In nature, the gardenia plant grows into a two-meter bush, while in indoor conditions the flower is a small compact bush. The rose-like flowers of gardenia are so delicate, beautiful and fragrant that almost every gardener dreams of decorating their home with this indoor plant. However, gardenia jasmine is quite finicky, so you should initially learn all the secrets of caring for it at home and what to do if problems arise when growing a flower.
Description of the plant
Gardenia is a heat-loving plant that grows in the south. Demanding about the conditions of his detention. Growing this decorative indoor flower is very troublesome.
It’s not uncommon for flower growers to take a risk by buying it for their winter garden, but the time and effort spent on care does not go unrewarded. He thanks his owner with long and abundant flowering.
The plant responds very violently to any external stimuli and care features. The cause of the disease can be improper watering, poor lighting, low temperature in the room where the flower is located, low humidity and many other reasons.
With any disease, the plant loses its decorative effect. Its leaves turn yellow and dry, and in some cases even turn black and the buds fall off.
Features of cultivation
The plant is quite demanding in terms of maintenance conditions. Beginning gardeners may encounter difficulties caused by watering, lighting, fertilizing, and the composition of the soil for replanting.
Gardenia does not tolerate being moved from one place to another; you cannot even turn the pot, because the leaves and buds may begin to fall off.
Important. The plant must be provided with all the conditions necessary for a comfortable existence. If you don’t do this, you may never get high-quality development and long flowering.
How to care for gardenia
Gardenia jasmine requires special care at home. First of all, you should choose a bright place for it, but so that the flower does not receive direct sunlight.
They can burn the leaves, causing spots to appear and the foliage to become unsightly. Therefore, choose east or west windows.
If the only bright place in the house is the southern window sill, then the bush will need to be shaded during the hottest hours with a light cloth, gauze or paper.
The flower also loves warmth, so do not place it in a draft or on windowsills where the windows open during the cold season. At the same time, it is not recommended to place the flower on window sills above working heating radiators. Many gardeners complain that gardenia jasmine leaves turn black and fall off. The reason may be the dry air coming from the battery.
In winter, daylight hours are short, which is not suitable for gardenias. Therefore, it is recommended to illuminate it using fluorescent lamps.
Do not be alarmed if a newly acquired plant, even with proper placement and care, begins to shed its leaves and buds after a while. When it adapts, it will begin to grow again.
Pests and ways to combat them
In addition to diseases, gardenia is susceptible to attacks by various pests.
White aphid
A harmful insect that attacks the stems and foliage of plants. This is often the reason why buds fall off. You need to know that this insect reproduces very quickly. When it appears, it is necessary to urgently take measures to destroy the pests.
Spider mite
This is the main enemy of the tropical beauty. Along with it, the plant is also threatened by the scale insect. To get rid of pests, it is necessary to periodically wipe the leaf plates with a napkin or cotton pad soaked in water.
This will help ensure comfortable air humidity around the flower and detect the presence of pests and their larvae.
If shoots infected with spider mites are found, they must be removed immediately. This pest attacks flowers when the humidity in the room where they are located is too low. For preventive purposes, they need to be sprayed regularly.
If the pest appears, it is necessary to treat the leaves with special insecticides. This will rid your gardenia of spider mites for a long time.
Shchitovka
To combat scale insects, washing the leaves with a mild soap solution is excellent. For greater effectiveness, you need to repeat the treatment after a week. To avoid infection of other plants, affected plants must be isolated.
Difficulties of care
Gardenia is a rather capricious plant.
- It is demanding on soil moisture. In spring and summer - during active growth - it requires a lot of moisture. But with all this, you should not allow water to stagnate in the pot; excess water must be drained.
- An important point in caring for gardenia is the quality of water. Simply letting the water stand for irrigation is not enough; the water must be soft and must be passed through a filter. If this is not available, only boiled water should be used for irrigation.
- Does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature. For gardenia, both excessively high and excessively low temperatures are equally undesirable. In summer, the plant will feel most comfortable at a temperature of 22-24°C, in winter – at 14-16°C.
