Is the evergreen shrub Gardenia easy to grow? Sprouting time and care methods

Gardenia, also known as gardenia and yellow gardenia, is an evergreen shrub that is both ornamental and edible. Because its flowers, leaves and fruit have the effects of clearing heat, promoting diuresis and detoxifying, it is used as various fragrances. So when does the gardenia tree sprout? Is it easy to grow? How do you grow it?

Sprouting time of the gardenia tree:

If the temperature is suitable, it will sprout very quickly.

How long after pruning does it sprout

1. Gardenia sprouts within one week after pruning.

2. Gardenia forms flower buds in April, so from April to May, apart from cutting off a few messy branches and leaves, the main focus should generally be on protecting the buds; it blooms in June, and spent flowers should be cut off promptly to encourage new shoots to grow. When the new shoots grow to 2-3 nodes, carry out the first pinching, and appropriately remove some axillary buds; in August, pinch the second flush of branches to build up the crown, and you will get a plant with a beautiful tree shape. Gardenia requires soil with a pH of 5-6 and grows well in acidic soil; in the north, where the soil is neutral or alkaline, you should water it at the right time with alum fertilizer water or spray the leaves with ferrous sulfate solution.

Growing methods:

1. Choose suitable potting soil

Gardenia likes acidic soil, so before planting, prepare suitable soil. If the pH of the soil is unsuitable, later care will be very troublesome. For the growing medium, usually choose leaf mold and peat soil, add half garden soil, do not use coal cinder, or directly buy special soil for clivia, which is convenient and practical.

2. Fertilize reasonably

Gardenia likes fertilizer; when planting, add decomposed cake fertilizer to the soil as a base fertilizer.

During the growing season, use cake fertilizer and ferrous sulfate that have been composted to make fertilizer water, and water with it once a week. A full-nutrient organic liquid fertilizer can also be used. It can make the flowers larger and the fragrance richer. When the summer temperature is above 35°C, and in autumn above 15°C, stop fertilizing.

3. Water scientifically

Gardenia likes a moist, humid environment. During the growing period from April to September, keep the potting soil moist, and water by the principle of seeing dry and seeing wet; at night, you can mist to wet the leaves and maintain humidity. If the plant grows too vigorously, do not water at night; after the sun comes out in the morning, you can water.

In alkaline-water areas in the north, when watering, let tap water stand for a day before watering. Every 3-5 days, water with a little citric acid water or solution to keep the leaves emerald green.

4. Give it plenty of sun

Gardenia needs plenty of sunlight to grow; if kept in half shade for a long time, the flowering branches will be weak and slender. During care, apart from July/August and midday, when shade is needed, and apart from winter dormancy, it can be kept in the sun at other times.

5. A good winter dormancy

Although gardenia is cold-tolerant, potted gardenia will have its root system damaged after a severe winter, and will recover slowly in spring. But if placed indoors with heating, where the temperature is higher and light is insufficient, the plant's growth slows and it blooms later the next year. The best method is to place the pot in a 5°C environment to let it go dormant, or wrap the flower pot with insulating material and place it outdoors in a sunny, wind-sheltered spot to overwinter.

6. Prune appropriately

After gardenia blooms each year, prune lightly and cut off weak and diseased branches. But in spring, gardenia must not be cut back at the branch tips, otherwise it will be hard for it to bloom that year.

7. Change the potting soil at the right time

Gardenia has strong vitality; small seedlings grow from a few cm to several tens of cm, so you should repot according to the size of the plant. When the plant's branches and trunk grow to 2-3 times the diameter of the flower pot, it needs repotting. When repotting, promptly prune old roots, replace half the soil, water thoroughly, and place in half shade for a week; after new buds grow, move it into the sun.

Growing precautions:

Pest and disease control:

Gardenia is relatively prone to chlorosis, leaf spot disease and scale insects, especially in the flowering summer, when the weather is muggy and humid, and fungal infection brings on diseases and pests. Once found, promptly spray disinfectant, and isolate it from other plants to avoid contagion.

Soil acidification:

Gardenia likes fertilizer, but is afraid of strong fertilizer. During the growing period, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water once every half month, and the concentration should be low, so as not to burn the roots and affect the growth of flower buds. At the same time, note that the soil needs to be acidified in time. Most household water is alkaline, and long-term watering will cause the soil to become alkaline; changing the soil's acidity and alkalinity can promote plant growth.