Wednesday, April 29, 2009

I am having a gardenia bush planted this week. What do I feed it and how often to water?

Have had several small indoor gardenias, but never had much luck with them. Gardenia is my favorite flower, and would love this bush to thrive. I live in central Florida.

I am having a gardenia bush planted this week. What do I feed it and how often to water?
Hi, I live in Southern California, and have a Gardenia that my Dad planted many years ago. It is facing north,but I feel needs a little more sun.(It's up against the wall) I water it every few days when it's hot outside,like now. I know they like acidic food and soil so I would make sure whoever is planting yours to get a big bag of Azalea planting mix to plant it into.(mix into the soil) Than get some Quick Start for acid loving plants, and use it. That prevents transplant shock. Use fertiliser for acid loving plants in the spring,late summer,and middle of fall. That's what I do,the plant my Dad planted is 28 years old. Wow ! I didn't know it was that old! How time goes. Bye


How to care for flower gardenia plant?

I have had a flower gardenia plant for two years it is healthy


although it will not bloom. should i plant it outside this summer?

How to care for flower gardenia plant?
Gardenias don't like to be enclosed or planted next to walls. I have 3. One was in a pot and the other two I put in the garden in a shady area (they like shade). The two in the garden grew a lot and flowered continuously for about 3 months. The one in the pot was doing nothing. I decided to put it in the garden as well and had a few blooms from it before the season was over.


Gardenias like humidity, but not a lot of heat. Some are fairly hardy against the cold. Where I live it never goes below 50 degrees farenheit so not sure how low a temperature they can tolerate but probably as low as the freezing point. They usually start blooming in spring.

Teeth Cleaning

How often should a gardenia plant bloom?

I purchased a gardenia plant early last spring and it is pretty and green and has never bloomed. Is there a plant food that I can use to help this plant product blooms?

How often should a gardenia plant bloom?
There are several varieties of Gardenias from the large Garadenia jasminoides with large prolific fragrant blooms to the smaller leaf with smaller blossoms Gardenia jasminoides "radicans" and other cultivars. Some are better suited for partly shady areas while some others tolerate full sun etc. As for the not blooming, there can be several reasons for this. First I would ask if the plant has been pruned or trimmed and WHEN? Whenever pruning or trimming plants or ornamentals for flowering purposes, I use what Dr. Harry Ponder (world reknown horticulturist) has coined the "May Rule". Simply stated, the "May Rule" means if the plant blooms BEFORE May, it blooms on PRIOR seasons growth and should be pruned immediately after blooming such as an Azalea. If the plant, such as the gardenia, blooms AFTER May, it blooms on CURRENT season wood or new growth and should be pruned in early spring - March 15th is my target date here in Alabama. What does this mean? If a Gardenia for instance, was pruned in May or June, there is a good chance that the buds or setting buds will be clipped or pruned off by accident. They may only look like leaf buds when, in actuality, they are flower buds. Correct timing for pruning for flowering is key to prolific blooms. Fertilization: I see this problem many times each year, over and under fertilization. Many times I have customers which state that they used a fertilizer such as what was mentioned in another answer or simply used a granular fertilizer. Some fertilizer is better than none but many times people think that if a "little" will work, a "LOT" will create more blooms. This IS NOT true. If a plant is over fertilized, the plant will produce vigorous foliage with little to no buds or flowering. Most plants produce flowers as a means for reproduction - i.e. the plant flowers, the flower goes to seed, the seed falls to ground and thus, a new plant. If the plant is over fertilized, it has no need to propigate it self through flowering - thus no flowers are produced! Additionally when fertilizing, I agree whole heartedly that you need to use a balanced fertilizer 14-14-14 etc. with Iron. Gardenias need Iron. I prefer using a fertilizer with 6% Iron and other Micro-nutrients. I have been using 14-14-14 with 6% Fe and micro-nutrients for years and my customers are super happy with their prolific flowers and healthy foliage. Make sure that the fertilizer is spread around the entire root zone of the plant which extends beyond the dripline (outer edge of foliage) of the plant. Remember that with Fertilizer on ornamentals, sometimes "less is more". As for me, I am not much of a believer in "designer" fertilizers such as "Azalea food, Gardenia food, Rose food etc.". I use the same fertilizer on all my ornamentals with unbelievable results. Finally, many times people use what I call (hope I don't offend anyone with this and I actually took German in school and love the language) the "German planting method". The "German planting method" is planting a shrub "good-n-deep"! This is one of the worst things someone can do to plants. The plants need to be slightly above existing grade for nutrient absorbtion and aeration. When planting, the outer roots of the root ball from container plants need to be "massaged" to break up the circular growth pattern which is developing in the bucket. "Massaging" the outer root ball breaks up some of the root system so the roots have a better chance of "growing" or penetrating into the existing soil. I have seen many shrubs which just don't seem to do much of anything and upon closer inspection, the plant which has been in the ground for three or more years still has a root system the size and shape of the container it was grown in! I have seen plants five years old pulled out of the ground still with "ripples" around the edges and would easily fit right back into the plastic bucket - wild but true. I hope that one or more of the above mentioned remedies or practices will help to produce prolific flowers this year!
Reply:Perhaps when you purchased it , it was barely rooted - which means you should have blooms this year. They need night time temperatures of 50 to 55 degrees to set blooms...so if you kept it in the house all winter it may not bloom again this year.





