Gardenia - Features Of Growing In An Apartment, Types, Maintenance, Reproduction And Pruning

2023 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-07-30 21:03

Gardenia in the apartment

The enchanting scent of gardenia has always attracted the attention of cosmetologists and perfumers, who use its essence in the manufacture of various cosmetics. The rich, intense scent of white gardenia petals inspired Coco Chanel to create the women's perfume Chanel Gardenia. Gardenia notes are also present in Calvin Klein's Eternity Summer Eau de Toilette.

Gardenia flowers are used by florists to make cut bouquets and various compositions with dead wood. Cut flowers do not absorb water and quickly turn yellow in the air; dried flowers lose their unique aroma. Therefore, to appreciate the beautiful gardenia, you can grow a blooming pot culture at home. Plants of the genus Gardenia (Gardenia) belong to the madder family (Rubiaceae). They were named after the American scientist Alexander Garden.

The spread of gardenia

Under natural conditions, gardenias grow in countries with tropical and subtropical climates: Central and South America, Equatorial and South Africa, some regions of Asia, the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, etc. Usually gardenias are found in the form of evergreen undergrowth shrubs or small trees, the height of which usually does not exceed 1-2 m.

Gardenia species

According to various estimates, the number of gardenia species ranges from 60-250.

The most common species in indoor floriculture is Gardenia jasminoides, originating from China and Japan.

In addition to the aforementioned species, the following gardenia species are widespread in culture: G. Florida, G. Radicans, G. Latifolia, G. Campanulata, G. Gummifera, G. Thunbergia, G. Carinata (G. Kula), etc.

Description

Gardenias have dense leathery shiny green leaves, the shape of which is oblong-ovoid, slightly rounded, with a characteristic pattern along the veins.

Its flowers are single, double, 5-10 cm in diameter, graceful, very fragrant. The most common colors are white, cream-yellow, lemon-yellow, yellow-orange, or pinkish. Outwardly, gardenia flowers are a bit like camellia and magnolia flowers. The gardenia flower blooms quickly, after 3-5 days it loses its aroma and withers, but new beautiful flowers appear on the plant.

With good care, gardenias bloom profusely. The flowering period is from March to October.

Conditions of keeping gardenia

To create favorable conditions, gardenias need good lighting, constant air and soil temperatures, regular watering and spraying of leaves.

Illumination and temperature conditions

Gardenia is a very light, warm, moisture-loving plant. The best place for a gardenia in an apartment is a bright window, well lit by indirect sunlight. If the window faces the south side, then the plant must be shaded; if to the north - to supplement.

It is good if you can create the same soil and air temperatures.

Gardenias do not tolerate temperatures below 16 ° C and above 24 ° C. But according to my observations, the jasmine gardenia (G. jasminoides) can withstand short (one-time) temperature fluctuations in the range of 6 … 14 ° С.

The optimum temperature of soil and air in the warm season is 18 … 24 ° С, and in winter gardenia is enough 16 … 18 ° С.

Flower buds are laid at a temperature of 16 ° C … 18 ° C, and at temperatures above 24 ° C weak shoots grow intensively, and the buds are not laid.

To avoid hypothermia of the root system in winter at low temperatures (if, for example, the gardenia is located on a cool windowsill), you need to wrap the walls and bottom of the pot from the outside with some dense insulating material (you can put foam plates under the pot and along the window frame).

The room that contains the gardenia must be ventilated with great care and only on hot days, because it is very sensitive to drafts.

Soil, watering regime and air humidity

Since gardenia is a moisture-loving plant, it should be watered regularly (abundantly during the summer) and often sprayed with soft, settled water at room temperature. The soil in the flower pot should always be moderately moist, as waterlogging or drying out can lead to leaf shedding.

Irrigation water and soil should be acidic or slightly acidic (pH 4.0-5.5). If you do not maintain the necessary acidity of the soil, then the leaves will gradually become smaller and acquire a yellowish tint. To maintain the necessary acidity of the soil, once a month I water the gardenia with water with the addition of apple cider vinegar (concentration - 1 teaspoon per 1 glass of water). Some growers prefer to use water infused with peat, others add lemon juice to the water for irrigation.

The gardenia has a very delicate root system, so the soil for planting the plant should be loose, permeable with a high content of nutrients, and the flower pot should have good drainage (you can put a layer of small stones on the bottom). The composition of the soil mixture for gardenia must necessarily include peat (high-moor brown, not neutralized), as well as sod, leaf, coniferous soil and sand in approximately equal proportions. A little coconut fiber can be added to make the substrate more friable.

Gardenias, especially during the budding period, need high relative humidity (70-80%), which can be maintained by frequent spraying and placing pots with plants on a pallet with wet sphagnum or expanded clay.

