe' a little, meaning don't keep it constantly wet. Allow a bit of a give and take allowing the soil to dry a bit (within reason of course) between waterings.

Keep a close eye on the plants for signs of stress and you'll soon be a pro at watering your trees.

Norm

kdodds · Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:54 am

Just an FYI, I finally got my fungus gnat problems under control. Gnatrol did a decent job, especially in conjunction with pheromone based boards, but it just wasn't eliminating the problem completely. So, I removed all plants from the garden window and sprayed with a Raid "plant safe" garden insecticide. Just a little bit, and I returned the plants 15-30 minutes later. After the first treatment, I found a LOT of bodies in the window the following week. So, I treated again and the following week there were very few bodies. I saw exactly one live one during the week last week, so last weekend I also treated and have not seen a single one since.

BEEMERW · Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:28 pm

No bugs as long as it is not too wet right now. they come and go. The 1st one has 5 buds now and the 2nd has 6 to 7. Both are getting to be big , but I do not want to touch anything until after the blooms come and go.. They are Looking good. I will get pictures when flowered, but I really think It isd good. The other thing is I think it is strange that they come up from the soil themselves. After blooms, I want to take a picture of the roots, and repot in bonsai soil that is different. I have a feeling Pro flowers took cuttings and made these into bonsai, but the soil has something that is wrong with it that is hurting the root. the plants do look much healthier though. I am happy about that!!!

Barb but changing pots and soil may be what they need the most. Or at least Their pots cleaned and scoured. Barb

BEEMERW · Tue Jul 22, 2008 5:00 pm

One of my gardenia's seems to want to go into a second bloom..isn't that something...they start with bugs and now....baboom. They are green and want to bloom. Thank you for all of your help!!!!!

Gnome · Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:35 pm

Barb,

It's good to hear that you are enjoying your new hobby.

Norm

BEEMERW · Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:46 pm

Well, I read you massively prune your Gardenia after the blooming season to ensure the new blooms and it is good for the tree. Well I brought them in because of the temps outside and we had the little cousins over. one of the broke off a branch of one tree. though it was green inside, it broke too clean. So I had to look at the roots. The tree that this happened to was the tree that is not doing so well. Now they have been also sstarting with the tiny bugs, so cleaning the soil and looking over the roots would not be so bad anyway. Sop the newer one I started with and there were some heavy roots and smaller roots, but all were healthy. I trimmed everything and literally washed the soil by hand, got spiders out, and layered with other newer Bonsai soil. I also had my fertilizer out and fertilized too. so when I did the second, there were no somaller roots and there were only maybe one or 2 main roots. it was grreen to the bottom and it has some leaves still. So I got out all the soil amd I rewired and basically washed the soil off the roots and trimmed a little to make them clean. then again used fertilizer and the newer soil as well as some original.

Well it has been a few days. both have leaves and they are still moist from the other day. no bugs now. So I do not know if a cleaning was needed or what, but I know this was not the right time to repot compared to the Spring, but the bugs are gone and the trees I really think needed this. We will see. barb

BEEMERW · Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:16 pm

Well I think my 1st gardenia died. There are no roots, the bark got even less green and no leaves. the second has new leaves sprouting all the time. but still little I guess fungud gnats even at a once a week watering. It is ridiculous. My only plant with this problem.

BEEMERW · Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:29 pm

So I of my gardenia is gone. the other has new leaves and is inside and I care for it the exact way as the Fukien tea and as all the others......yet this is the only plant with these bugs. short little black bodies and wing a little longer. They always come back and they came with it. That is why I went through the soil, changed it, washed the roots and pot, but yet, still bugs. So I have the formula og the alcohol an water with 2 drops dish drops. Is this truly a solution, or because my sister got this from 1-800-flowers, it was infested, though leafy and bushy. I brought it back from yellow and green spotted whit to nice dark green and got plenty of blooms (twice), that the bugs diseased the plant roots and it will die like the first, though the first had small brown edged blooms..they were already sickly looking.

is this plant a saveable plant, or do I run a risk of infecting only mu Fukien tea, but the hous and the new plants I am getting that will be starting in the House (1 Durant Dwarf Purple), 3 breeds of Cypheus)

alexinoklahoma · Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:42 pm

https://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=fungus+gnats&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

Are those the 'bugs' you speak of, Barb? (click above link to see, please). If that is them, then they are fungus gnats...easy to deal with, and not any 'big emergency'.

Let us know

Alex

BEEMERW · Sat Nov 01, 2008 2:19 pm

I stuck the Gardenia outside a few days, so I hopefully killed what was there. It has nice growth coming in. So it still is touch and go with these bugs.

BEEMERW · Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:52 pm

Well, the gardenia grew some leaves indoors, but all the Bonsai do not seem real happy at the picture window in the front. now my mother in law want me to move them on the floor in the kitchen...no light.

the Gardenia was doing great, the leaves browned and I saw a bug coming out of the root. No other plant has bug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Are there bugs inside the root, or how is this plant the only one with a bug problem?

BEEMERW · Mon Dec 01, 2008 12:08 pm

Again bugs in the gardenia,that I am just ready to get rid of it. no other plant. All have the same amount of water. no other plants have bugs but my Gardenia and I think it is in the plant because the soil is changed, But I do not know enough about plants in general to know if bugs can get in the root. I do not water daily. it was watered on thursday and is a nice dampness, so there is no reason for these fungus flies. and like I said, I changed this soil already. (I really think I got a sick plant when I recieved it in April already infested and I am fighting a losing battle.Now I only have the wood, because the leaves died, so I do not know if it will end up dying like the last one, but it may be from those bugs, like the last one had. This one just has many more. It had a good bloom for the summer and was hardy, but outside you could not see the bugs unless you really looked.All the other plants are doing great, this one is ok. barb

Gnome · Mon Dec 01, 2008 11:56 pm

Barb,

Without an identification of the culprit it is difficult to suggest a course of action. From time to time I end up just giving up on a plant for one reason or another. If you are not having any luck with this species perhaps it would be better to concentrate on something else.

Norm

arboricola · Tue Dec 02, 2008 12:36 am

Barb;

Mix a pint of 70% rubbing alcohol with a pint of water and a couple drops of dish soap. Mix well, put it in a spray bottle, put the plant in the sink, and hose it down. Do this every day for a week. The alcohol will not harm the plant, but will kill anything that crawls. I use straight 70% alcohol on my trees, but that may be a litle scary for you...

Phil...

BEEMERW · Wed Dec 03, 2008 12:43 pm

That is what I do. and the plant is fine, then all of a sudden, boom. but my other gardenia ended up with no green even in the wood of the bark. It just dried up all of a sudden. Both the gardenias were given to me as a gift from 1-800-flowers. This one was very hardy, but was infested with these little bugs that I think we did identify as fungus flies. the oddity is the last time two came out, the soil was not real moist and the bugs came out of the center. The leaves that originally grew great inside, dies. All my other tropicals inside are doing wonderful and this bark or tree truk seems to look like the other one. I am curious to see if there is some green to the bark or not. The other literally dried. All my indoor plants get the same regimant and all are doing great, but this one is not looking good.

BEEMERW · Wed Dec 03, 2008 2:31 pm

Well I guess I do not have to worry about bugs anymore...looked at the trunk and it is dead. I pulled it up and the roots are not very soft. so....The bay window only gets morning sun, but the backyard gets a strong afternoon sun that all of my plants thrived. So I am in the process of getting my winter indoor plants on the plantstand by the sliding glass door, literally close to it, not to block it from opening, behind a curtain to protect them from all the kids who visit. my fukien needs that, She is a little off. bNarb