My experienc of growing happy denias without yellow leaves!.:-)

15 years ago

I was never able to grow a Gardenia indoors until I met this site and you wonderful people.

In my experience, since I have joined this site this is what I have learned.

It takes at least 6 things to come together to grow a perfectly healthy and happy Gardenia and to avoid yellowing leaves, especially indoors.

I always wondered why I never got a yellow leaf outdoors in the summer,why they grew so well, and then, why I use to have a constant problem with them once brought indoors. I was great at growing them once they went outside, but once indoors, forget it, yellowing leaves and then soon after , death until now......

If you can apply these ingrediants I have learned from experience and info from this forum, especially growing them up north, then , you will truly be pleased with your rsults as I have been. It is possible to enjoy the pleasant smell of these wonderful plants, even here!

This is my experience for indoor growing up north, maybe for the southern folks could learn too...:=)

Water, light, soil, nutrition,humidity, air, and pesticide. All needed! A must! If just one is missing, plan on difficulty, and maybe yellowing leaves..:-(

It can be done though...:-). Just be patient and keep trying.

Water...Provide just enough of it. Do not over water, and let dry out between waterings. Too much is sure to produce root rot, and yes yeloowing leaves. When I water to soon, as soon as the next day, YES the next day, I get yellowing leaves!

Soil... Plant in a well and fast draining soil, one that dries out rather quickly, within a spanse of few days, such as less than a week.. Wet too long produces, yellowing leaves!

LIGHT... LOTS of it...Or SUN! Everytime my lights accidently forget to come on, and they get little light, I get yellowing leaves within a day or two. As soon as I put the lights on for long hours, or especially when it is sunny, and not cloudy for more than a day or two, the yellowing stops immediatly. This has been the MAJOR factor for my denias to stop, yes, yellowing leaves!!

Nutrition... Well we all know they like the perfect nutrition! All the minors,iron and everything else in between, in a good fertilizer. Less than perfect fertilzer, yellowing leaves!

Humidity and air... Even us humans breathe better when air has moisture in it, and it is fresh.. Using a humdifier and a fan that keeps air circulating, really helps. Very dry stagnet air spells insects and yup...yellowing leaves!

Pests.... None of us like to be bugged to death! lol

So keep pests off, especially mites. Lots of pests means falling and yes, yellowing leaves!

So my point?

Unless you can bring most of, if not all of these needs of a gardenia together, in perfect harmony, and be patient, you will have some problems, and give up.

There is hope! It can be done!

This site will help you to master all your denia needs such it has done for me and gain the experience needed to grow happy plants without yellowing leaves!!..:-)

I have mastered all these needs so far..Fingers crossed!

Thanks to all of you for the support in being sucessful, in what can be the hardest plant to keep in captivity indoors at the north pole! What would I do without all of you.:-)

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Comments (4)

meyermike_1micha
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oops! Sorry 7 not 6!
And I have yet to write a post with perfect speling!lol
monarda_gw
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would be happy if the buds just didn't fall off -- never mind about the yellow leaves!

Mine are not fancy cultivars, just ones that I rescued from near death -- one was greatly reduced at a store, another had been given to a friend.

I tried the garlic/cayenne pepper spider mite spray and, as far as I can tell, it seems to have worked on the gardenias. I have the humidifier going now, full blast and the buds are coming along. Keeping fingers crossed.
meyermike_1micha
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Monarda,

If your plants are indoors all winter, I can uderstand.
Once the SUN gets stronger, and longer hours of it shine on your plants, and then when your plants suck up all of those warm rays, watch the buds take off. Watch your plant take off like fireworks for you, probably in a month or two if they are in full sun.
Even with almost perfect conditions in my home, even I loose a couple of buds here and there, but most seem to stay little, and attached,then start to grow when the spring arrives and days are longer.:-)
I am just happy to keep them alive and well, full of leaves and not bare, or dead. I never expect the flowers to break forth, that would be asking for alot for me,, and if they do, that is an extra special gift from my babies that long for better conditions than I can give them for now...:-)
Take Care..
tropical_philippines
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Meyermike,

Thanks for distilling the tips to avoid yellowing leaves from gardenias grown indoors in cold climates. You have basically created an easy reference for gardenweb users for this number one and most common gardenia problem.

Actually, those who succeed in growing gardenias without yellowed leaves, frequently face another problem... the number two most common gardenia problem: BUD DROPPING.

Open flowers and buds are very elusive with gardenias. Gardenias can have a gazillion buds at one time but only 2 or 3 of them ever get to open in any particular period (sometimes even none)! The rest of the buds drop to the ground before they even open.

How to stop a gardenia from BUD DROPPING? Maybe others here can share their experiences in how to make all the buds open and not allow a single one to drop... Doing a rain dance perhaps? :)

tropical