Sunslight , I hear a key word in your paragraphs at which gardenia faints: large pot. If two of them have already died, the pot is overly large now. I hear a few hints of problem "for the past three years they stay small 2x 2": A healthy gardenia grows quickly into a fat shrub/topiary tree; "they are always setting buds": Your temperature may be persistently low. A dying plant sometimes tries to set buds. The leaves of your plant reveal chemical burn and root rot. There is a problem with pure peat. After 3 years, the peat may have collapsed/corrupt. Gardenia love rich but airy soil. You need to figure out a way to refresh the suffocating soil.

Thanks.

I can either add pure peat, perlite, or a peat/perlite mix to the top. There isn't anyway to mix it in to the soil that's in the pot.

Or I can try repotting each plant into a mix of 1:1:2, perlite:peat:good potting soil. That sound okay?

Which option, if any, seems best?

If I give each plant it's own pot (thinking 1 gal), should I take cutting and get them going or just take cuttings and repot, right away?

--Of course with Gardenias who knows what's going to happen. Thank for the help.

the saga continues.

The G plus my star Jasmine are now on their last legs.

I've been misting. Not giving much water and still the leaves are showing tip burn and falling.

Three of my Gardenias are gone. Two are still trying to survive.

I put the plants outdoors for the first time today. Hopefully, being outside will help?

However, much to my surprise, I checked the pH of the soil in both pots.
Both were around 7.6! No wonder the plants aren't taking up nutriments.

I added sulphur to the soil, but it hasn't or at least seems like it hasn't done anything.

I can spray the remaining leave with M2SO4 (Epsom Salts), 1 tbsp/g water and hope that will help.

Or i could use a few drops of vinegar in water to reduce my 7.0 water to an acid water. But vinegar seems not the right way to do it--maybe I'm wrong?

What do you think I shoud do? Throw the plants out, spray them all with sulphuric acid (that'll teach them) or use something in my mist water that will drop the pH?

If I can just get the Gardenias stabalized so I can get some cuttings, I'd do that and ditch the plants & bad soil. But I don't know if they--the Gardenias or Star Jasmine are going to last that long. Their demise is imminent.

Any ideas on how I might save these & get the pH down?

Bob

Sunlight, you sound like you are me! My gardenia started to lose its leaves, from the bottom up they would turn yellow. I had the plant in a small pot though, but I tried giving it dilute algoflash. I had occasionally watered it with a weak tea solution, but not enough, I guess. I took miracid and added it to the humidity tray. I also added epsom salts too. I didn't want to nuke it with too much fertilizer, but I noticed the tips were turning brown (from what was left) and I stopped the fertilizer. Now I have new growth, but it's still pale for the most part. Arrgh! I think I will just replace the soil with 1/3 peat, 1/3 potting soil and 1/3 rough bark. I'll then try to use a weak epsom salt/tea fertilizer until I get my liquid iron for it. I'm going to try to go easy on it.

I also noticed my jasmine (maid of orleans) was starting to get yellow. I just repotted it in new soil and put it in a clay pot. I did this a week ago, and it's starting to get new (green) growth. I also gave it some epsom salts and miracid too. I also make sure to mist the leaves.

Hope this helps!

The only water you should ever spray on your plants leaves is water that has been sitting out for a couple of days.
Plain water.
DOn't spray miracid on the plant itself. Ever.
Don't spray epson salts on the plant leaves.
I hope your plants live for you.
GOod luck to both of you.
Mersipoo, I did it again, I bought a new gardenia at Lowes the other day, a dwarf. I have it on the porch. Wish me luck with this one! (some people just don't learn, do they? LOL)

Butterfly, you are just like me! I'm going to get another gardenia (Belmont, maybe) and probably have it dead in a year or so. LOL! Good luck with your new Gardenia! Hey, at least you are brave enough to put yours outside! I still have mine inside...although it's not totally dead yet.... I'd have pictures for you all but my hubby bought these cheap batteries from china and they won't work in my camera.

Good luck with your gardenia!! :) I'll let ya know what happens to my evil gardenia too.....

I think gardenias are the most expensive annuals, don't you?

