Although it is a more environmentally sensitive houseplant and requires more careful care than other flowers, gardenia rewards your efforts by offering beauty and fragrance, in a beautiful combination of green with white flowers.

If you have fallen in love with this beautiful plant and you want to be able to take advantage of its fragrance and delicacy at any time, you can stop at this article where you will find information about gardenia care, as well as some secrets that will help you have flowers from May. until November.

General information about gardenia

Gardenia is a plant that belongs to the Rubiaceae family, which comes from Japan, China, Taiwan. It is ornamental and, having green and glossy leaves, you can use it instead of houseplants without flowers. The leaves provide a perfect background for white — cream, rich flowers with a strong scent . Gardenia can reach a height of 1m.

Species

There are several species of gardenia and we still present some varieties:

Gardenia jasminoides — is the most common in apartments, but can be grown in the garden, reaching a height of 45–50 cm. The leaves of this species of gardenia are dark green, shiny and have white flowers, very fragrant;

Gardenia thunbergia — is in the form of a shrub that comes from South Africa, has a compact appearance, with green leaves, long (about 15 cm) and white flowers — cream, fragrant, appearing in autumn.

Favorable environmental conditions

If you want to plant winter-hardy flowers outside, you can choose garden gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Keims-Hardy) that can withstand temperatures up to -15 degrees C.

In general, indoor gardenia needs higher temperatures, about 23–25 degrees C in summer during the day, 14–18 degrees C at night, and 10–15 degrees C in winter for the rest period.

It is also a plant that needs light, but indirectly , so it must be protected from direct sunlight. If in the spring you notice that the root appears on the surface of the pot or comes out through the drainage holes, it is good to move it to a larger pot.

What kind of land to use

Gardenia has a special and pleasant flower and you want to keep the plant in bloom for as long as possible. Thus, the soil is very important for the health of the plant and must have a slightly acidic pH.

You can use potted mixtures of flower soil and peat in equal quantities, acid peat combined with softwood soil in a ratio of 1 to 1, etc. Also, fertilization is important and it is recommended that you use special fertilizers for gardenia or softwoods every month, from spring to June.

If you have winter flowers in pots, use fertilizers every 2 or 3 weeks, in March and September. In case the temperatures drop more than -15 degrees, the pots must be brought inside.

How to get wet

If we keep talking about gardenia care, we can not help but refer to how you should water it and what to use. Because it is very sensitive to limestone, you cannot use water directly from the tap, especially in areas where the water is hard. It is best to have rainwater, but if you can not collect it, you can use boiled and cooled water .

In the spring-autumn period, the soil in which the gardenia is located must be watered, the substrate must not be dry, and it must be watered regularly. In winter, on the other hand, it is watered less frequently, between two successive waterings the substrate must be dry.

Propagation

Most often the gardenia is propagated by cuttings, between January and March. From the young and vigorous shoots are taken 8 cm cuttings, which are planted in a mixture of peat and sand, in equal parts. The cuttings must be protected from the direct action of the sun’s rays and the environment must be permanently humid. The new plants will reach maturity and will bloom after about 2–3 years.

Some useful tips

Below we offer a series of tips that you can take into account if you want to have a flower gardenia, healthy and vigorous.

• To increase the acidity of the water with which you will water the gardenia you can add a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice;
• During the flowering period, the humidity must be high, because, if the air is dry, there is a risk that the buds will fall without opening;
• You can spray water on the plant at room temperature, but try not to hit flowers or buds directly, which can be affected;
• After flowering, once a year, you can move the flower to another larger pot;
• Gardenia is a flower that does not like changes, so try not to move it often , but to place it in an airy place, without drafts and not be exposed to sudden changes in temperature;
• To have flowers all the time, cut the ones that are dry;
• Even if it needs reclaimed soil and high humidity, it is not recommended that excess water, which drips, can affect the roots;
• If you want to give a certain shape to the bush, it is recommended to cut in the spring, you can use branch scissors ;
• In case you have pots with gardenia, during the summer you can take them outside, in a semi-shaded place, on the terrace, on the balcony, etc.
• If you notice that the leaves tend to turn yellow — white at the top, it may mean that the water is not acidic enough or that you have watered the plant excessively;
• At too high a temperature and dry air, the plant may not bloom.
• The winter rest period is very important to bloom beautifully and richly in the following year;
• It does not need a vessel with a water supply.

Now that you have learned how to maintain and care for the gardenia, you can start gardening and in a short time you will be able to enjoy the wonderful and fragrant flowers of this plant.