I just bought a gardenia plant with a few buds on them from Home Depot. It came in a 12" long pot. I plan to grow it in a container. Should I wait till it the buds bloom and then the blooms to die before replanting it in a bigger pot? Or should I do it right away? Thanks in advance. Tina
If it is not too root bound I would let it bloom first, the buds might drop is you transplant it now.
Hi, Should I wait till it the buds bloom and then the blooms to die before replanting it in a bigger pot? Or should I do it right away? Cindy.
I'd wait till it was done blooming. It'll probably be fine either way but why risk losing the blooms.
Hmm, looks like a post got scrambled there. Anyways, gardenia are notorious for being hard to bring to a bloom- I'd definitely leave it right where you have it until it's past blooming. Just remember to water it often, gardenia likes a rather damp, humid atmosphere.
Tina . . . I would love to see a pic of your newest plant! Best Wishes on you future with it . . . the smell is quite heavenly, don't you think???
That is a great link - thanks for the information CP. I do not grow Gardenias at present, but am also interested in starting a Gardenia.
Gardenias in flower Its a very fussy plant and you need to closely mimic its natural habitat - always warm, humid and wet. Its best to grow these in large pots whether you stay in a cold country or a warm one. The main benefit of potting is that you can place the pot in a sheltered corner, close to the walls of the house (which usually provide the required warmth). You can't plant them in the ground near walls though, because the cement in the walls contains lime, which will quickly kill the plant. Give a foliar trace element feed every 3 weeks. Mulch heavily, but only with spaganum peat moss; its very acidic and the plant loves it. Add used & washed tea leaves to the mulch once in a way. I do not like using fertilizers, but these plants do not give you much of a choice. I use the following mix: Ammonium sulphate 4 parts Potassium Sulphate (slightly more than) 1 part Magnesium suphate 1 parts Superphosphate (slightly less than) 2 parts Feed once every two weeks or so but stagger with the foliar feeding. You should get thirty to forty flowers at any point of time (it takes ever for the buds to open), but the scent will fill your home and garden .. A sure sign of trouble is leaves with yellow streaks between the ribs. If these persist inspite of foliar feeding, remove as much of the soil as you can without hurting the roots and replace with soil that is 50% rotted farmyard manure and 50% sphaganum peat. Remove some of the older branches and leaves in case the roots have been damaged. Enjoy the fragrance
Hi I just joined this board. I have a gardenia that I bought 3 to 4 years ago. The first year it bloomed beautifully. The last couple years it didn't have any. Last summer the leaves started dropping off from the soil to the top of the stem. It still has some leaves at the top of the stem and has lots of buds on it, one of which has just opened. However some of the leaves have a sticky substance on the underside. I don't know what it is and how to get rid of it if it is something harmful. Any information would be appreciated. Also I heard that coffee grounds is good for a gardenia. Does anyone know if that is true or not? Thanks for all your help. Cheri
Cheri someone will be along shortly that can help you with your problem. I bought two gardenias this year and the leaves have a powder looking substance on them. I know that I need a fungicide for my problem. Sorry I couldn't help. Welcome to the Stew by the way.
Having a sticky substance underneath the leaves has to be an infestation of some sort. I am not familiar with the insects and diseases that plague gardenias but I can tell an insect and its harmful affects a mile a way (not really). But I bet you have a pest eating directly on the leaves. How much sun does your gardenia get daily? Some planting sites are more condusive to pests and not the plant. Don't give up though because it seems as if your gardenia wants to make it and hasn't given up yet. Hopefully someone will solve the sticky substance mystery for certain and not an educated gardening guess. Wish you luck.
Thanks for the welcome. I do think I have some sort of infestation. I was looking at the leaf through my magnifying lamp it had some kind of spots on the the back of it. It is blooming right now and smells so good. I don't want to do anything to ruin the blooms. So I think I will wait till it quits blooming and I got some spray that says it works on gardenias. But I need to take it outside to use it. I don't like to use chemicals but I think it is necessary to get rid of what ever is the problem. I hope I can get it over this. Thanks again Cheri
my gardenia plant which we bought april 12th and 13th, is now turning yellow and the blooms are yellow and only last a very short time. The blooms also get brown or dont open. I havent transplanted it yet as i am trying to learn how to care for it. ): It was so beautiful in the beginning too!!
My Garnedia is not doing good at all. The flowers look tired and so does my plant - Thankfully I have a 1 year warranty on it from Home Depot.Will give it a few more months and return it.Here is a picture. [/img]