Mersipoo,
Why do I do this to myself?
I think I must be a little manic.
I swear I will never buy one again, and then there it is.
It is blooming right now, but I have to repot it I think, the leaves are turning yellow.
They are expensive and agravating and they die quickly for me, but I love them.
When I see the gorgeous beautiful smelling flower, I have to have it.
Oh well, the saga continues.
Good Luck to you again and always!

I spray my plants with tap-water. There is no problem.

I place my plants in heated and dry room. There is no problem.

I find Gardenia not difficult at all. You must know how to keep a plant.

When a Gardenia is happy, her leaves radiate light. Check out my post at http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/houseplt/msg010938057590.html

Here is one thing I must say: "keeping the soil evenly moisted" is the way to kill gardenia. They like it dry out completely between two watering.

Ha Ha-- Gardenia's not hard to grow?, snasxs? That's how they are in my home state of Louisiana, but not in Utah. I can't even grow field pea (crowder, cow), if any know what those are. The days are too hot, nights too cold, and air too dry.

Butterfly and Mersipoo, why do we keep doing these things? At least this year, there have been no Gardenias at either Lowes or Home depot to tempt me. However, I may order an August Beauty. I read that they are not as finicky as others.

I've given up on the present Gardenias. The push now is to get cuttings going before all of them die. My 1st attempt at water rooting failed, utterly: even though I misted, daily, the top leaves went brown, crinkly and turned to toast. Now I have a stem setting in water, ready to be thrown out.

I thought G were supposed to be easy for water rooting.

snasxs, that's interesting what you say about Do let the soil dry between waterings--which is the opposite of everything I've read.

I wonder if keeping the soil moist, applies if the planting medium is super, well-drained? And if it isn't, then I should let it dry a bit?

Any others with thoughts on the drying?

--I keep saying to myself, over and over, I will grow a gardenia, I will grow a gardenia--but the people on my street, just laugh & I think the gardenia does too.

Hey Sunslight, you remind me of another GW poster who is a church pianist in Virginia. He is really funny. Anyways, hot days and cool nights are the best for plants. Estimating from your zone number, I assume you plant them in pots indoors. The root of Gardenia loves air. You might consider a "soil-humidity" meter. The potting-soil must be acid.

I agree with snasxs.
"keeping the soil evenly moisted" is the way to kill gardenia

My gardenias actually grow in my backyard in full tropical sun. Our temperature range during dry season (tropical climates only have two seasons: dry and wet) is a low of 80F at night and a high of 90F during the day. Our coldest temperatures are typically never lower than 72F and our highest, typically never above 94F. Our humidity is usually around 70%-90%. It typically never gets lower than 60% humidity but it can get as high as 100%.

Given these climate conditions, during dry season, when I water in the morning at 7:30AM, the soil is already dry and starting to crack by late afternoon.

My gardenias actually have no problem with this and they remain VERY HEALTHY, GREEN, and BLOOMING despite this. I usually don't need to water them again in the afternoon and simply water them the next morning. Despite this regular daily 'stress' to the gardenias, I never really saw their leaves droop. They only start to exhibit signs of dehydration and drooping when they haven't been watered for 48 hours during the dry season (no rain at all for tropical climates).

This has made me conclude that gardenias are actually 'forgiving' plants rather than 'finicky'. :) They can tolerate extended periods of dryness but NEVER wetness. Stress from too much moisture in the soil is further aggravated when you have an overfertilized soil.

In summary, with gardenias, my experience has been:
1) Err on the side of dryness (neglect) than on wetness (too much attention).
2) Err on the side of very little or no fertilizer at all (neglect) than on too much fertilizer (too much attention).
3) Err on both 1) and 2) and you have the PERFECT RECIPE for RAPID gardenia death. :)

From my experience, once a gardenia starts to lose all its MATURE leaves from too much water and/or fertilizer, it is usually a HOPELESS case even if it has lots of 'promising' buds and young leaves left at the stem and tips. By then, majority of its roots will have been rotted and burned to death by too much fertilizer. (Too much fertilizer is usually indicated by browning of many mature leaf tips. Too much water, by rapid yellowing of many mature leaves especially the lower ones. Stagnant or very slow growth is an indication that could also point to either one or both.)

