How to Grow Gardenia Plants

Gardenia plants grow well in Georgia; better than Southern California--they prefer the humid and cool climates of the Southeast--although they thrive in warm weather during the winter. The gardenia plant is an evergreen with dark green, glossy leaves. The plant grows to a height of three feet and the fragrant flowers are creamy white. Leaves will turn yellow if the plant is deficient in nitrogen or iron, so make sure to check the soil regularly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Rooting soil
• Clay pot
• Garden shovel
• Garden gloves
• Leaf mold
• All purpose fertilizer

1. Root a gardenia tipshoot cutting in four weeks by placing it into rooting soil found in the humid and warm climate of the Southeast. Gardenias grow well in Georgia where the humidity is at 60% and the air is above 60 degrees F.

2. Plant the gardenias in bright filtered sunlight or the direct sunlight of the Georgia east in the late spring or early fall. Gardenias blossom best when the air is between 60 and 75 degrees F.

3. Transfer the rooted gardenia cutting into a well drained acidic soil enriched with leaf mold. Since gardenia plants thrive best in tight spaces, it is wise to transplant the gradenia into a bigger container rather than the ground.

4. Add an all purpose fertilizer with chelated trace elements to the soil a twice a month.

5. Water the gardenia plants every seven days. Do not over water, but also never allow the soil to dry out.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray the gardenia plants with an insecticide--according to the manufacturer's recommended suggestions--if the plants become infested with whiteflies, spider mites or aphids.
• Gardenias grow best in small pots, but they do not appreciate cramped root-balls. Make sure the pot is large enough to house the expanding roots.
• Avoid planting your gardenias in hot afternoon Georgia sun to prevent bleached leaves. Avoid environment changes like sudden hot and then cold to prevent leaves from falling off.