How to Trim Gardenia Plants
Gardenias are prized for their heavenly scent. There is almost nothing better than sitting outside on a warm summer evening and having that wonderful scent of gardenia wafting through the night air. The pure white blooms against the dark green, glossy leaves make an absolutely stunning display in the landscape. However, as almost every experienced gardener will tell you, gardenias can be a real pain to grow. These plants are extremely temperamental. Fortunately, trimming gardenia plants is not difficult at all. While knowing how and when to prune your gardenia plants will not improve their health or make them any easier to grow, it will help them look their best. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Determine if the variety of gardenia you have blooms once a year, or more often. Most gardenias only bloom one time during the year; however, some new varieties have been developed that will re-bloom. This is important to know, because you do not want to trim your gardenia bushes until they have completely finished blooming in the late summer.
-
2
Trim your gardenia plant about every other year. Prune them back to the appropriate shape and size when they begin to look leggy.
-
-
3
Cut back the gardenia's branches after it has quit blooming, usually in the late summer. Use sharp pruning shears so you will not leave jagged edges. Jagged edges on any plant can cause diseases. It does not matter if you cut the new growth (green wood) or old growth (brown wood).
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you are growing gardenias as houseplants, follow the same steps listed here when it is time to prune them. Gardenias love water. If growing them in your home, water them well. They can even handle water standing in the pot's saucer. If you are not sure which variety of gardenia you have, read the plant tag or ask a professional at your local gardening center. One of the most popular varieties of gardenia is Gardenia jasminoides.
Never trim gardenia plants before they have finished blooming. Do not trim them into the fall--October 1 is generally the cutoff date. Gardenias set their buds for blooming the next year in the fall, which is why they should not be trimmed at that time of year.