Gardenia owners shouldn't worry too much about underwatering gardenias. It is VERY EASY to revive a dehyrated, drooping, underwatered gardenia in a fertilizer free soil--- just add water and it should spring back in minutes (or in a few days if severely dehydrated).

However, it is usually difficult to revive a sick one in constantly moist soil with too much fertilizer. You have to replace the soil with a dry one without any fertilizer, and refrain from further disturbing the plant's roots, stem or leaves. You just water the plant a little (just enough to moist the roots and the soil near it) and to leave the soil dry in between waterings. It should spring back in a month. (Yes, it takes longer for a sick gardenia to recover when it is due to overwatering/overfertilizing.)

Fertilize only when the 'sick' gardenia has regained majority of its leaves back. (Many new, young leaves should have already matured). Again, err on the side of very little or no chemical fertilizer at all (organic is preferred as it doesn't burn) than on too much fertilizer.

Hope this helps those who are having trouble growing these wonderful, easy-to-grow plants. (I actually find roses more problematic with all those blackspot, mildew and soil parasites.)

Good luck!

tropical

tropical,

I cannot agree with you more. Here are some statements that I say "Amen" to:

This has made me conclude that gardenias are actually 'forgiving' plants rather than 'finicky'. :) They can tolerate extended periods of dryness but NEVER wetness. Stress from too much moisture in the soil is further aggravated when you have an overfertilized soil.

They only start to exhibit signs of dehydration and drooping when they haven't been watered for 48 hours during the dry season (no rain at all for tropical climates).

Gardenia owners shouldn't worry too much about underwatering gardenias. It is VERY EASY to revive a dehyrated, drooping, underwatered gardenia in a fertilizer free soil--- just add water and it should spring back in minutes (or in a few days if severely dehydrated).

From my experience, once a gardenia starts to lose all its MATURE leaves from too much water and/or fertilizer, it is usually a HOPELESS case even if it has lots of 'promising' buds and young leaves left at the stem and tips.

Please note the author is from the tropical region. In the cold north, in a small pot, Gardenia needs that dryness in-between watering. If you deprive her the opportunity to breathe, the roots suffocate and rot.

hi
i`m from KUWAIT the most hot country after sun :-) 50'c in summer and 13'c for now ,
my tap water is ranging from (120 to 150) PPM OR 0.25 mS (254 micro siemens)

i`m growing 6 gardenia using re poted in larger 30 liter pot ,since re potting them the two new they start facing same problem one is on right and old is on left, i did act like you butting every fertilizer i have

i think the PH goes down below 4 , N is blocked while Fe still available ,since i`m not sure

i`ll start these old steps that work with me for any confusing problem
1-flush the soil with warm water you should have (excellent drainage) ..measure your first flush with EC meter try to reach EC reading same as your tap water reading,

2-put it in shadow not in darkness so that will give it time to recover.

3- wait until you see drought in soil from down not too much watch the leaves & start watering after.

4- you can recover gardenia from much heat 50'c in direct sun and drought rather than soaked and shocked in minerals.

""After months from nursery on May i start using (FLora Nova G&B) while feeding them they did not change, after that i did two thing first is flushing and give it cold steam from my jet water machine
after two days magically it start budding in every branch about 20 bud at all

wish you best i hope your gardenia survive.

well after reading through this post as well as the infamous "suicidal Gardenia" post, I think I have a good idea why the two I bought from Home depot a month ago were dying (they still might be, but I'm attempting rescue).

When I bought the trees, I transplanted them into two larger pots alongside my back porch. I didn't break up the rootball; just planted it in some standard topsoil I'd had delivered for some raised garden beds. They would get morning shade and indirect afternoon sun. there were lots of buds and the leaves we dark and glossy, but didn't bloom in the month and a half I've had them.

well, then we got some heavy rains...and was surprised and disappointed to see that the pots the gardenias were in were filled to the brim with standing water. The pots apparently did not drain nearly as well as I thought they would. so I tipped each plant over to dump at least the standing water with the hope that the remaining water would evaporate eventually and not harm the plant. Unfortunately, the rains kept up and i didn't :(. After reading this thread, I realize now I was doomed. I should have immediately uprooted the plants, let them dry out and repotted them; not only that, but report them in a smaller pot that had considerably better drainage.

