Where Do Gardenias Grow Best?
Gardenias are considered to be one of the most popular flowering plants in Asia. These beautiful flowers are highly fragrant and have a unique aroma that is instantly recognizable to many people. However, they are not always easy to grow in your garden.
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What are the best places to grow gardenias?
For home growth and productivity flowers must receive six hours of daily light so try not to plant it near your southern facing window. Gardenias grow well outdoors year round in a pot or garden, if planted outside the soil should be kept moist at all times.
1. Place with full sun to light shade
Gardenias grow well in full sun to light shade areas. This is because they love the heat but hate scorching sunshine, which causes them to lose their bloom every year during summer months. So it’s best if you plant gardenia flowers somewhere where partial sunlight reaches the crop at least two to three hours during winter months.
They also grow well in places where the sun’s rays are highly filtered or filtered by trees thus reducing human touch and increasing flowering rate of gardenia flowers. Water the plants well to make them flourish.
2. The place with enough soil moisture or irrigation
Most growers prefer that their gardenia flowers receive enough humidity and water within the soil. Gardenias require a gardener’s gentle hand in watering them to ensure they do not become sun scalded during summer months. Nurseries typically grow most of these varied types indoor or under special lighting arrang ments with full irrigation systems for most varieties of gardenia.
The most popular ones such as the Chinese Gardenia and Hindu Goddess’s Flower can be grown with daily misting or frequent watering arrangements to which you do not need a large volume of water supply because they are actually perennial flowers at a stage to benefit from a big ‘wear and tear’ treatment.
3. Acidic Soil/ Low pH for gardenias
To ensure successful blooms, you need to have a soil that is acidic, preferably with a pH between 5.0 and 6.0. Certain varieties are less sensitive to acid soils then others are. The types which are more likely not to fail in the summer include the red species of carnation jasmine and roses . They are big, vigorous and tend to be short-lived which suggests that you will never need a lot of time to empty the soil as they expire. A regular supply of fresh fertilizer is the best way to ensure pH stays right in your gardenias’.
If you decide on planting at home, it is wise to remember that gardenia will seldom flower indoors, neither with reliable results at the rate of 30 flowers per month. Gardenias can be grown successfully in greenhouses and conservatories alike but only if the atmosphere there meets strict requirements for nitrate-nitrogen balance, days on end in direct sunlight, water and air conditions that produce the most effective blooming.
4. Soil That is Rich in Nutrients
Gardenias are delicate plants that will not flower in case of poor quality and contaminated soil. Choose a good, rich soil (6-8 cups per 1 foot), and allow it to grow moist till you see vigorous new growth appearing at the root zone. Mix only half an inch layer of topsoil into the rich, moist soil around your plant and water as you progress with filling up what is left of it. 5. Chemical fertilizer in the Spring
You can also use chemical fertilizers on gardenia which are relatively rare amongst flowers blooming indoors, but they will only last until summer’s end..they are not totally discouraged by most experts. When putting in extra special efforts for healthy blooms
5. Daytime Temperature between 60 – 70 Fahrenheit
Gardenias demand a high temperature for good growth. In most optimal conditions, the temperatures of an average day range from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If your garden or pot is never able to stay around these appropriate temperatures then it’s not going near performing as effective as you expected it would.
6. Nighttime Temperature Above 60 Fahrenheit
It’s not very recommended for you to put in a gardenia anything underneath 55 degrees Fahrenheit, since it tends to loose its blooming abilities and results if temperatures drop. This temperature allows your plant ample opportunities of soaking up the moist soil around it and stabilizing moisture.
7. High humidity
Home growth of gardenia is more viable if the environment around it has a high degree of moisture. These beneficial conditions are best corrected by using water from collected from rainfall as well as indoor humidity supplies at home level, with the optimum amount being 70 percent. Even though you plant inside can help you meet the humidity but indoor plants do not always give you things that look good.
Can I grow gardenias in containers?
Yes, like most plants gardenias do well in containers. They work great for formal areas and outdoor pots because they can be left outside all year long. To start a new one from seed you will need to have a gallon of soil mixture with leaves, bark and stones to build up the potting medium so it is 3-1/2 inches deep when done filling your container.
Fill within 1/2 to 3 inches from the top surface of your pot. Mist gently with very purified water and make sure there are no air pockets inside before placing it in a bright, warm location where the soil will receive about six hours of daily sunlight until roots appear at approximately 4- 6 weeks. In the daytime, gradually increase the potting mixture and use a 175-watt bulb no higher than 12 inches from your plant’s base to supplement strong light for faster flowering. If you are not satisfied with the vigorous growth being produced after three months, try pruning off some of the weaker branches just above where leaf-spots begin.
Transplant your gardenia to a larger pot after six weeks by digging it out of its original container and carefully replanting it in the original container. Be sure to cover with fresh potting soil and water thoroughly before returning it outdoors where you will plant out young plants after four to six weeks of conditioning time. Gardenia culture is essentially the same for indoor or outdoor usage, though they do tend to get root-bound in pots.
To help gardenias grow in containers that are not used often, it can be helpful to dip them into a hot bath for about 15 minutes before placing the plant back in its container. This will make them more firm and easier to handle when watering or during transplanting time since the stems and roots will be dried out. Gardenia seeds can be sown indoors four to six weeks before flowers bend the first time, as early starters develop faster than those set out as late-planted seedlings.