Beginner and need advice please?

Hello - and thank you for reading!

I am not entirely new to bonsai but what experience I do have is limited...

I have a new bonsai - Gardenia. I have read as much as I have been able to find thus far but still have a few unanswered questions.

First of all - it is wired into the pot. If I am not mistaken, that is a bad thing. If I am correct - can I remove the plant for long enough to remove the wire? I'm aware that this is the incorrect time of year for that - but I'm unsure which is worse - the wire or disturbing the roots.

My second question/concern: during shipping some of the smaller branches were broken. Can I prune/shape lightly at any time of the year except when it is flowering?

OH and to add just a tad of difficulty I now live in NE Pennsylvania - whereas before I lived in Austin, TX. So, I am open to any advice on placement/protection/proper care.

I apologize if these are somewhat "cookie cutter" questions, but my searches in the forums turned up nothing.

I've never owned this type of bonsai before and I've found it to be the hardest to find information on.

Thanks again for reading

Hello Apro1977. Although I don't know much about Gardenias, all trees should be tied or wired into their pots. This gives them stability and helps the tree make new roots after repotting. Do you know the last time it wqas repotted? Hopefully other members, with a better understanding of Gardenias, will help you with your other questions

Hi Apro... welcome to IBC. There are lots of members who live kinda near to you (same zone) on this forum. Hang in there and they will comment. It would be useful if you posted some images of the tree in question, Click HERE and you should get to the post that explains how to do it - if not it's the first board on the main forum index.

Regards

I'm sure you know that the gardenia should not be outside in PA winters, but it should go out as soon as temps no longer fall into the 20s F.

You can (and should) snip the broken branches. Ragged ends from breaks are openings for disease to enter the plant -- especially indoors.

As Will said, it is standard procedure to wired trees into pots -- especially larger trees.

Welcome to the IBC. We're happy to help where we can, but a local club will be a bigger help. There are LOTS of clubs in Pennsylvania. One should be near you:

PENNSYLVANIA - Erie
Great Lakes Bonsai Society. Contact Mike Golab by phone (814) 456-6186 or by Email: mikego6194@msn.com for meeting dates and locations.

PENNSYLVANIA - Harrisburg
Susquehanna Bonsai Club. Meets third Monday, 7:00 PM. Contact James and Mary Kay Doyle, 145l Pleasant Hill Rd., Harrisburg, PA 17112, (717) 545-4555 for meeting locations. Club since l98l. Over 200 members.

PENNSYLVANIA - Huntingdon Valley
Pennypack Bonsai Society. Meets the second Thursday of every month at Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust 2955 Edgehill Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA. Website: http://greenfield.fortunecity.com/panda/121/

PENNSYLVANIA - Lancaster
Lancaster Bonsai Society. Meets at historic Conestoga House and Gardens at 1608 Marietta Pike (Rt. 23), just west of Lancaster. The club meets in the library every 2nd Wednesday of the month, except for December, at 7:00 PM. Member of Potomac Bonsai Society. Spring and fall shows. Contact: e-mail: ulrich51@excite.com

PENNSYLVANIA - Lehigh Valley
Bonsai Society of Lehigh Valley. Meets at Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School, Horticultural Room, 3300 Chester Ave., Bethlehem, last Tuesday, 7:00 PM, except July, August, December. Jim Gillespie, (610) 837-6688. Members come from Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and surrounding areas of Lehigh Valley. Mailing address: PO Box 1684, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1684. Mid-May exhibit.

PENNSYLVANIA - Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Bonsai Society. Meets at Greater Plymouth Community Center, 2910 Jolly Rd, Plymouth Meeting, PA, third Friday, 7:00 PM. Linda Brant, 610-948-6380. Email: lbrant@comcast.net Website: http://pabonsai.org

PENNSYLVANIA - Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Bonsai Society. Meets at Pittsburgh Civic Garden Center, 5th and Shady Ave., third Wednesday, 7:00 PM. Don Gould, 239 James St., Wilkins Twp, PA 15145. (412) 823- 2090. Seminars, exhibits, workshops, beginner and advanced classes.

PENNSYLVANIA - Reading
Reading Bonsai Society. Club Meetings are held the first Monday of each month at 7pm in the Reading Public Museum Auditorium. Enter through the back security entrance. For more information contact Alan Groff (610) 927-2272. alang@inter-graphic.com. Club website: www.RedRival.com/rbc

PENNSYLVANIA - West Miton
Augusta Bonsai Club. Meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM at the United Chridt Church, White Deer Churches, West Milton, PA. An occasional meeting held at members homes. Contact: John Bierley
(570) 546-7811, Email: quietspiritarts@hotmail.com Meetings are fun and informal. Occasionally a field trip and every September a picnic.

PENNSYLVANIA (Southeast) - Wilmington, DE
Brandywine Bonsai Society. Meets every third Saturday of the month (except December) at the Brandywine Town Center, Wilmington-West Chester Pike (Rte 202) & Naamans Road (Rte 92), at 10:00 AM. Varied programs include guest masters. Annual bonsai shows in the courtyard of the Brandywine River Museum (Chadds Ford, PA) in June and at Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square, PA) in the fall. Contact: Steve Ittel,
302-778-4546 or by e-mail BrandywineBonsai@comcast.net Web site: http://www.gobbs.org

Thank you guys for the responses! I've posted again in the pests/diseases forum WITH pics. I'm still having major issues...

Thanks again for the amazing amount of information!

Aimee

Did this tree move with you from TX to PA? If so, it may just be having a bit of trouble adjusting to indoor living.

If you are in northeast PA, you are probably closest to the Erie club. But try to get to Rochester when they have something special. Bonsai Society of Upstate NY or International Bonsai Arboretum, and Second National Show.
Iris