A week or two ago I notice one of the gardenias was looking droopy and some of the leaves were yellow. Stupidly, I thought it needed more water...fast forward, the one tree just has crispy brown leaves left while the other is droopy, yellow leaves, and some crispy.

So yesterday afternoon I got serious: Went to Christmas tree shop and bought a small pair of clippers; went to home depot and bought some SUPERThrive. Drove home, uprooted both trees and completely blasted the root ball with water until there was nothing but roots left. Combed through the now obviously damaged roots and ripped them out. Made a mixture of top soil, peat moss, and dried mowed grass and repotted the gardenias with that into two smaller pots. Then mixed a 1/4 tsp of ST into a gallon of water and divided that between the two trees. Then came the really hard part...stripping all the dead leaves off and cutting everything back to the last node where there was still green leaves (however pathetic looking) and green wick.

Now the waiting game...will they completely wither and die or slowly make a recovery? I've accepted that I won't have any blooms, but if I at least saved the plants from death, I can take some satisfaction.

wish me luck!

I suspect gardenias really have trouble growing in dry climates, where there is little humidity in the air. Maybe people should get a little greenhouse to grow them in.

I've come to the conclusion that Gardenias ONLY grow for people who despise them. I kept one alive for a few years, but it would not flower for me hardly at all. It slowly committed suicide for me, all the while torturing me with the promise of a new bloom. Arrrgh!

I used to live in south Florida when I was young, and there was a massive Gardenia bush at the front of where I lived. It was huge, it bloomed regularly.. and then, for whatever reason, it just up and died. I didn't know anything about plants at the time, but I remember my parents stressing quite a bit over trying to keep it alive. Since then I've always considered Gardenias extremely finnicky plants... but reading these posts are starting to change my mind a bit.

Do any of you know the BIGGEST threat to growing healthy gardenia next to poor soil choice?

I laughed at that pretty hard, nice one mersie

And-Mike, I don't know. Overwatering?

I'll never grow a gardenia in a pot again. Ever. I moved to South Carolina 7 years ago, and I can grow them right in the ground, where they belong. Easy peasy.

I wasted so much money, went through the heart ache of loosing them in the winter. So sad, all the gardenias I killed, they didn't like the heat indoors in the winter.

Now I have sandy soil, and I mulch them, and thats it. They get watered when I think of it, LOL, and they grow big and beautiful. Like Rhododendrums in the north. That is what gardenias are down here.

Nice to hear from some old timies, Mike and Mersi, long time no chat. Hope your summers were great for you, Happy Gardening!

Hi Butterfly! I saw it was you and was like, "Hey, I remember her!" Great to "see" you again! :D I know Butterfly, it's a losing proposition for me to grow those accursed plants! It's like Satan himself invented them....alluring scent...beautiful white waxy flowers of elysian beauty and verdant dark green leaves...and IMPOSSIBLE TO FREAKIN' GROW UNLESS YOU SELL YOUR SOUL TO SATAN YOU CAN'T GROW THIS $%$%$@@!^% PLANT. Reminds me of the "Suicidal Gardenia Thread", remember that one? LOL!

I bought a new potted gardenia today. I couldn't stop myself.

So Mike throws out that question and then never comes back? :(

I laughed at mersiepoo's response - pretty funny! :)

Oh my !!! H never recieved a notification ! My friend Mercy is a riot.

SALT toxicity. Salts held up in mixes not pooris enough to release them )). I'll expnain later))

Hey all you gardenia nut cases (me included). I have a deep dark secret...it's so dark that it would make most run and hide in fear. It creates the maniacal laughter that is heard in the psych ward at the prisons. I actually...

BOUGHT A GARDENIA!!
But, it was for my mom for mother's day. So ha ha ha!
Fooled ya!
I figured out that I would instead grow tuberose instead (the pearl). My mind is warping reality for me and when it's humid and the doggone tuberose bloom...my mind smells gardenia scented flowers. That....ARE NOT PICKY! That...actually GROW FLOWERS! That....don't just up and die on you before blooming and laugh their leaves off knowing that you are going to call a suicide hotline because of them dropping their $##@$ buds.

ala565626 did your gardenia survive after adding top soil, peat moss, dried mowed grass, repotting and using superthrive.