Gardenia: how to grow and achieve flowering of a beauty with an obstinate disposition

Gardenia rootitas or jasminoides is one of the most beautiful indoor plants.
But if a gardenia settles on the windowsill, caring for it at home should be constant and very attentive. In nature, this crop forms large shrubs or even trees. During flowering, they spread a magnificent fragrance for many meters around, and the most lush peonies and roses can envy the gardenia flowers.

The first stories about amazing gardenias decorating the chambers of Chinese emperors date back to the Song Dynasty, which existed about a thousand years ago. Although gardenias could show themselves to the fullest in the palace, even then gardeners tried to achieve the most magnificent flowering possible, preventing the crown from growing. This is how gardenias became spectacular miniature bonsais. In Europe, where the crop first appeared in the second half of the 18th century, it was also limited in growth by cutting and shaping the crown.

How to care for gardenia at home? This question haunts modern flower growers who have decided to decorate their collection with an amazing but capricious flower.

Today, in addition to these techniques, gardeners have access to specially bred indoor varieties. These plants are relatively small in size, and caring for gardenia in terms of pruning is a little easier, but the crop still remains demanding and difficult to grow.

Description of the plant

In the Madder family there is a genus of small shrubs or trees called gardenia, numbering about 250 species. The plant is found in tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia and Oceania.

Gardenia received its name thanks to the famous botanists and taxonomists Carl Linnaeus and John Ellis, who named this evergreen shrub in honor of the American naturalist and physician Alexander Garden. And people began to call the culture “the bridal bouquet” for its beautiful snow-white flowers.

In nature, gardenias are evergreen trees or shrubs ranging in height from one to six meters. The glossy leaf blades are dark green and oval in shape with a slightly pointed tip.

Gardenia is a spectacular shrub covered with fragrant flowers

Gardenia buds are colored white, cream or yellowish. The corolla consists of several petals, the number of which is 5–12 pieces. The flowers are usually solitary, but in some species they are collected in small inflorescences. After the end of the flowering period, which usually occurs in spring and summer, a fleshy multi-seeded elongated fruit is formed on the plant (but this only occurs under natural conditions).

As befits a beauty, gardenia is very capricious and demanding of living conditions. Even with the slightest mistakes in care, it drops buds or refuses to bloom. Gardenia is very thermophilic and requires good lighting and soil rich in organic nutrients. Subject to the conditions of maintenance and rules of care, this beauty with an obstinate character will bloom annually, filling the house with a subtle and very pleasant aroma.

Gardenia is not only an amazingly beautiful plant that serves as an elegant interior decoration. The flower is an excellent medicine. For example, in China, gardenia is used to treat the upper respiratory tract; infusions from its flowers are taken to treat fatigue and insomnia.

Gardenia and tabernemontana

Very often gardenia is confused with tabernemontana. Externally, the plants are indeed a little similar, but still there is a significant difference between them. Tabernemontana has a milky sap in its shoots, which is characteristic of plants from the Kutrovaceae family. A distinctive feature of gardenia is the presence of stipules.

Despite their external similarities, tabernemontana and gardenia have significant distinctive features.

Varieties and varieties of gardenia for home cultivation (jasmine, brilliant, tree, etc.)

1. Gardenia jasminoides (jasmine, jasminoides). The shrub is native to Japan, the Ryukyu Islands and China, and is also found in Africa. The flowers of gardenia jasmine are large, double, with delicate snow-white petals. The size of the leaf blades is 8 cm in length, their surface is shiny, the color is dark green. Varieties of this particular species or hybrids created on its basis can most often be found in the collections of flower growers. Among them are: First Love with double flowers painted in a cream tone, Flore Pleno with double double buds, Kleim's Hardy, whose distinctive feature is small waxy flowers and a compact bush shape, Veitchii, whose flowering lasts until December.
2. Gardenia Tahitian (Tiare). This species got its name from the island of Tahiti, although its homeland is considered to be the Cook Islands and Hawaii. This is a rather tall spreading shrub, reaching four meters in height. It has beautiful dark green glossy leaves and creamy white flowers that exude an intoxicating aroma.
3. Gardenia is brilliant. A distinctive feature of the species is the strongly corrugated dark green leaves with a shiny surface. The star-shaped flowers exude a sweet aroma reminiscent of apple and caramel, which is strongest at night. Gardenia brilliant is the most resistant to some diseases and pests to which all plants of the genus are susceptible. Thanks to this quality, it is very attractive for growing indoors.
4. Gardenia rough. Under natural conditions, the shrub grows in North Queensland (Australia). It is a low tree growing up to 5 meters in height with snow-white flowers consisting of six petals. A characteristic feature of rough gardenia is year-round flowering.
5. Gardenia tubifera. Homeland - Southeast Asia. This is a large shrub with a rounded crown. Large buds, emitting a strong aroma, change their color from ivory to golden yellow and orange. Flowering of Gardenia tubenosum begins in the spring and lasts until the end of summer.
6. Gardenia keeled. A small tree native to Indonesia. Large buds up to 4.5 cm in diameter open white and then turn orange. On one plant you can simultaneously see snow-white, yellow, and orange flowers, making the bush look very impressive. Unlike other species, the aroma of Gardenia keelata is not very strong.
7. Tree gardenia. The plant can grow up to 1 m. It has a spreading crown. Suitable for growing in the garden. Blooms from June to September.
8. Gardenia thai (Gjellerupa). The species is very rare. White flowers bloom on the shrub, which subsequently turn yellow, and before falling off they acquire an orange tone. The plant is more tolerant of alkaline substrates and is more resistant to cold weather.

