How To Care For Your Gardenia Plant

Today we’ll share easy tips how to care for your gardenia plant.

Gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides) are tropical broadleaf evergreens, usually grown as large indoor potted specimens for the sake of their spectacular scented white flowers. The gardenia is a beloved plant for a very simple reason: Few natural scents are as remarkable, evocative, and memorable.

But the truth is that without the appeal of the spectacular scent, few gardeners would try to grow high-maintenance gardenias, which are vulnerable to many insects and diseases. They are most commonly found in conservatories and greenhouses. Nevertheless, even a few months with a blooming gardenia in the house makes them a worthwhile addition to your collection.

In the appropriate climate, gardenias can be planted in the garden in the spring or fall. They are generally planted from mature potted specimens that will bloom immediately. If you choose to try to grow gardenias from seeds, expect to wait two to three years before they flower.

Gardenia Plant Care

Gardenia plants are the perfect houseplant to brighten up any room in your home. Gardenia plants only grow outside of USDA zones 8-11, but if you live somewhere with warmer temperatures or plan on bringing it inside during spring and summertime there shouldn’t be an issue!

Gardenias are beautiful, fragrant flowers that can be grown in your garden. They prefer rich soil with lots of organic material added to it and also light or medium shade depending on when you want them bloomed at their most colorful stage!

Soil of gardenias should be regularly covered with a thick layer of mulch for best results. Gardenia flowers don’t care much about cultivating and this will help keep weeds at bay!

Your well-tended gardenia will be compact with deep green leaves, and it’ll bloom in early spring to summer depending on the location. It’s essential that you keep an eye out for when nighttime temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. And daytime temperatures should be between 75 – 82 Fahrenheit.

Growing gardenias indoors is a great way to get fresh flowers all year round. They need an area that will stay around 55 degrees Fahrenheit with 70% humidity, so you’ll want your home’s temperature in this range for them!

Planting

In fall or spring, plant your gardenia shrub in acidic (pH 5.0-6.5), humus-rich soil and provide good opportunity for drainage. (If you’re unsure of your general soil pH, get a soil test.) Plant in a wide hole in soil amended with bark or compost to help with drainage. Gardenias don’t love competition, so be sure there is room for the roots to spread out; after planting, try not to disturb roots. Outdoor gardenias will do well in raised beds where soil can be tweaked easily and drainage is better; for indoor pots, be sure the plants aren’t left in standing water, such as in a saucer.

Watering and Mulching

Gardenia plants need at least an inch of water a week, whether from rainfall or a hose. Apply mulch to a depth of two to four inches to help keep moisture in the soil and control water-hogging weeds. Don’t let the plants become completely dry before you water, and water regularly. If you’re inconsistent, the buds and leaves may drop off.

Feeding

In spring and again in mid-summer, apply a dose of fertilizer meant for acid-loving plants, following the label instructions. Plants may also enjoy regular doses of coffee grounds, which provide a slightly acidic mulch, as well as applications of fish emulsion or blood meal, which can help raise the acidity of soil.

Pruning

Don’t be alarmed when those heady, milky white flowers turn one yucky shade of brown; it doesn’t mean your shrub is dying – just that its blooms have faded. The plant can be tip pruned just after flowering, but don’t prune the shrub any later than August or you could decrease next year’s blooms by removing buds that are already forming. If gardenias are growing under the right conditions, very little pruning should be needed.

Winter Protection

In fall around the first frost, apply a heavy layer of mulch around plants to protect roots from winter cold. Plants experience cold damage at 15 degrees Fahrenheit and lower, so be sure to cover plants with a breathable fabric or other materials on those coldest nights.

Propagation

Gardenia is one of the easiest shrubs of all to root. Simply cut off the tip end of a branch in mid-summer, strip off any blooms and a few lower leaves, and stick in a bottle of water. Roots will be visible in just days, and the cutting can be planted within a month.

Growing Indoors

Remember: Gardenia plants grow best in heat and humidity. Indoors, you’ll need to mimic those conditions. Place your plants in a room where the temperature ranges from 55 to 75 degrees. Provide plenty of bright light, but keep them out of hot, direct sun. Raise the humidity by growing them in pots atop trays filled with pebbles and water, or by using a humidifier, or by misting them.

Common Pests/Diseases

Gardenia plants are very popular plants because they thrive in cool, maritime climates. The most common problems for gardenia gardens come from insects like scale or aphids which will ruin your buds if left unchecked.

These pesky bugs love to feast on your plants, but you can prevent them by using various horticultural oils and soaps.

Gardenias are vulnerable to a variety of fungal diseases that can be treated with fungicides. In many instances, affected plants will need to be removed and destroyed in order for them not spread any further damage or take up residence again on another plant’s leafy branches!