AusBonsai

Hi all,

I have a gardenia that was grown in the ground since 1996. I am thinking of digging it up and making it into a bonsai eventually (IF i know it can be transplanted safely?). I have pruned it, exposing the trunk line. The tree is about 100cm wide and 80 cm tall. The trunk is around 10-15cm thick at its base. The overall design after pruning shows a triangular shape with the top of the tree as the apex. The following are a few of pictures of the Gardenia showing the front view of the tree.

Is there anything else I can do to improve the look of the tree and make it a good-looking bonsai? Also, any further tips on transplanting the tree form the ground to the pot would also be of much help. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated. Cheers

Gardenias can make quite good bonsai.
This one looks a bit leggy at the moment to be a good bonsai but if you prune it a bit to shorten the branches (trunks?) it will have better proportions and should bush up a bit and look far better. You can prune it now while it is in the ground and it will respond quicker than in a pot.

As far as I know Gardenia transplant reasonably easily but I have not done it.

shibui wrote: As far as I know Gardenia transplant reasonably easily but I have not done it.

Yep easily to transplant. Get a good root mass like usual and shodu be fine. they backbud well on onld wood too.

Ken