How to grow gardenias? These 6 points are all you need

Spring and summer are the seasons when gardenias bloom, giving off waves of delicate fragrance. The gardenia has lush branches and leaves, with foliage that stays green all year round, making it an important ornamental plant for courtyards. So what should we pay attention to when it comes to tips for growing gardenias?

So today let's go over some tips related to growing gardenias.

1. Temperature conditions

The suitable temperature for the growth and development of gardenia is 23-28°C, while high summer heat is unfavorable. It has poor cold tolerance; adult plants can endure short-term lows of -5°C, and at temperatures below -12°C the leaves suffer frost damage and drop off. In northern regions it must overwinter in a greenhouse.

2. Light requirements

Gardenia growth requires ample sunlight; if kept in semi-shade for a long time, the flowering branches become weak, thin and elongated. During care, apart from shading needed at noon in July and August and winter dormancy, it can be grown in sunlight at other times.

3. Soil selection

The potting soil should be acidic. When transplanting in the rainy season, keep the root ball intact. Gardenia is a typical acid-soil plant, while northern soil is alkaline; for this reason, in summer it is best to water with stored rainwater, or add 0.1% ferrous sulfate to the water to change the water quality and increase the plant's absorption of acidic nutrients. Otherwise "chlorosis" will occur, with leaves turning yellow and even leaf scorch and branch dieback; applying alum fertilizer water can help prevent and control this.

4. Watering tips

Gardenia likes moisture; during the growing period the potting soil should be kept moist, and attention should be paid to increasing air humidity. When summer temperatures are high and the weather is dry, water more; in spring and summer, spray the leaf surfaces with clean water every morning and evening, and also sprinkle water on the ground around the pot to increase air humidity; in winter watering should be reduced, but the branches and leaves still need frequent spraying and washing to keep the leaf surfaces clean.

5. Fertilizing gardenias

Gardenia likes fertilizer; when planting, add decomposed cake fertilizer to the soil as a base fertilizer. During the growing season, use fertilizer water fermented from cake fertilizer and ferrous sulfate, applying it once a week. A complete-nutrition organic liquid fertilizer can also be used. During the bud stage, apply additional fertilizer 1-2 times, watering with a potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution, which can make the flowers larger and fuller and the fragrance richer. When summer temperatures are above 35°C or autumn temperatures are above 15°C, stop fertilizing.

6. Pruning gardenias

In daily care, pay attention to pruning and shaping so that a certain crown form is formed; generally prune 2-3 times during the growing season, and when pruning, cut off the top shoots to promote branching, so as to form a hemispherical crown.