Gardenias grow fastest in summer; care for them this way and in 10 days they will fill the pot, with all the yellow leaves gone

June is almost here - the peak season for gardenias. Yet many flower lovers' gardenias are still yellowing and dropping buds. Today Huahua shares with everyone how to solve the 3 key problems with gardenias!

Key problem 1 - yellow leaves, what to do?

Gardening Encyclopedia

During summer care, gardenias most easily develop yellowing, wilting and scorched leaves, and the main causes fall into 3 types:Water yellowing, fertilizer yellowing and iron deficiency。

Water yellowing

Symptoms: From the bottom up, old leaves turn yellow first, then new leaves; the yellow spreads from the veins until the whole leaf turns yellow.

Causes: 1. Watering too much and too often, causing waterlogged soil; 2. Potting soil too wet and sticky, and the pot has poor air permeability; 3. The lower leaves are too dense and there is no ventilation.

Solution: Place the gardenia in a cool, ventilated spot, prune the overly dense and overly long branches and leaves to improve airflow. If the roots have already rotted, immediately change the soil and repot, choosing a breathable clay pot.

Fertilizer yellowing

Symptoms: Old leaves and leaf veins turn yellow first, then gradually the whole leaf turns yellow.

Solution: When fertilizer yellowing appears, change the water and soak the pot several times, or run a gentle stream of water through the roots for about half an hour to dilute the overly concentrated fertilizer in the soil.

Iron deficiency

Symptoms: Iron-deficiency yellowing is chlorosis; the leaves appear pale yellow or white-green while the veins remain green. In severe cases the whole leaf turns yellow-white and may even dry up and fall off.

Solution:When iron is deficient, spray with fermented alum fertilizer water or 0.1% ferrous sulfate.

Key problem 2: wilting, what to do?

Gardening Encyclopedia

Large-leaf gardenias just bought back from a greenhouse or flower market most easily develop wilting leaves. The main reason is that the leaves are large and dense, the air humidity is too low, and water transpires too quickly.

Solution:Gardenias need relatively high air humidity. First prune the overly dense branches and leaves, then mist around the leaves 2~3 times a day to keep them moist.

Key problem 3: dropping buds, what to do?

Gardening Encyclopedia

Potted gardenias most easily drop flowers during the summer bud stage

Solution: 1. When watering during the bud stage, do not spray the buds wet; 2. During the bud stage you must not repot, as it easily damages the roots; 3. If the soil is on the alkaline side, spray a diluted mixture of edible vinegar and ferrous sulfate.

Gardenia care tips

Gardening Encyclopedia

1. Soil

Gardenias depend relatively heavily on acidic soil with strong air permeability and good drainage. Ordinary pine needle soil or leaf mold mixed with fine sand and gravel is enough.

2. Watering: Gardenias like humid air and dislike waterlogged soil. Water according to the principle of watering when dry and letting it dry between waterings. When summer temperatures are high, you can lightly water the potting soil until moist rather than soaking it thoroughly with a large amount of water.

3. Light:Gardenias are strongly sun-loving flowers and have relatively high requirements for light and ventilation. Keep them in 50%~60% south-facing light each day and avoid direct strong sunlight; once the temperature climbs above 30 for large-leaf gardenias, they must be shaded 50% outdoors, or sunned in the morning and evening and shaded at noon.

4. Fertilizing:Gardenias like fertilizer, but newly acquired gardenias should not be given any fertilizer at all. After the acclimation period, apply once every 1~2 weeks with fermented soybean cake, sesame paste residue, peanut meal or other fertilizers, or monopotassium phosphate. Do not fertilize in summer above 35°C or in autumn below 15°C.

In addition, watering gardenias with thoroughly fermented rice-washing water or fruit peel water can both increase nutrients and loosen the soil, while also helping adjust acidity, with benefits and no harm to flowering.

5. Pruning:During the vigorous growth period from May to July, prune the leggy branches at the top and the overly dense, thin branches below to increase ventilation. After flower buds appear, keep 2~3 on each thick branch and 1 on weak branches, and cut off all remaining buds and the idle leaves around them; after the flowers fade, prune the spent flowers, dead branches and the old leaves below the flowering branches.

That is all Huahua is sharing with everyone today,

Have all you flower lovers learned it?