Increased air temperatures in summer provoke increased growth of shoots, which occurs to the detriment of the establishment, growth and preservation of flower buds. Of course, it is almost impossible to influence the air temperature in summer, but you can smooth out the situation somewhat by trying to increase the air humidity: place the pot with the plant on pebbles or a regular tray with water and be sure to spray its crown several times a day.
In fact, caring for this capricious beauty is not as difficult as it might seem, and in response to the efforts made, gardenia will certainly delight you with its abundant flowering.
Reasons for the poor condition of Gardenia jasmine
An incorrectly selected substrate for a plant can lead to the following unpleasant problems:
- Falling leaves;
- Yellowing of leaves;
- Refusal to bloom.
The plant requires acidic soil. Alkaline and neutral substrates are not suitable for it . In them, gardenia roots will not maximally absorb all the necessary elements.
For gardenia, good substrates would be Gardenia or Azalea. They can be purchased at specialized flower shops.
It is also recommended to periodically acidify the water for irrigation if the soil is not acidic enough. citric acid or lemon juice as an acidulant .
The flower prefers high air humidity. If the air in the room is too dry, the buds may fall off, and the plant may refuse to bloom.
Leaf discoloration
Discolored or pale yellow leaves with green veins indicate that the gardenia is infected with chlorosis. The reason is very waterlogged soil, in which iron is not absorbed by plants.
It is necessary to reduce watering and spray the plant with special iron preparations. In the future, you need to carry out regular feeding using chelated elements.
Why do gardenia leaves turn yellow?
Gardenia leaves lose their usual green color and turn yellow for a number of reasons. Gardenia jasminoides responds by yellowing of the crown to the following violations of the rules of agricultural technology:
- Incorrect watering;
- Unbalanced composition of the substrate;
- Chlorosis;
- Incorrect lighting;
- Soil depletion.
Incorrect watering certainly causes changes in the condition of a houseplant. Both overwatering and drying out of the earthen clod have a negative impact. The soil in the flowerpot should always be slightly moist.
The norm is considered to be the drying of three to four centimeters of the top layer of the substrate.
Signs of improper agricultural practices in gardenia
Gardenia jasmine requires patient care and does not tolerate negligence and fuss. A florist who has mastered growing and caring for gardenia at home will certainly be rewarded with a lush bloom of fragrant rose-like flowers.
Most often, gardenia jasmine leaves turn black and fall off, which puzzles novice collectors of indoor plants. Changes in color and loss of foliage are not the only symptoms of trouble.
Signs of improper agricultural practices include:
- Chlorosis, yellowing of leaves;
- Fall of leaves;
- The crown of the gardenia turns black;
- No flowering;
- Gardenia sheds its buds.
Often the same symptom has several causes. A demanding houseplant reacts negatively to deviations with some delay. Flower growers have time to forget the events of two weeks ago that caused a negative reaction from gardenia. The reaction of gardenia to unfavorable growing conditions appears with a delay of two weeks.
Reasons and what to do
This also happens often. This is due to the stress your plant has recently received.
Causes:
1. Lack of watering
When the gardenia begins to shed leaves, for example, they suddenly turn yellow and crumble or fall off without changing their appearance, then this is a consequence of drying out. Adjust watering, and to combat stress, use spraying with an immune stimulant - epin. It would not be superfluous to carry out “reanimation” for gardenia. Spray it with water or epin solution and put a plastic bag (garbage bag, for example) on the bush. Leave it like this for a day. This is a great way to quickly tidy up dried gardenia.
2. Draft
Gardenia leaves fall off if it is “blown out”. Of course, gardenia lovers know that she loves cool weather. However, you should not place it near an open window from which it blows.
Gardenia propagation
Growing from seeds
Growing gardenia from seeds is not the best way to propagate the plant. Only freshly collected seeds are suitable for propagation, since they quickly lose their viability. Before planting in soil for azaleas, the seeds must be soaked for 2-3 hours in Zircon or aloe juice - stimulants, then sow the seeds on the soil and sprinkle the same mixture on top through a sieve with a layer of 0.5 cm, carefully water, cover the container with the seeds with film or glass and keep warm, ventilating from time to time for 1-2 hours. Shoots will appear no earlier than in a month. If seedlings appear in autumn-winter, they will have to be artificially supplemented with light.
