A gardenia grown for 20 years still blooms all over its branches - learn the care secrets quickly
Most flower lovers who grow plants hope the flowers at home can stay with them for 5 years, 10 years, 20 years... or even a lifetime. Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) has evergreen leaves all year round, with fragrant and elegantly simple flowers, green leaves and white blooms, making it especially clear, beautiful and lovely. It is very suitable for planting in front of and behind houses, and as the tree age increases, it grows thicker and blooms more abundantly. But how can we grow a gardenia for a lifetime? Take a quick look!
1. Suitable soil
Gardenia prefers to grow in a slightly acidic soil environment, with a suitable pH of 5 to 6. Add ferrous sulfate appropriately to the watering water; the ratio of ferrous sulfate is 1:500 for dilution when watering, to improve the soil's acidity and alkalinity, supplement the acidic substances needed for plant growth, and prevent iron deficiency yellowing of the leaves. If the soil acidity is not suitable, future management will require twice the effort for half the result.
2. Scientific watering
Gardenia likes moist soil and relatively high air humidity. During the growth period from April to September, keep the potting soil moist. Water whenever the surface of the potting soil looks dry, and in the evening you can use a spray bottle to sprinkle water on the leaf surface. If it dries out completely and wilts, it will be harmful to growth. For plants that grow too vigorously and have longer internodes, do not water in the evening; water again after the sun comes out in the morning. At the same time, also pay attention to spraying some water on the leaf surface of the gardenia, which can very well increase air humidity. Also note that watering should not be too much in winter, to prevent root rot.
3. Sufficient light
Gardenia likes light. It can also grow in semi-shade for a long time, but the flowering branches will be longer and the flowers fewer. Apart from needing shade from strong midday light from July to August and during the winter dormancy period, it generally needs to be kept in sunlight for care in order to have abundant flowers and lush leaves. During spring and autumn, pay more attention to increasing light time, while in summer and winter, it is recommended to place it indoors for cultivation with light, avoiding excessively high or low temperatures during the growth period.
4. Reasonable fertilizing
Gardenia likes fertilizer. Add 3% decomposed cake fertilizer to the culture soil as a base fertilizer. During the growing season, use alum fertilizer water made by fermenting cake fertilizer with ferrous sulfate once a week, or use 0.1% humic acid complete-nutrition organic liquid fertilizer. During the bud and flowering stages, water once to 2 times with 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution, which can promote flowering, make the flowers larger and the floral fragrance richer. Stop fertilizing during the hot summer period when the temperature is above 35°C and in autumn when it is below 15°C.