Many growers believe that sometimes dark brown spots may appear on the gardenia flower if water gets on it. So far, I have never been able to notice any changes on the flower that would have been caused by the water that got on it. But, just in case, during the period of budding and flowering, I spray the plant very carefully, covering the flowers and blossoming buds from the water. To remove dust or dirt, you can wipe the gardenia leaves with a piece of soft, damp cloth. It must be remembered that until the water on the plant has dried, it should be protected from direct sunlight.

The frequency of spraying depends on the conditions in which the gardenia is kept. Of course, gardenia should be sprayed more often in a stuffy, dry room than in a cold, humid room. For spraying, I use a sprayer with a finely dispersed spray.

In order to prevent fungal diseases of the plant, it is not necessary to spray it in the evening.

Fertilizing gardenia

In the spring-summer period, gardenia should be fed once every 10-14 days with water-soluble fertilizers for flowers and ornamental shrubs that do not contain calcium, with a low content of chlorine and nitrogen. The acidic soil required by the plant makes it difficult for the supply of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, so the fertilizer applied must contain an increased amount of these elements.

In the autumn-winter period, in a warm room with good illumination, it is possible to maintain the summer frequency of fertilization, and in a dark cold room, fertilization should be stopped and watering of the plant should be reduced.

Reproduction of gardenia

The best time to breed gardenia is from January to March or June to September.

Cut semi-lignified (they have a green-brown color) apical cuttings about 10-15 cm long should be treated with a root-forming stimulant and planted in pots with a diameter of 6-10 cm, filled with a substrate (the temperature of which should be 22 … 25 ° C) - a mixture of peat and river sand in a ratio of 1: 1.

Seedlings must be covered with a glass, jar or film. Young plants need to be ventilated daily (that is, remove the glass), sprayed with soft warm water and protected from direct sunlight. Cuttings will root faster if the pots are heated with bottom soil.

After about a month, the cuttings take root. Now they can be transplanted into pots, the diameter and height of which are 2 cm larger, into a soil mixture consisting of turf, peat and sand. When the cuttings reach a height of 15-20 cm, their tops must be pinched to form new lateral shoots. When the side shoots grow to 10-15 cm, they are also pinched. This operation must be continued until a beautiful lush bush is obtained. As it grows (after about 2-3 months), the growing gardenias must be transplanted into new pots, increasing their size by 2-4 cm. Further, young plants should be transplanted once a year in spring, and adult plants - every 2-3 years …

With good care, young plants can bloom in 6-12 months.

Gardenia bush formation and anti-aging pruning

To rejuvenate old bushes and the formation of young branchy gardenia bushes, you can cut off their last year's growth by 1/3 of the length in late winter - early spring (it is best to do this in February).

Possible problems that flower growers may encounter when growing gardenias are shown in the table.

Table. Possible problems, pests, gardenia diseases
P / p #	Problem	Causes	Decision
one.	Leaves are yellow, pale, small.	Watering with hard cold water, improperly selected soil acidity, low air temperature, insufficient illumination, lack of iron.	Water and spray with settled water with the addition of ferrous sulfate (0.5-1 g per 1 liter of water) or a weak solution of iron chelate, feed with fertilizers. Drizzle with acidic soft water.
2.	Leaf discoloration (chlorosis) is a pale yellow coloration of leaf interveinal tissues.	Low temperature, high soil moisture, lack of iron in the soil with an excess of phosphorus and calcium.	Water and spray with water containing ferrous sulfate (ferrous sulfate). Watering limitation. Compliance with the temperature regime.
3.	The leaves dry up and fall off.	Insufficient or excessive watering, dry air, sudden temperature fluctuations.	Compliance with the temperature regime, regular moderate watering and spraying.
4.	Intensive growth of shoots, flower buds are not laid.	Temperature below 16 ° C or above 24 ° C.	Compliance with the temperature regime.
five.	Falling buds	Decreased air humidity. Sharp temperature fluctuations. Insufficient illumination.	Maintain the required air humidity. Compliance with the temperature regime. Required illumination.
6.	Fungal diseases.	The defeat is facilitated by: high humidity, high temperature in low light.	Spray the plant in the morning and afternoon. The affected leaves must be removed, and the plant must be treated with fungicides (foundazol, oxych, etc.).
7.	Pests (attack only very weakened plants).	Insufficient humidity in a warm room, lack of nutrients in the soil.	For prevention, frequent spraying with water. If pests are found, you can carry out chemical treatment with insecticides according to the instructions, observing the necessary safety measures, or use plant extracts (infusions of nettle, calendula, onion, garlic, burdock, hot pepper decoction, etc.), prepared yourself. The insecticide, loved by many gardeners, is an aqueous solution of laundry soap - for gardenia, it is not the most successful remedy, since it has an alkaline reaction. Regular fertilization is necessary.

To strengthen gardenias, increase their resistance to adverse factors, diseases and pests, you can use various immunomodulatory preparations for plants.