Q&A for How to Grow Gardenias

Yes, as gardenia plants like acidic soils with rich nitrogen content. Coffee grounds contain nitrogen so they help enrich the soil.

Yes, although it is done best if the cuttings are kept in an area of high humidity until the roots take.

Gardenias thrive best in zones 8-10, although they have been known to grow moderately well in zone 7. If you're in a zone that's cooler than this, they can be grown inside.

Almost every gardenia is approved for zones 8-11.

Gardenias need full to partial sunlight. In a warmer area, this is achieved best with morning sun and afternoon shade.

It might be getting too much sun. These plants are very sensitive to sunlight. They should really only get a few hours a day of "cool" sunlight, meaning morning sun NOT afternoon.

Yes, typically most plants go through a period of "shock" after planting. If you maintain the establishment procedures, it should perk back up.

All flowers attract bees, so maybe consider a half-meter (about 1.5 feet) gap between the flower and the walkway.

Yes, but your gardenias may grow better with specialized fertilizer.

The cuttings should be about 3 inches high. Shave the base of the stem to remove the outer bark. Dip each stem into water, then into rooting compound. Place the stems into a mixture of peat moss and perlite. Keep them in the shade, and water every few days. After about six weeks, you will have roots, and you can transplant to larger pots.

No. Try to cut the stem about 4 inches long at a 45 degree angle. Then, placeit in an empty water bottle filled with water. Leave it in a shady spot, and in about 4 to 6 weeks, you will have enough roots to plant it.

Dawn dish soap and water, half and half. Put in a spray bottle and cover all the leaves. You will see a difference within 3 days.

It can last anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. Don't fertilize in this period, it can add to the shock effect and burn the roots.

If the leaves are yellow, you might have given too much or not enough.

You might want to try watering daily for now, and consider moving them as well, they may be getting too much sun.

Flowers will turn brown when exposed to moisture, such as heavy dew or rain.

The leaves on the plants may turn yellow if you give your gardenia too much water, or if it is planted in bad soil.

Most likely, it is a a camellia tree. They look similar but have no scent and their flowers come in pinks and reds.

Gardenias need nutrients from material such as hummus or compost, but they also need acid. You can mix peat moss into a 50:50 mix of compost and native soil. Some tree and shrub mixes have an acid component already inside. Ask your nursery professional if their mix could be suitable for gardenias.

I wait for most or all blooming to stop, around the end of June, and trim my bush halfway down. My bushes are 4 and 5 feet high, with a baby one from a rooting.

Just to the nearest node, branch or leaf. Oftentimes there are small flowers waiting to come out at the nearest leaf node, so don't go any farther than that.

Your plant needs food to produce flowers. My 3-year-old gardenias flower regularly now since giving them my leftover tropical orchid food in rain water.

Give the plant partial sunlight. My gardenias look amazing after I let them be on the dry side and feed them with acid plant food and rain water occasionally. Now my leaves stay green and flowers are huge. Spray regularly with neem oil to protect from bugs.

Tiny bugs sap the juice out of flower stems. I spray my gardenias every few weeks with natural pyrethrum and neem oil sprays.

This is the natural aging process of these flowers. They still have a strong perfume when they turn yellow.

This is caused by too much water, especially in colder climates. We have a tropical climate, and I only water occasionally around the roots with rain water. Sometimes I mist leaves with rain water. It took me a few years to discover this method, but now my plants have glossy green leaves.

it depends on the type of gardenia you have. There are low-growing miniatures with small leaves, while larger varieties can reach 8 feet in height.