Taking care of a gardenia plant is never easy. But it is rewarding once its flower blooms and releasing sweet aromatic gardenia smell. I kept my gardenia plant indoor in order to maintain its temperature.


Indoor Gardenia Care

• When you first bring your gardenia home, it is essential to have the best spot picked out because they do not respond well to being moved around. This spot should have plenty of light, at least half a day of direct sun, and be in a room with a temperature about 70 F. (21 C.) during the day and 65 F. (18 C.) at night. They need bright, indirect light. Inside the home, this means near a sunny window but not necessarily sitting on the windowsill itself. 
• Speaking of soil, your gardenia will need rich, well drained soil. The best soil for gardenias should have a pH between 5 and 6. If the soil is lacking in acidity, there are a few things you can do. Some gardeners swear by adding pickle juice to their gardenia soil. Vinegar may work just as well, just be sure it is diluted in water because vinegar can kill plants and is often used as a natural herbicide to get rid of weeds. Dilute at a ratio of one cup vinegar or pickle juice to one gallon of water and use it to water your gardenias once a month. 
• Gardenias prefer the relative humidity around 50 to 60 percent. High humidity is essential to indoor gardenia care. Dry air will quickly cause the flowers to begin dropping from the plant. There are several ways to increase humidity in the home, including the use of a humidifier or grouping plants together on trays of wet pebbles. Misting the gardenia plant is not recommended, as this may cause problems with fungal leaf spot.
• While gardenias don't like to be saturated with water, a constant supply of moisture ensures the plant retains it blossoms and remains healthy. To tell if your gardenia needs water, stick your finger into the soil. If it feels dry, water it. If the soil is so soggy it feels squishy, you're watering it too much.
• Prune deadhead or remove spent blossoms. Don't be afraid to prune your gardenia as necessary. Pruning encourages healthy new growth and blossoms. For most gardenia varieties, pruning should be done right after the plant is done blooming. If you wait too long to prune, it will not bloom the next year.
• In a healthy gardenia plant, only new leaves are light green.

Gardenia Light Green Leaves Problem

• Chlorophyll gives a healthy gardenia its deep green foliage pigment. Gardenia leaves turn yellow and drop off as they age. This occurs in healthy plants and is no cause for concern. However, if the leaves appear yellow or pale green between the leaf veins, it's a sign of iron deficiency affecting the plant's chlorophyll production. Called iron chlorosis, this condition makes the leaves lighter in color. The plant needs acidic, well-drained soil rich in organic material, such as a potting mix amended with compost, so it can make use of necessary minerals, particularly iron, for healthy foliage.
• Too much water or soil that drains poorly may result in lighter green leaves on your gardenia. Adding organic compost to the soil improves drainage as well as increasing nutrients. Water only until the soil is moist, not saturated. Keeping a layer of organic mulch on the soil surface will help to keep the soil moist with less watering. Keeping the gardenia's moisture level consistent protects the plant from tip burn, a condition that especially affects the ends of leaf veins, causing color loss and death to the leaves.
• The gardenia needs to get enough light for adequate chlorophyll production, at least four hours of sunlight daily. If the plant is in a shady spot, moving it to a sunnier area will help it create darker foliage. Don't use lime near your gardenia, as it can change the soil's pH by leaching components of cement and other materials such as brick mortar. Avoid planting your gardenia near cement features, such as walkways and foundations, because they also affect the soil's pH. Lime present in the soil from natural materials including shells, limestone and marlstone, a lime-rich mud or stone, also increase pH, increasing the risk of iron deficiency. In locations where the soil pH is 7.0 or above because of these elements, it is not possible to permanently lower the pH, according to Clemson University Extension.

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Labels: flower, home and garden, plant