Gardenia cuttings
When the gardenia has finished blooming, it is usually cut back to two-thirds the length of the shoots, removing weak shoots and thinning if the bush has become too dense. During the growth period, from time to time you also have to pinch one shoot or another, stimulating tillering. These cuttings are the material for propagating gardenia - apical and semi-lignified. The length of the shoot should be about 10 cm. The substrate for cuttings is a 1:1 mixture of river sand and peat. Keep the cuttings in a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate for half an hour, plant them in the ground and cover with glass or film to ensure a greenhouse effect.
The temperature should be 25 ºC, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the cuttings and moisten the soil. You can speed up root formation by arranging bottom heating for the cuttings. Once the cuttings have taken root, they are transplanted into azalea or mature gardenia potting soil, and when they reach a height of 15 cm, they are pinched to encourage the appearance of side shoots. When the side shoots grow 10-12 cm in height, they are also pinched. When the young gardenia becomes a bush, it is transferred to a larger pot.
Why do the buds fall off?
If gardenia buds do not bloom, turn black and fall off, this may be due to improperly selected soil, non-compliance with the temperature regime (low temperature or sudden changes), or direct sunlight. It is also common for gardenia to shed buds due to water getting on them during spraying or moving pots during their formation.
During the formation of flower buds, Gardenia jasmine requires high air humidity. Therefore, in order to preserve them and ensure abundant flowering, you need to regularly spray the plant, covering the buds.
You can periodically wipe the leaves with a damp cloth. Organize humidification from the tray.
The leaves of the plant are glossy, opposite, rarely 3 in whorls. They have triangular-shaped stipules. In addition, they have pinnately looped venation, the arrangement of leaves is crosswise and opposite. Even without flowers, the bush looks decorative due to its dense, leathery leaves of a dark green hue. They have an oval shape and pointed ends. They reach a length of up to 10 cm.
How to help gardenia
If the buds fall off due to changes in housing conditions, then you can help the plant by periodically treating it with epin or any other drug that reduces stress in indoor plants. The same treatment must be carried out after purchasing gardenia in a store. If parasitic fungi or pests have settled on the gardenia, then treatment with epin alone will no longer be enough. It is also necessary to get rid of diseases and pests by using fungicides against fungi, as well as insecticides and acaricides against insects and spider mites.
Difficulties and solutions
Improper care and failure to comply with basic flower maintenance requirements leads to a variety of problems that gardenia owners often encounter.
If such a flower gets sick, it is important for the gardener to immediately find the causes of the disease.
If the leaves turn black and fall off
Overwatering and direct sunlight on the leaves can lead to their blackening and subsequent falling off. If the crop has been flooded, it is recommended to immediately transplant it into a new pot.
Rotting of the root system is the cause of blackening and falling of the cover.
Overdrying the soil can also lead to blackening.
If the temperature drops sharply, then blackening of the leaves is also likely. A draft can also lead to this. The optimal temperature for keeping gardenia jasmine is around 20 degrees, but not more than 25.
Infection of the plant with spider mites often leads to blackening . It can be identified by a whitish coating in the form of a cobweb. This pest can be treated with insecticides or soap solution.
Why do the leaves turn yellow?
The main reasons for yellowing leaves:
- Changes in air temperature;
- Incorrect watering regime;
- Wrong substrate.
Adjusting watering and temperature microclimate is the direct responsibility of the gardener.
Thus, it is necessary to adjust the temperature regime and watering of the gardenia. You can’t either overwater or overdry the culture. The top layer should dry out between waterings , but the soil should not be allowed to dry out completely.
To purify water from chlorine, it is recommended to filter, boil or let it sit for several days.
As for the substrate, gardenia loves acidic soil , but excessive acidity will cause yellowing of the leaves. Iron chelate can be added to reduce acidity. In neutral and alkaline soils, gardenia will not do well.
A deficiency can also lead to yellowing of the leaves:
Lack of watering can cause yellow leaves to fall off. Even green leaves may also fall off. It is necessary periodically spray the plant with epin.
