How to Trim a Gardenia Bush
Most people who don't have gardenia plants in their homes or gardens tend to think of gardenias as a delicate flower with an exquisite scent. Those with their own gardenia know that they are actually a type of flowering shrub, and they can grow to be huge and unruly. Gardenia plants can stay healthy and manageable with moderate pruning every other year. You might not need to trim your shrub if you think it's a manageable height or if it has no broken branches or symptoms of fungus or disease. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Use your garden shears to carefully cut any fungus-ridden, damaged or broken branches. Aim to prune at a 45 degree angle. Make a clean cut close to the base of the branch.
-
2
If you've been cutting a branch that shows signs of disease, wipe your pruning shears with a disinfected rag. You want to keep any possible diseases from spreading onto healthy branches that you haven't cut yet.
-
-
3
Trim away small, healthy branches that block sunlight. Keep the mentality of trying to thin the overall gardenia shrub. Avoid pruning too many branches in one area.
-
4
Aesthetic reasons should come after health reasons when pruning your gardenia. Make wise choices regarding how to make your plant look attractive. Step back and look at the shape of your shrub: You want to have a circular shape, an appealing and balanced shape for a gardenia.
-
5
Use your fingers to remove rough bark and splints from the areas you have pruned. Doing this will keep the cut clean and help prevent infection.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Prune your gardenia shrub in mid- to late summer once the flowers have started to drop off and fade. If you prune your gardenia too late in the year, you'll risk cutting off branches with new buds. Pruning your gardenia in the summer will also help it to heal itself quickly, keeping it from catching fungus. You don't need to overdo it: Pruning your gardenia every other year or every two years is sufficient. Your tree won't be healthier if you prune it every year.
Use sharp pruning shears. It's important to make a clean cut. Sawing away at a branch will leave an unsightly opening that might catch disease or encourage pests. If your gardenia is near or touching utility lines, do not trim it. Instead, contact your local power company and ask them what you should do.
