With extra care and some special attention, gardenias can add
elegance
– and an intoxicating scent – to your home
The waxy, fragrant blossoms of a gardenia plant are intoxicating. The distinct scent will have even the most hardened gardener burying their nose in the flowers and inhaling as deeply as their lungs allow.
But to make sure your gardenia plant grows plenty of these coveted blooms, they need a little TLC, said Caryn Paidl, owner of Paidl Gardens & Accents in Hollister.
“A lot of people are under the impression gardenias take full sun,” she said. “But they really need a warm place out of direct afternoon sun, especially in the summer. Courtyards usually kind of create that sort of place with the reflected heat.”
Though most people tend to give gardenias too much sun, too much shade can reduce the plant’s ability to flower.
Gardenia plants will also do well under a large tree, said Sheri Deas, an employee of Gilroy’s Orchard Supply Hardware’s nursery section, because they’ll get a good balance of shade and sunlight.
“Too much sun will burn the leaves and kill the plant,” Deas said. “If you see dark spots on the leaves, you’re probably giving (your plant) too much sun.”
Aside from being overexposed to sun, yellowing leaves are a frequently occurring problem for gardenias.
“Yellow leaves most are most likely a sign of a lack of iron,” Paidl said. “The moment the plant starts losing its lush green color, it’s time to give it some iron.”
Gardenias are also acid-loving plants, Deas said.
“You can help a gardenia by planting it in an acid-loving soil, and using a fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants,” she said. “Fertilize the plant about once a month.”
Watering gardenias properly is another vital aspect to the plant’s care. Paidl recommends thoroughly soaking the plant and letting it go completely dry before watering it again.
“We water about once every other week here, but it can depend on the plant, where it is, the weather, if it’s windy, what kind of soil it’s in, and so on,” she said.
Water a gardenia in a pot at least twice, Deas said.
“Water it really good, then let all the water drain,” she explained. “Sometimes the water will run off the top of the soil and down the sides of the pot, between the soil and the pot. So, water it again and the second time the water should generally soak through.”
If a gardenia’s leaves are drying up and falling off, it’s not getting enough water, Deas said.
There are more than 200 species of gardenias, which are a kind of shrub, according to the University of Florida’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Thrips and aphids are two pests that can do considerable damage to gardenia plants, particularly to unopened buds. Ladybugs, natural predators of these pests, can help control the damage.
Gardenias also do well with a good misting with a spray bottle of water in the summer months, according to Home & Garden Television’s Web site, www.hgtv.com.