Gardenia also does not tolerate drafts. Drafts are a common cause of young leaves falling off.
What to do if the leaves dry out
Possible reasons
Thus, it is recommended to provide the crop with the correct watering regime and not wait for the soil to dry out completely. It is enough for only the top layer of soil to dry. In addition, the water must be soft and free of chlorine.
Too dry air is a common cause of many serious problems, from drying and falling leaves to failure to bloom. In order to increase air humidity, you will need:
- Fill the tray under the pot with small, moistened pebbles. The tray should be larger in diameter than the bottom of the pot;
- Spray regularly , avoiding contact with buds and opened flowers;
- Use special humidifiers.
Temperature changes and drafts are very dangerous for gardenias. However, it is not only this flower that has leaves that dry out. For example, we told you 4 reasons why begonia leaves may dry out.
The cause of jasmine ill health can be either a violation of the regime or damage by a pest.
If the buds fall
This is one of the most unpleasant phenomena that gardenia owners have to face. The reasons may be:
- Excessive dryness of indoor air;
- Drafts;
- Changes in air temperature;
- Changing the location of the flower pot or rotating it relative to the lighting ;
- Transplantation at the moment of bud formation.
Dry air is the most common reason for the buds to fall off and the plant to fail to bloom.
Why doesn't gardenia bloom?
There may be several reasons:
- Incorrect temperature conditions;
- Little light;
- Lack of fertilizers;
- Excessive dry air;
- Incorrectly selected soil.
The temperature of gardenia should be no less than 18 degrees and no more than 25. In other temperature conditions, the plant will not please with its luxurious flowering. After all, this plant comes from southern Asian countries and does not tolerate low temperatures .
Warm temperatures are important for gardenias, as they do not tolerate low temperatures.
It is best to place the pot with the crop on the east window. In the south it will be too hot for her. Also, exposure to direct sunlight can cause burns on the leaves.
The plant needs the following elements:
Therefore, when purchasing fertilizer, you need to choose one where these elements will predominate.
Pests
If the air in the room is too dry, gardenia is very often affected by various pests. These can be aphids, scale insects, thrips, spider mites and whiteflies. After the pests are destroyed, you need to increase the humidity level in the room or move the gardenia to more comfortable conditions.
How to get rid of pests
Spider mites are especially likely to prey on gardenias. They spin webs under the leaves, and the leaves begin to turn black and fall off. In this case, damaged leaves are urgently removed. The plant is treated weekly with the following preparations:
- actellik;
- acarin;
- neoron;
- bicol;
- demitan, etc.
Spider mites quickly adapt to poisons, so medications need to be changed. This pest does not tolerate moisture; constant spraying of the plant with water is terrible for it.
Gardenia jasminoides is a sissy. Keep this in mind when growing this beauty on your windowsill. Do not leave a flowerpot with a flower in the scorching sun or in a draft. Otherwise, disappointment cannot be avoided.
How to eliminate the causes of the disease
Problems with the substrate (overdried or waterlogged) or air humidity
First of all, you need to tear off all the blackening leaves. Next, the gardenia is treated with one of the fungicides:
- foundationazole;
- Uzgen;
- Ferazim;
- benlat;
- Benomyl.
After processing, the plant along with the pot is placed in a spacious plastic bag - a kind of greenhouse. The flower is sprayed and the bag is tied. That is, ideal conditions are created for 100% air humidity.
The package must be opened periodically for ventilation. Water the gardenia with settled water when the top layer of soil becomes completely dry. If you notice that the plant is coming to life, begin to gradually accustom it to indoor conditions - remove the plastic bag for a certain time. During the rehabilitation period, gardenia cannot be fertilized.
Insufficient amount of iron in the substrate
Gardenia prefers acidic, iron-rich soil. But excessive watering can wash away the components necessary for the plant. If the leaves of the gardenia turn black and fall off, and you know that you have not fed the substrate with a weak acid solution and iron-containing preparations for a long time, this is a clear sign of a lack of iron in the soil.
