How to Start Cuttings From Gardenia Plants

Gardenia shrubs produce fragrant blooms.

Gardenia shrubs produce an abundant display of white blossoms, nestled among deep green, glossy foliage---and thrive in warm areas with mild winters, as the shrubs aren't tolerant of frost. Gardenias also grow well in pots brought indoors to overwinter in colder climates and propagate readily from stem cuttings. Take cuttings from your existing gardenia plants and add more of these flowering shrubs to your landscape.

Things You'll Need

• Shears
• Pot
• Sand
• Peat moss
• Plastic bag
• Potting soil

Instructions

1. Cut a 5-inch stem from the gardenia plant in spring when it begins actively growing. Choose a healthy stem with at least three leaf buds for the cutting.

2. Fill a 5-inch diameter pot with 1 part sand and 1 part peat moss. Use a pot that has at least one drainage hole in the bottom, as cuttings rot in soggy soil.

3. Strip any leaves from the bottom 2 inches of the cutting. Stick the cut end of the stem into the potting mix deep enough so that it stands upright on its own.

4. Water the potting mix until the excess moisture just begins to drain from the bottom. Cover the pot with a plastic bag and set it in a brightly lit, 75-degree F room to root.

5. Remove the bag and water the potting mix if it begins to dry, then replace the bag. Gardenia cuttings take up to six weeks to root.

6. Tug gently on the tip of the cutting after six weeks to ensure it is rooted. Rooted cuttings offer slight resistance when you tug. If there is no resistance, replace the bag and allow the cutting to root for an additional week.

7. Move the gardenia out to the garden bed or repot it in a standard potting mix once it is rooted. Keep the soil moist, watering when the top 1 inch feels dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a rooting hormone, available from florists, to help ensure the gardenia cutting produces healthy roots.

References

• North Carolina State University: Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings
• Texas A&M Extension: Gardenia Propagation