Califormia Central Valley is very hot and dry. The sunshine is much more than the original habitat(also hot but misty, humid and cloudy southeast of China). California Central Valley is the best place for tomatoes, peper, fruit trees, grapes, cotton, leafy vegitables----- but not quite for gardenia.

The plant may need overhead 50% shade cloth. You have to figure out how to find a high humidity area in your yard. If you have auto lawn sprinkle and bushes of nearby plants, you can place the gardenia under portion of the bush plant shade. Make sure that the potting mix is easy to drain and properly but not over fertilized.

After all that. Pray ever day.

I am sorry in the rush. You are actually at the coastal California. Then the principle is still holding true. Coast is too cool. The plant needs hot weather. Like Seattle, gardenia will not blooming there like a Rhodi. The best place is to have a green house or a passive green house.

Finding a good place for it is paramount of course; but so is misting it every day with tepid water, feeding it every three weeks, and giving it enough sun to thrive without burning it.

excellent advice above. like with all plants, try to avoid stressing as in temp/humidity changes...establish a good irrigation and feeding program works in FL.

longriver
Gardenia's need humidity and acid soil. Miracid 1/4 spoon once a month might help, or organic rose soil, you can try little cow manure also.

Here in North Georgia, the Gardenias only bloom around the beginning of June-July. That could be induced here by our colder winters - but give your plant at least til then to see if it will 'pop' (and you will know it - the scent is detectable for about 50 feet away from my plants, and overpowering right by it)

For more advice, humor, and (in)sanity when growing gardenias, check out the world-famous Suicidal Gardenia Thread below.

Great stuff!

My gardenia 'Klein's Hardy' is now suffering the deep freeze of NYC (also known as what used to be normal Feb. temperatures) despite my attempts to keep it wrapped up at night. If it survives, I'll know it's as bulletproof as they say!

JimShy

Here is a link that might be useful: Suicidal Gardenias

The link below has a table that details the possible causes for bud drop off.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Grow Gardenias

Jimshy, thank you SO much for that suicidal gardenia thread! It's SO FUNNY!!! Maybe there should be a 'gardenia support thread'.

Mersiepoo,

There is a support forum, it's called your local bar . . .

;>)

Jim

Jim,

Yeah, or my local crackhouse, ha ha! Maybe THEY have gardenias that bloom...

LOL!

The variety of the gardenia makes the difference about bloom. The medium and small size type gardenia will produce more flowers. The large flower( three rows of petals) produce less flowers in the East of SF area.

I had one week of most freezing temperature in my yard. To my surprise, all my gardenias including a large leaf gardenia stood well against the freezing. (I kept only one special gardenia originated from Taiwan in my warmer green house.)

I know that commercial gardenia flowers are air shipped from warm and humid Central America countries to U S.
I do think you can grow and produce nice gardenia flower in your house, but you shall figure out to develop the growing conditions favored for the plant.

I hate to tell you that I paid least attention to my gardenias and they just produce lots of flower for me. Obviously the micro environmental elements plays a key role.