Do gardenia bushes have large roots?

I want to plant a gardenia bush and would like to know if


the roots would interfere with drains etc.

Do gardenia bushes have large roots?
MASTER GARDENER to the RESCUE. Actually it's the other way around. Will your drains interfere with your gardenia roots? I am assuming you are planting the popular, normal sized plants like G. augusta and not G. thunbergia which in my garden has topped 12 feet?





The gardenia I assume you want to plant does not have a big nasty root system. In fact try to keep it from being crowding from other plants. I know you didn't ask for planting advise, but us MASTER GARDENERS always try to give you your nickles worth, so I'm going to tell you any how.





you want to provide fast-draining but moisture-retentive soil conditioned with lots of organic matter such as peat moss or ground bark. (don't forget to moisten the peat moss before mixing into the soil). Always plant gardenias high, like azaleas to avoid crowding from other plants and competing roots. That doesn't mean ontop of a 2 foot mound... but that really wouldn't hurt. Just so it is planted slightly higher then the other nearby plants.





Mulch to control weeds. Do not cultivate around them. If your water is high in salts, leach salt monthly to avoid leaf burn. Mist plants early in the morning except when in bloom.





Feed every 3 weeks during growing season with ACID plant food. Remove dead wood and faded flowers right away. Wash the plant frequently with jet spray of hose, but not if temp will top 90 deg.





They can be a real pain in the ... but when cared for they are a joy to be near. Enjoy.
Reply:They will not interfere with your drain pipes, I have two planted on top of were the sewer drains are in my yard, they have been there for around 8 years