Photo gallery: types of gardenia, their names and features

The flowers of gardenia jasmine are large, double, with delicate snow-white petals

Gardenia Tahitiana has beautiful dark green glossy leaves and creamy white flowers that exude an intoxicating aroma.

A distinctive feature of the brilliant gardenia is its highly corrugated dark green leaves with a shiny surface.

A characteristic feature of rough gardenia is year-round flowering.

Large buds, emitting a strong intoxicating aroma, change their color from ivory to golden yellow and orange.

At the same time you can see snow-white, yellow, and orange flowers on one plant, which makes it very impressive

Thai gardenia is a very rare plant

Gardenia - species

Jasmine (Gardenia jasminoides)

Prefers tropical forests of Japan and China, with moderate altitude. In the natural environment, the height of the bush is 2 m; in home greenhouses and gardens it does not exceed half a meter. The leaves are lanceolate, uniform in color, 8 cm long. A vein is clearly visible along the side; less noticeable veins extend evenly to the side. Glossy leaves of green or dark green color. Often single flowers in the leaf axils. The main color is white, changing into different shades. Flowering depends on the variety and can occur at any time of the year. The aroma is very pleasant to smell. There are several varieties of jasmine gardenia, but all of them, in one form or another, have both external similarity and the same care and maintenance.

Conditions for winter and summer (humidity, temperature, light)

Among gardeners, gardenia is considered a difficult crop to grow indoors. For excellent growth, development and flowering, it requires a number of conditions.

Table: conditions for different seasons

How to properly maintain a plant at home

Proper care will ensure the health of the gardenia, as well as its abundant, long-lasting flowering.

How and with what to water

It is recommended to use warm, boiled and settled water for irrigation. In summer, watering should be plentiful, and in winter - moderate. Periodically, you can add a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water) or 1-2 crystals of citric acid to the water. This will help maintain the acidity of the soil that gardenia needs.

Top dressing

Gardenia blooms continuously for a long time, so it needs a large amount of nutrients, with a lack of which it drops its buds and develops chlorosis. Before flowering and during the period of active growth, once every two weeks you should feed the gardenia with a universal complex fertilizer for flowering plants, diluting the solution according to the instructions. Experienced flower growers recommend using Kemira Lux for the procedure.

Gardenia growth and flowering period

Gardenia begins to bloom in April. This period ends only at the end of summer, and for some hybrids it lasts all year round. However, both need to be given a little rest in the winter so that the plant gains strength and lays new flower buds.

Gardenia flowers are beautiful and fragrant

Care after flowering: what to do in the fall

In October, it is recommended to trim the gardenia by shortening all the branches and cutting out the shoots growing inward. After this, the flower must be placed in a cool but very bright place, and the amount of watering must be halved.

Wintering gardenia

Gardenias do not have a clearly defined dormant period, and some hybrids can bloom all year round. However, in winter the plant needs to have a period of relative rest when kept cool. A rested flower will bloom more profusely.

For a cool winter, place the gardenia on a south-facing window and provide it with additional lighting with fluorescent lamps for up to 12 hours a day. The temperature in winter should be around 16–18°C. This can be achieved by separating the flower from a warm room with a screen. During this period, stop feeding and reduce the amount and volume of watering by half.

In the fall, before wintering begins, gardenia must be pruned.

An important condition is that the roots of gardenia should always be in warm soil. If the window sill on which the gardenia stands is cold, then place a piece of foam under the tray, thereby saving the flower from hypothermia and rotting of the roots.

Video: proper plant maintenance

Table: causes of problems (leaves wither, darken, wither, turn yellow, dry out, fall off, etc.), their solution

Difficulties in caring for gardenia, tips

• The leaves begin to turn yellow - the plant needs to be sprayed with a solution of iron sulfate in a small concentration.
• Temperature changes during the period of appearance and ripening of buds are detrimental to the plant. Gardenias can lose all their color.
• Sharp lighting adjustments and turning the pot during flowering negatively affect the ripening of buds.
• Yellow spots on the petals, or yellowing of the leaves - perhaps water got on the flowers when spraying, watering is carried out with hard or cold water.
• Incorrect or irregular watering leads to massive fall of buds. Perhaps the earthen ball is too dry, or the temperature is 16 degrees or lower.
• The buds do not open due to insufficient light. Install additional artificial lighting.
• The color of the flowers is dull, not bright, or even colorless - the soil is slightly acidic, or the humidity is too high at low temperatures.

How to save a plant from diseases and pests

Gardenia is prone to various diseases; a capricious plant, with any violation of care, can develop chlorosis, carbon mold and other diseases.

Table: why diseases appear and how to revive a plant

Photo gallery: plant treatment for spider mites, whitefly, chlorosis

You can get rid of scale insects using a soap solution

The drugs Actellik or Decis will help defeat the whitefly.

The flower gets chlorosis due to hard water