How to Prune a Gardenia Bush
Gardenia is a popular garden shrub with very fragrant white or yellow flowers and dark green, shiny leaves. Gardenias need a warm climate, USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10, to grow outdoors. They require a partly sunny spot with well-draining soil as well as a light layer of mulch in order to thrive. Prune a gardenia with overall appearance in mind, focusing on an even size and shape. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Clean your clipping shears and remove any rust.
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Inspect the plant for overall health. Identify any bruised, damaged or dying parts of your gardenia shrub that will need to be trimmed.
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Remove these damaged branches, pruning all the way back to the originating branch.
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Trim the plant's edges with shape in mind. You should be able to take off several inches of new growth to get the bush into an even shape. Do not remove more than one-third of the plant at most.
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Remove all scraps to a compost pile or yard waste bag. Pruned shrub branches, especially if they are diseased, may attract garden pests.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure your shears are sharp; dull pruning shears will damage the hard woody stems of the gardenia and diminish the plant's ability to carry water. Some gardenias bloom more than once a year, so before you prune, make sure your shrub has finished flowering.
Avoid pruning in the late fall; a cold winter will freeze any new growth that sprouts from the pruning points.
