Guide to Caring for Gardenias

Gardenias are an absolute favorite of many gardeners. Gardenias have a deliciously scented bloom that has been used for hundreds of years for making perfumes, candles and other fragrant products. Having a Gardenia is a great way to get natural fragrance indoors or out. Gardenias can be planted indoors in pots or hanging baskets, or outdoors near windows and door ways to help fragrance your home.

Gardenias are fairly easy to grow and don't require a lot of maintenance. Their beauty and scent are well worth the time it takes to care for a Gardenia. If planted outdoors they make a beautiful hedge or single specimen plant. If planted indoors they grow well in pots, containers or hanging baskets.

Scientific Name:

Gardenia

Common Names:

Gardenia

Cape Jasmine

Description:

Gardenia is a shrub-like plant. They are considered to be flowering evergreens They do get very bushy but are not extremely thick or massive like and Azalea would be. They tend to be softer and more relaxed then the typical shrub. They have longer, more organized stems when being grown outdoors as a shrub. However, their limbs are soft and flexible enough that they make great hanging basket plants.

Gardenias can also be planted in pots or containers for indoor our outdoor uses. When blooming they are very fragrant and put out several cream colored blooms. When fully open their blooms almost look like a rose bloom. An average size plant can put out several hundred blooms in a single growing season. Even when blooming season has come and gone, Gardenias are still beautiful plants. They have small, fine, glossy leaves.

Flower:

Gardenia puts out a very fragrant, cream colored bloom that is a favorite to many people. The bloom has many petals and opens to look almost like a small rose bloom.

Gardenias flower best in when night temperatures are 60-65 degrees F, humidity is high and when placed in bright defused light.

Elements:

Light: Shade to Bright Sun

Temperatures: Days 70-80 degrees F. Nights 60-65 degrees F.

Watering: Keep soil moist during flowering season.

Care and Maintenance:

Gardenias make a great indoor or outdoor plant when they are properly maintained. If planted outdoors they should be planted in well-drained soil. If being planted indoors they should be planted in a humus indoor mix and repotted infrequently.

Always protect Gardenias from direct summer sun. They doo well in bright light and shade but do not put into direct sun. Always keep soil moist but never soggy while flowers develop. During slow growing seasons when the air is cooler, allow soil to dry in between waterings. Prune Gardenias to desired shape for personal enjoyment.

Leach regularly to avoid damaged caused by soluble salts.

Fertilizing:

Apply acid fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during springs and summer.

Propagation:

Propagate in springs or summer by stem cuttings.

Common Pest, Problems, Diseases:

Flower bud drop: soil too wet or too dry, low light conditions, drafts

Whitefly

Mealy bugs

Spider mites

Scale insects