To correct this error, you can use the following compositions to saturate the substrate with the necessary components:
- iron chelate "Antichlorosin";
- micro Fe;
- ferovit.
You can also use the folk method - stick a few rusty nails into the ground and water the plant with water acidified with citric acid (several crystals per 1 liter of water). Fertilizing is carried out until the plant is completely cured.
If only the tips of the leaves turn yellow
When only the edges of the leaves turn yellow, this means that the flower does not have enough sunlight. This often happens in winter, when daylight hours are reduced.
The situation can be corrected with artificial lighting, and the flower does not need to be removed from the windowsill. He really dislikes rearrangement and reacts negatively to a change of place.
And yet, the plant must be rearranged twice during the year. Once the rearrangement is done with the onset of autumn, and another time in the spring, moving the gardenia from the windowsill to where it will not reach the direct rays of the sun.
The fact is that excess ultraviolet radiation is harmful to the flower. Its delicate leaves begin to turn yellow both from lack of light and from intense sun exposure. Thermal burns in the form of yellow spots may appear on the leaves.
If the plant is moved to a shaded place, the burns disappear.
What diseases affect the flower?
If at least one rule is violated, diseases can overcome the flower. The danger comes from viral, fungal (rust, powdery mildew, various rots), and bacterial diseases.
You can tell that a plant is sick by the leaves, or more precisely by the spots that appear on them.
Mealybug under a microscope.
Powdery coating on the leaves on the underside indicates a fungal disease called powdery mildew. If brown spots appear on the stems and foliage, it means the plant is affected by rust, and if brown tubercles appear on the leaves, this means scab.
It happens that the leaves of a flower turn black. There may be several reasons for this. When the leaves turn black below, this is the result of excessive watering and compacting the soil in the pot. Because of this, the roots lack oxygen. It happens that due to frequent watering, silting of the drainage occurs. In this case, you need to thoroughly loosen the soil in the pot. Also, the bottom of the leaves turn black due to excess fertilizer.
What to do if gardenia dries out more and more every day
Since gardenia jasmine, like any other, is a rather capricious plant, it can dry out for a variety of reasons, which are usually associated with errors in maintenance. If this happens, then before it completely dries out, you can try to save the flower in the following way:
- It is necessary to inspect the gardenia and trim off all shoots that have dried completely;
- Prepare acidified water and spray generously;
- Cover the plant with a plastic bag and place it in a place with good lighting;
- After a week, treat with a growth stimulator (Epin, Zircon).
In the future, you must strictly adhere to all care recommendations.
Recommendations for growing the plant
In order for the flower to grow beautiful and healthy, you must follow some rules:
- do not keep gardenia in direct sunlight;
- avoid sudden changes in temperature;
- do not overwater the plant, but also do not let the soil dry out;
- maintain indoor air humidity;
- ensure soil acidity;
- during the flowering period, do not change the position of the container with gardenia;
- water for irrigation should be slightly warm and soft;
- inspect the leaves daily for timely detection of spider mites;
- Sprinkle the leaves with water every day, and once a week with Epin (plant growth regulator).
An overseas beauty in the house: how to provide decent conditions
Gardenia jasminoides is an indoor variety of gardenias from the madder family. This is the only domestic species of gardenia. This capricious beauty comes from Southern China and Japan. Gardenia is also found in South Africa. This plant is valued for the beauty and exquisite delicate aroma of its flowers. The essence from them is even used in the production of cosmetics.
Indoor gardenia was called jasmine-like for the similarity of its snow-white flowers with the flowers of double jasmine. This shrub is beautiful not only during the flowering period. Its bright green large (up to 8-10 cm in length) leaves are also decorative. So this indoor plant will serve as decoration all year round. After all, gardenia is an evergreen shrub.
Typically, a gardenia jasmine bush that is already blooming or has gathered buds is purchased for yourself or as a gift in flower shops. Such plants are most often brought from Holland in plastic shipping pots of a very unpresentable appearance.
You can replant the gardenia only after it has completely bloomed.
Naturally, the housewife, wanting to choose an appropriate container for the plant, tries to transplant it into a new beautiful flowerpot. Already at this stage problems may arise.
Video
Sources
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