Gardenia always fails to thrive? Analysis of common causes

1. Causes

(1) Unsuitable care conditions

Gardenias mostly grow in the south, and the soil in the south is generally on the acidic side, so gardenias prefer acidic soil. When a gardenia is moved to the north, where the soil acidity is not high, the soil conditions cannot create a suitable growing environment for the gardenia, so its growth gradually weakens. Moreover, the south is rainy with high air humidity, while the north has dry air that cannot provide sufficient moisture, so the gardenia does not thrive.

(2) Water quality

Many people choose to water plants directly with tap water, and in fact this is the direct cause of failing to grow them well. Tap water is hard water, containing relatively high amounts of fluoride and chloride compounds and calcium-magnesium compounds. If used directly to water flowers, it will gradually deposit lime in the soil, and after a long time the potting soil will become alkaline, creating the alkaline soil environment that gardenias dread most, causing their growth to be at a disadvantage.

2. Solutions

(1) The soil for growing it must be chosen carefully. It is best to use a mix of seven parts slightly acidic sandy red soil and three parts leaf mold. To control acidity, the soil pH must stay within 4.0 to 6.5 at all times, and ferrous sulfate can be used every three weeks to increase acidity.

(2) Before using water to irrigate the gardenia, the tap water needs to be left in the sun for 2 to 3 days, and used only after substances such as chlorine have evaporated, or rainwater can be used directly to water the flowers. In addition, the air humidity should be increased appropriately by misting the leaf surface 2 or 3 times a day, which both helps cool the plant and increases humidity.