Gardenias like acidic soil, so use pine straw or pine bark mulch to help lower the PH. They also like humidity, so mist them (or lightly spray them with the garden hose).





When buying fertilizer remember the middle # is for blooms. #1 is for top growth (leaves), #2 for blooms, #3 for bottom growth (roots).





Hope this helps.
Reply:this may be because you live in a very warm climate. where do you live. they need the 50s and 60s to bloom and anything warmer may prevent bloom.





where do you live. is this gardenia inside. if it is then you will not get blooms unless it is very cold in there. these plants are common around california and need cool springs and summers to bloom
Reply:Gardenias generally bloom late May through June. Maybe it was too young to bloom last year.
Reply:It depends where you live I live in a warm climate and have mine in the ground in protected sunlight,I feed them miraclegro on occasion and forget them.They bloom spring and fall.They smell so good! But I did make the mistake of buying a plant from a big box store and it never bloomed get your plants from a local nursery
Reply:Yes, there is Food for Gardenias, try "Miracle Grow" with Chleated Iron...for Gardenias.


They Bloom once a year but, that's June to October! (Mine is Outdoors in the Ground but, did pretty good in a Large pot till I Planted it)


I'm on the West Coast (California) and mine start budding early but, the Actual Blooms open in June all thru the Summer.
Reply:My gardenia is currently in an east facing window.


It gets watered with miracid 1/4 tsp/ gallon as needed- which is every couple of days.


At night the curtain is closed with the gardenia is between the window and curtain where it is quite cool.


The cool temperature helps with setting the buds.


This plant is not huge but it has almost 30 buds. It is in a 8" clay pot.


When spring gets here, the gardenia will go out into medium shade (all the plants get kicked out of the house).


It will be blooming all the way through summer.


What is the best way to get my Gardenia plant to bloom and keep away the ants?

I've had my Gardenia in a large pot for about 4 months now and it just now bloomed 1 flower! Also, there is ants making a colony in the soil. Will ant killer harm the plant? Also, any good suggestions for making the plant healthier?


Thanks!

What is the best way to get my Gardenia plant to bloom and keep away the ants?
It needs more sun if it is not blooming.





Also gardenias usually bloom once a year. All the blooms open at the same time.





Ant killer will not hurt the plant.


When is the best time to plant a Gardenia in Northern California?

I have started landscaping my home in Palo Alto, CA, and I am really interested in planting some Gardenia's. I know they are difficult, but does anyone have in suggestions on when to plant them/where/how should I concentrate my energy on them when i do? Thanks!

When is the best time to plant a Gardenia in Northern California?
http://www.plantideas.com/in/in22.html
Reply:PLANT LARGER THAN 1 GAL. IN THE FALL


How to take care of a gardenia plant?

I got this indoor gardenia plant as a gift...I LOVE Gardenias...but how do I care for it, there have been a few blooms since I got it


but they never opened up into flowers. is there anything special I can do to help it grow better?

How to take care of a gardenia plant?
They like warmth and humidity. You can spritz it with a water bottle and keep in a warm location. Dont over water.


Good Luck hope this helps.
Reply:You could try to transplant it into a larger pot. This will allow you to check for a "tap" root. Many "gift" plants say they can be planted outdoors after blooming. Most succumb because they are only in possession of feeder roots. They are genetically engineered not to proliferate. (Makes for more sales, American Greed)

dermatitis

When should Gardenia be sown indoors for it to bloom in the summer time?

I live in zone 5 Ontario Canada. Obiously Gardenia would have to be an annual in my zone. So when should I sow it indoors, so it will bloom in summer? would 8-10 weeks be enough? A link for them is here, but it is for growing in a green house. http://www.tmseeds.com/product/1482 .and also, are they hard to grow or if you have any advice, i'd appreciate it. thanks.

When should Gardenia be sown indoors for it to bloom in the summer time?
This link shows the needs of a gardenia and how to grow it:


http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plant...





