Gardenia is a plant native to China that belongs to the Rubiaceae family. It has more than 100 different species, which are highly appreciated in the world of gardening thanks to their beautiful and fragrant flowers.
However, gardenia is also known for not being an easy plant to care for. If you plan to get one of these beautiful plants for your home, do not be intimidated by the difficulties and join us in this Green Ecologist article, in which we will see what the gardenia main care.
Gardenia characteristics
We are talking about an evergreen shrub with an intense and bright green color, which does not grow beyond an approximate meter if planted in a pot, but which can reach greater dimensions in the ground or soil.
During late spring it produces rose-like flowers, of white tones, very aesthetic and with an intense and pleasant smell. There are many varieties of this species, specifically more than 100 varieties, so not all flowers are very similar to roses, but they are generally white and aromatic. Next, we discuss all the basic gardenia care at home.
I usually
The most important requirement of gardenia, and therefore the first one that we are going to talk about, is that it is a acidophilus plant. This means that it needs soils with a more acidic pH than usual, in this case around 5. If the plant does not have a substrate or a soil with adequate acidity, its leaves will begin to yellow and the plant will end dying, so this is a prerequisite.
There are specialized shops that sell acid substrates for acidophilic plants, such as heather soil, chestnut soil or blond peat. In addition, the gardenia will appreciate that the soil is rich in organic matter, so some compost in the mixture is highly recommended. Finally, the soil or substrate must offer a good drainage.
Location
This plant can be planted both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, we recommend placing it in a location near a window or natural light source, while outdoors it is appropriate to look for an area of semi-shadow. Keep in mind that it is a tropical plant, so frost will kill it if you plant it in the garden in cold weather.
Watering the gardenias
Gardenia requires a constant but not excessive watering. Water it when the substrate starts to get too dry, but do not water it or it could be attacked by fungi. The most important thing here is the water used: if you water with tap water and your area is rich in lime, this would alter the acidic pH of your substrate or soil. Therefore, use soft bottled waters or even distilled water. If you don't have access to any of these things, you can add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to it to make it more acidic.
Here we tell you more about when to water the plants.
Compost for gardenias
In spring and summer can pay your gardenia once a month to enhance its growth and flowering. Use compost for acidophilic plants.
We recommend using organic fertilizer, of which you can discover everything, including how to do it, in this other Green Ecologist article.
Prune a gardenia
In this regard, the gardenia appreciates a maintenance pruning a year in winter, when you clean it of those leaves and branches in bad condition. You can also take advantage of it to eliminate branches that intersect with others or that are growing in unwanted directions.
Right after its summer flowering season, it can be clipped to allow the plant to flower again in the fall.
When gardenias bloom and how to make them bloom
As we just explained, gardenias produce their pretty, scented flowers between late spring and summer. However, if you apply a pinch pruning After the main bloom, you can get it to flower again in the fall, especially in warmer climates.
If, despite this, your gardenia does not produce a good flowering, it is probably because some of the aspects of its care are not being taken care of correctly. If you have respected all gardenia care points explained above and you live in a very hot area, your plant may need you to spray some water on its leaves on the hottest days, although do so with a very fine spray to prevent them from becoming covered with fungi.
Gardenia pests and diseases
There are two main problems that gardenia tend to face. These are the pests, diseases and conditions of gardenias which are more frequent:
- The first occurs when gardenia leaves are yellow not being the plant in a soil acid enough for it. As an emergency measure if this happens to you, you can apply fertilizer in the form of a chelate to the plant, which will help it while you solve the problem of acidifying the soil. Keep in mind that this is only a temporary solution and in no way does it replace the need for an acidic soil.
- The second is the excess moisture, which causes the plant to be attacked by fungi. Don't overwater your gardenia, and only do so when the substrate is dry.
- On the other hand, it is also common for this plant to be attacked by aphids, mealybugs or spider mites, pests that are easily controlled with potassium soap sprayed on the plant. Here you can learn about the best Home Remedies to eliminate aphids and also the best ways to Eliminate the cottony mealybug with treatments and home remedies.
If you want to read more articles similar to Gardenia care, we recommend that you enter our category of Cultivation and care of plants.
