I don't have to overwinter, so I'm no help there. I have one in a pot, Miami Supreme,it is about 3 feet tall and wide. I have it outside and water twice a week, it's in a 7 gallon pot, in miracle gro soil. I used the acid fertilizer once in the fall and will use it again soon. Only problem I had was scales, which I spray off with the hose once each week.

Thanks for the info, silverkitty777. Let me ask you a few more questions.

Are you suggesting that Miracle Gro Potting Soil provides an acid medium that gardenias like so little acid fertilizer is required?

Does the pot need to be of a certain size relative to the size of the shrub? Why did you choose a 3 feet tall pot for your plant? What type of pot material should I use? Plastic? Something else?

TIA,
Luis

Hello again!

I used miracle gro potting soil because I had some left from a large bag, it doesn't provide the acid medium though. I just use the acid fertilizer that is labeled for azaleas, etc.. and so far haven't had a problem but I have only had this gardenia since the fall. I have it in a plastic pot because it is grafted and I will have to bring it inside if our temps go below freezing(plastic being much lighter to carry in). So sorry to not be clearer on the pot, the pot is 7 gallons, and the plant is 3 feet tall. I purchased it in a 5 gallon pot and put it in the 7 gallon when I brought it home from the nursery. I wanted to give it a little room to grow. I wish I could help you more but my others are planted in the ground.

Wendy

I'm planning on getting a gardenia to kill, I read that a good soil mix is 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 coarse sand and 1/3 regular potting soil. That is what I will try.

Thanks, and wow! You only fertilize in the Fall/Spring??? I thought that, with all the frequent waterings, the fertilizer nutrients would easily leech out the bottom of the pot and force one to fertilize as often as monthly!

I'm sure your right to fertilize a potted one more frequently, my experience though is with ones planted in the ground which get needed nutrients from the soil. I am just lazy about feeding my few potted plants more frequently. Hopefully someone will answer your questions better than I can. This will be the first rain season my potted gardenia goes through so maybe I will have to fertilize during the summer, I 'll wait and see how it looks in July or August. Good luck with yours- they are just wonderful when blooming! Wendy

Try this and other old posts you can find via the "search": http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/fragrant/2004052353021643.html

I've killed my share of gardenias. Make your potting mix very quick draining and only water when dry. Most of the deaths are due to drowning.

I've heard that fertilizing in the fall causes the buds to drop off. But, this is what I heard. I haven't ordered the poor victim plant yet however.

Thanks for the info so far. Here are a few unanswered questions:

1. How do you know it is time to replant in a bigger pot?

2. How often (and how much) do you have to water YOUR Gardenias that are in pots?

TIA,
Luis

Hi Luis,
I only grow a couple of standard Gardenias in pots and I bring them in over the winter and have them grow indoors (yes, I almost lose my mind over this...LOL). I don't pot them up to larger sizes because the pot is already a large diameter. If you're growing the smaller Gardenias, you can look for roots coming out of the bottom drainage holes, or lift the plant out and look for the roots circling the pot. They don't seem to need a lot of repotting.
I water my gardenias almost daily (or every other day) in summer when they're outdoors. I rinse off their leaves, too. I think I just like playing in the water, though. I do feed them monthly during the warm season.

What would cause some of the flower petals to turn brown when opening. Too much late day sun?

A HUGE change in it's extremely comfortable situation. If the leaves are green and staying that way it should be fine. No late day sun ever hurt a gardenia.

Good luck

MIke

Gardenias are very temperamental. Petals can turn brown if the plant is grown in too little light, if the plant is not kept moist (try keeping the soil constantly moist -not wet- as best as you can), if temperatures fluctuate too much (they prefer mid-to-lower 70s during the day and lower nights by night) or if they have an infestation by aphids (common this time of year) or thrips.

However they develop, these brown spots are areas were fungii are developing so dispose of the flowers in the trash, not the compost pile. Pick up plant debris around the base of the plant and also dispose of it in the trash. Do not touch the petals much as they easily bruise and infections can then get into the plant.

Always water the soil, not the leaves or flowers, in order to minimize the chance of fungal infections in flower petals (they turn -of course- brown). Mulch lengthens the times between watering and that is always good.

Splashing water on the petals will turn them brown.

Keep in mind that Gardenias are shrubs not annual flowers so their fertilizer requirements are much lower even in pots.

They do often get iron chlorosis which appears as light green/yellow new leaves with dark green veins. MirAcid has chelated iron in it and will correct the problem.

Gardenias will rot out if they stay too wet in pots. I lost four in my greenhouse two winters ago because I used Miracle Gro Moisture Control potting soil. It did not drain well and I lost almost everything in my greenhouse. I will never use it for anything but hanging baskets of annuals again. Even my fuchsias rotted.

I always wondered why the sell that MG soil crap?

It has been the death of means for everyones plants I know, and they still sell it.

Shame isn't it? Maybe that stuff would be great for indoor bamboo trees. I am sorry you lost so many plants.

Mike

My potted gardenia plant blooms but the blooms turn brown dry and die before opening. Why?

Hoda,
Your gardenias have bugs.
Look online under gardenia pests, they will show you pics
and mabey you can ID what is ruining your blooms.

Actually, MG Moisture Control Soil is crap. Regular MG, amended with a few other ingredients, (coarse sand, peat, bark and tiny pea pebbles) does great. My Gardenia was purchased 1994 and alive and compact today.

If a plant is watered properly, there shouldn't be any reason it dies.

Of coarse there are other factors keeping Gardenia alive and well.
Sun, humidity, fresh, circulating air, cool temps, fertilizer and if suspected Chlorosis, Iron needs to be added.

Potted Gardenias are not the easiest plants to grow in the first place, despite soil/medium.

Toni

Ok...So where is the pics please??? I would love to see them and good to see you:-)

MIke

Don't do, do don't
in a pot, thanks a lot

Now that is a ryme you made in no tyme..:-)

Mike

I have been a lucky one! A friend sent me a gardenia from a florist. I live in Upstate NY and so it's potted and indoors. It begins blooming in November and through January. It also bloomed this summer. Granted, I have babied it with distilled water and pebbles (for humidity).

I want to add that it's amazing to see it at my sliding glass window in the dead of winter - blowing snow and cold outside - and blooming like crazy. It seems to like the SW exposure.

This post was edited by cupakathy on Tue, Oct 1, 13 at 13:52

I am new with Gardenias. Got one with root bound. Can you please recommend how to make a potting mix, proportions. Thanks Anna