In your zone you will want to grow your Gardenia indoors until all danger of frost is past. You can put it in the ground, but because your summers are rather shorter than the plant enjoys, my recommendation would be to keep it in it's pot. You can drop it, pot and all, into the soil, reducing the shock it would endure by digging it up every winter. Every couple of years you will want to replant in a larger pot to allow for root growth. If you grow it outdoors as an annual my concern would be that it might not really get big enough to bloom before the cold kills it.





It doesn't have to be an annual...you can move it indoors annually, and have a truly lovely shrub over time! The link you put in your question pretty much sums up how to grow, just take care you don't move it outside too soon.





They are reported to be somewhat difficult to grow, but I'd give it a try...course, I love a challenge.





Happy Gardening!


How to tend to a gardenia plant?

i have a gardenia. i am not sure what kind but its 3 foot tall and at least a year old. i moved last year in the fall so the plant can get more sun it was in complete shade and it had barely leaves. right now its in 70% sun. i gave it some fertilizer twice with all purpose plant food made by expert gardener. its doing better its producing more leaves and has a few buds. does anyone another remedies to keep a gardenia healthy. it still has leaves taht are yellow and green but lately i have noticed the new leaves are darker though. but the leaves are not solid green yet.

How to tend to a gardenia plant?
I live in Zone 7 where Gardenias like sun and do best in full sun. Your Gardenia is an evergreen and, its not unusual to have a few yellow leaves as long as the majority of the plant is green. Check for whitefly infestion, sometimes yellow leave can mean insects are attacking your plant, most people enjoy thier plants from a distance, you need to always exam your plants stems and leaves for fungus or insects, be sure to exam the back of the leaves too. If you discover an infestion, use an insecticide of your choice, I prefer to buy a 2 1/2 to 3 gallon pump sprayer tank and mix my own spray, thats the most economical way. You can buy a fertilizer called Bloom Starter that I have had good response with, just make sure when you water your Gardenia that you get the water to the roots, give it one good long watering as opposed to daily short waterings, water in the early morning and avoid any night time watering, this goes for all your plants, evening watering encourages snails and fungus, as well misquitoes. Good Luck to you, hope you have alot of blooms
Reply:Gardenias are shade lovers. It can do well in partial shade, as long as it doesn't get too much sun.
Reply:Feed it the blood of your enemies.
Reply:It is going to take time. There is no quick fix. Sounds like you have provided the ideal conditions now and the plant is just reistablishing itself it its conditions and is repairing itself. Wait awhile longer, it should keep improving.


Do gardenia plants leaves turn yellow in the spring?

i have a gardenia plant and the leaves are turning yellow. is this normal?

Do gardenia plants leaves turn yellow in the spring?
"There are a number of reasons why Gardenia leaves turn yellow and it is a common problem around the country. If it is only happening on the lower branches during spring, it is a natural occurrence and probably nothing to worry about.





Both lack of water and too much water can cause the same problem, as will deficiencies in iron or magnesium sulfate. If all your leaves are turning yellow, the problem may be two-fold. and if you get black spots on the leaves like "sooty mold," excrement from sucking pests such as whiteflies and aphids which are very common to gardenias. Consider yourself fortunate if this is the first year you are experiencing this problem. These insects deprive the plant of nutrients - hence the yellow leaves.





Make sure your plants are getting the proper amount of water; moist but not wet soil and that you're keeping the leaves dry. Have your soil tested to ensure the pH is in the range gardenias prefer, 5.0 - 60, and that there are the appropriate levels of the nutrients they need. Lacking a soil test, you may have success applying a chleated Iron product and a few tablespoons of Epsom Salts around the base of the plant.





Fertilize with an azalea/camellia product to maintain proper acidity and control pests with horticultural oil. Please follow the package directions. Add a good layer of mulch and give them some time to recover. They usually will in a few weeks.
Reply:I don't have gardenia plants, but this seems to be happening naturally outside my house.


We have some natural growing shrubs near my house, which have just bloomed.


Their leaves are turning yellow, too; but they do this every spring we have been there.


Don't worry though. Care for them nicely and ask around at places like the gardening shop.


If you care for them, or even let nature does what nature does, they should turn green and healthy very, very soon.


If you see a natural one by your house, be sure to leave it alone. It will turn green by June or Mid-May.
Reply:Probably not. If the leaves are yellow but the veins in them are still green, then the plant is chlorotic and is not getting enough iron (your local garden shop probably has something you can feed it that will take care of this).





If the whole leaf is yellow, then most likely it's being overwatered. Back off on the water for a little while and see if it recovers.
Reply:no. add coffee grinds to the soil because gardenias need acid in the soil, and coffee ginds can add the proper acid. also plant food such as miracle gro