It's the perfect time to take gardenia cuttings - snap off a branch and you can root a whole pot

Gardenia Blooms

 Every note intoxicating as orchid

Alan  

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It's gardenia blooming season right now, and many flower lovers strolling through the flower market will probably see gardenias covered in blossoms. Gardenia leaves stay evergreen all year round, the fragrance is rich, the green leaves and white flowers stay evergreen through all four seasons, and it also has some air-purifying ability, so many people like to keep a pot of gardenia in the living room or study.

Gardenias in full bloom are the current hot seller at the flower market, but the price is quite a bit higher than usual. In fact, if you want to grow a few more pots of gardenia, besides buying them directly, you can also propagate them by cuttings - of course, the prerequisite is that you have at least one pot or a friend who grows them. Many people may feel cuttings are difficult the moment they think of them, but in fact, among all plants that can be propagated by cuttings, I have yet to see anything easier than rooting gardenia cuttings. Today I'll walk you through the gardenia cutting method!

Time for cuttings:

If you use water propagation, you can actually do it all year round, because indoors you can create the right environment and temperature. The best periods are early June to early August (which is right now) and early October to mid-November. During these periods you can use either soil or water propagation. These two periods are called summer cuttings and autumn cuttings respectively. Summer and autumn cuttings have relatively high temperatures, so rooting is easy; winter is a bit worse.

Tools needed:

A water container (a cup, any bottle or jar, even a mineral water bottle will do), ideally transparent glass so you can see how clear the water is, making it easy to change the water at any time and observe the growth of the roots.

1. Choosing branches:

This step is actually the most important - do it well and you're halfway to success. For gardenia branches, choose 1-2 year old branches; ones that are too young rot easily, and ones that are too old are hard to root. A bright green surface color, no pests, and healthy strong growth are the basic requirements. It's recommended to choose several branches and water-propagate them together.

The chosen branch should generally keep three nodes. Remove the leaves on the lowest node, and keep only 1-2 leaves on each of the upper two nodes to reduce transpiration and aid photosynthesis. Cut the bottom node 1-2 cm below into a horseshoe shape; if the branch is taken from the middle section, make a flat cut 1-2 cm above the upper node. The roots grow from the slanted cut. Insert the prepared branch into the ready bottle. Since this is water propagation, you don't need to consider a growing medium - just put clean water in the container and change it regularly to prevent the cut from rotting.

2. Water propagation:

Choose a water propagation container, preferably a deeper one, insert the gardenia cutting directly into the transparent container, and change the clean water once every 2-3 days.

3. Wait patiently:

After about half a month, the water-propagated gardenia will grow roots. Then prepare a disposable cup, add 1/3 water and a small amount of fine soil to the cup, then soak the gardenia seedling in the water and keep adding fine soil until it reaches the needed level.

4. Acclimatizing the seedling:

Now just place the planted seedling in a shaded spot to acclimatize for a week, without watering during this time. Once the seedling has taken, when the soil is dry, cut the cup apart and move it into a larger pot, being careful not to damage the root ball. This method of potting up small seedlings ensures the water-propagated branches survive successfully.

Notes:

The container should be placed in a bright spot without direct sunlight. The clean water only needs changing every few days; the exact timing depends on the situation - don't change it too often, to avoid disturbing the newly grown tender roots. If you take cuttings in June-July, with an average temperature of 22-26 degrees, roots will grow in 2-4 weeks.

Transplanting:

Once the roots reach 7 cm, they can be transplanted. Transplant the young seedlings as usual: hold the seedling with one hand, gently spread the roots out over the medium with the other, then hold the plant and fill in the soil. Use the soaking method to moisten the medium, and place it in a bright, well-ventilated spot without harsh sun. Keep the soil moist. After 3 pairs of new leaves have grown, move it to a spot with partial sun, and only then can you fertilize.

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