How to prune and propagate gardenia? Detailed explanation of the cutting method

The gardenia has bright green leaves, stays evergreen all year round, bears large pure white flowers with a rich fragrance, and also has a certain tolerance for shade and resistance to toxic gases. It can be planted in massed clumps or placed along forest edges, in front of courtyards, at courtyard corners, and beside roads, or used for balcony greening, potted flowers, cut flowers or bonsai, for which it is also very suitable. But how do you prune it, and how do you propagate it? Let me introduce this to everyone.

How to prune gardenia

1. Bud removal and shoot removal

Bud removal means cutting off newly sprouted branch buds or flower buds. Shoot removal means that when a branch appears in an inappropriate place, we cut it off. The purpose of both bud removal and shoot removal is to reduce nutrient consumption and improve the light, water and fertilizer conditions of the plant.

2. Pinching and tip pruning

Pinching means cutting off the top 2-3 cm of the gardenia's branch buds, which can promote the growth of new branches. Tip pruning means shortening the branches when the plant's branches become woody.

3. Leaf removal and flower removal

This point is also the easiest to understand. We only need to cut off a moderate amount of leaves when the gardenia grows too densely, which can increase the light penetration and ventilation of the whole plant. Flower removal means promptly cutting off the flowers after they fade, so as to avoid consuming more nutrients.

How to propagate gardenia (detailed cutting method)

1. Time for cuttings

If using water culture, actually any season of the year works, because indoors you can create the environment and temperature. The best periods are early June to early August and early October to mid-November. During these periods you can use either soil cuttings or water culture. These two periods are called summer cuttings and autumn cuttings respectively. Summer and autumn cuttings have relatively high temperatures and root very easily, while winter is a bit worse.

2. Tools needed

A water-holding container (a cup, any bottle or jar, well, even a mineral water bottle will do), preferably transparent glass, so you can see the clarity of the water and change it at any time. You can observe the growth state of the roots. If the container is large, you can choose several branches and insert them together in the bottle like flower arranging; if there are too few, they need to be fixed in place.

3. Choosing branches

This step is actually the most important. If this step is done well, you are halfway to success. For gardenia branches, choose 1-2 year old branches; ones that are too tender rot easily, while ones that are too old do not root easily. Bright green bark color, no pests or diseases, and robust growth are the most basic conditions: there are many varieties of gardenia. Common gardenias include "Dahua Gardenia", "Ovaleaf Gardenia", "Small-leaf Gardenia", "Narrow-leaf Gardenia", "Variegated Gardenia", and so on. I personally prefer "Dahua Gardenia", whose flowers are large and pure white with a rich fragrance, so from a group of fragrant, large-flowered young and middle-aged gardenia trees I chose new two-year-old Dahua Gardenia branches for cuttings. It is recommended to choose several branches and water-culture them together.

4. Procedure

The selected branch generally should retain three nodes. Remove the leaves on the lowest node, and keep only 1-2 leaves on the upper two nodes to reduce transpiration and facilitate photosynthesis. Cut the bottom 1-2 cm below the bottom node into a horseshoe shape. If the branch is taken from the middle section, cut the upper node flat 1-2 cm above. The root system begins to grow from the slanted cut. Insert the prepared branch into the prepared bottle. Since it is water culture, there is no need to consider a growing medium; simply put clean water in the container and change it at any time to prevent the cut from rotting.

5. Notes

The container should be placed in a bright place without direct sunlight. The clean water only needs to be changed once every few days; the specific time depends on the actual situation. Do not change it too frequently, so as not to damage the newly grown tender roots. If cuttings are taken in June-July, with an average temperature of 22-26 degrees, roots can grow in 2-4 weeks.

6. Transplanting

When the roots grow to 7 cm, they can be transplanted. Transplant the seedlings in the usual way: hold the seedling with one hand, gently spread the root system over the medium with the other hand, hold the plant and fill in the soil, use the soaking method to moisten the medium, and place it in a bright, ventilated place without direct scorching sun. The soil should be kept moist. After 3 pairs of new leaves grow, move it to a semi-sunny place, and only then can it be fertilized.

Why gardenia does not bloom

1. Improper water and fertilizer: excessive water and fertilizer for gardenia can cause the plant to grow leggy, affect flower bud formation, and lead to no blooming or very few flowers.

2. Unsuitable light: gardenia likes shade, and special attention should be paid to overly strong light in summer and overly weak light in winter. Too strong or too weak light will both affect gardenia blooming.

3. Soil too alkaline: gardenia likes acidic soil. If the soil contains high salt and alkali, it will cause the plant to become chlorotic, ultimately affecting blooming.

4. No pruning: a large number of miscellaneous branches on gardenia consuming large amounts of nutrients and branches being too dense affecting photosynthesis are both important causes of no blooming.

5. Pests and diseases: everyone can understand that gardenia does not bloom due to pests and diseases, because severe pests and diseases will inevitably cause flowers and buds to drop.

What to do when gardenia leaves turn yellow

1. Gardenia leaves turning yellow due to overwatering

When gardenia leaves turn yellow due to overwatering, the young leaves are dull yellow and lack luster, the old leaves show no obvious change, the branches are thin and yellow-green, and the new shoots shrink and stop growing, indicating overwatering. Take the plant out of the pot, place it in a ventilated, shady place to let the soil ball dry by itself, then put it back in the pot.

2. Gardenia leaves turning yellow due to drought

Yellowing caused by lack of water is different from yellowing caused by too much water. Yellowing from lack of water shows the leaf tips or edges becoming withered and dry, and the old leaves withering, yellowing and dropping from bottom to top, while new leaves grow relatively normally. Just remember to water thoroughly and generously.

3. Gardenia leaves turning yellow due to strong direct sunlight

Strong direct sunlight falling on some shade-loving flowers (such as spider plant, hosta, etc.) easily causes the leaf tips and leaf edges to wither, and yellow spots appear on the sun-facing parts of the leaves. Just move them to a shady place.

4. Gardenia leaves turning yellow due to lack of light

If placed in a shaded environment for a long time, the leaves cannot get enough sunlight and cannot form chlorophyll, so the whole plant's leaves turn yellow and then drop. Supplementing light can avoid this problem.

5. Gardenia leaves turning yellow due to excessive fertilization

Yellowing of flowers caused by too much fertilizer or too high concentration shows dry brown tips on new leaves; generally the leaf surface is thick and lacks luster, and is uneven and not spread out, while old leaves scorch, yellow and drop. Fertilization should be stopped immediately, and in severe cases use a large amount of clean water to wash out part of the fertilizer.

6. Gardenia leaves turning yellow due to lack of fertilizer

When gardenia leaves turn yellow due to lack of fertilizer, the young leaves become lighter in color, appearing yellow or pale green, while the old leaves are relatively normal or gradually turn from green to yellow. Check the potting soil; if there is dry caking, change the soil. Usually apply light fertilizer frequently and water with some alum water at the appropriate time.

During the growth process of gardenia, yellowing of the leaves often occurs, and the cause is mostly due to improper cultivation management. But the yellowing situations are different, so you should carefully observe and analyze the cause, correct it, and let the gardenia grow healthily. Only in this way can it produce more beautiful flowers.