How to Root Gardenia From Cuttings

Propagate gardenia from stem cuttings.

Gardenia is an evergreen shrub that is used in home landscapes in areas with mild winter temperatures. The shrub features deep green leaves year-round, and produces fragrant, cream-colored blossoms in the spring. Add more gardenia shrubs to your home landscape without purchasing expensive plants by propagating with cuttings. Cuttings taken from the shrub's stems can be grown into a new plant over the course of a year so that the new plant is ready for the yard as soon as the following spring.

Things You'll Need

• Shears
• Jar
• Mesh
• Pot
• Potting soil

Instructions

1. Cut off a young stem from the gardenia bush in spring. Using clean shears, cut the stem just above a visible leaf bud. The cutting must be approximately 4 to 6 inches long.

2. Fill a clear jar or glass with water nearly to the top. Place a piece of wire mesh over the top of the jar.

3. Trim off the bottom of the cutting to just beneath the nearest leaf bud. Strip off any lower leaves that will be beneath the water level.

4. Poke the bare part of the cutting through the wire mesh, so the bottom 1 inch is under water. Refill the jar with water to keep the section of the cutting submerged at all times.

5. Transplant to a pot when the cutting begins growing roots, usually within one to two weeks of cutting. Fill a seedling pot with moist potting mix, leaving a 1/2-inch space between the top of the mix and the rim of the pot.

6. Plant the cutting into the soil so that all the roots are beneath the soil surface. Water the soil until the excess moisture drains from the bottom.

7. Set the cutting in a warm, brightly lit area. Water as needed or when the soil surface begins to feel dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Transplant gardenia grown from cuttings the following spring after all frost danger has passed in your area. This gives the plant an entire summer to establish.

• Do not let the gardenia grow an extensive root system in the water. This makes it difficult to transplant and may kill the plant.

References

• Washington State Extension: Houseplant Cuttings