Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
alwayzbgrateful

Gardenia in heat stress???

Alwayzbgrateful
12 years ago

Hi all this is my first time posting , and I'm not even sure i'm posting in the right place. If not please let me know. If I am however this is my problem.I have a 3 gallon Aug.Beauty Gardenia potted in a plastic pot (still in the pot and soil I bought it in)I've had it almost 3months i placed it under a tree that gets morning sun and filtered sun after about 10am. I always leave home before the sun even rises and get home after it sets ,so I dont really have much time to check on her. I live in central texas and we're notorious for gettin' sudden drastic temp change. The 'denia was doin fine, blooming and looking her best until we had a week of temps of 110Fand higher.When that happened I took a few sick days from work and went out to see how she handled the heat, and much to my surprise almost all of her leaves are crispy and dry, the buds and stems are wilted looking and dont seem to perk up after the temps die down.I'm a newbie to gardening to say the least, all I knew before I joined this forum was plants die without water. (yeah my blissful ignorance)LOL .I never mist her because we live in a very humid area anyways ,I try to water when the top 3-4 inches of soil is dry.I always water in the evening.Please if anyone has any suggestions as to what I can possibly do help her, I really dont want to lose this plant, I bought it for my 7yr old daughter who has fallen in love with the beautiful blooms! Oh I forgot to mention I also read a thread here about Al's gritty mix and i would like to transplant her into that mix A.S.A.P. I'm still in the process of sifting,measuring and combining,would it be safe to transplant her now or should I wait? Is there anything in particular I need to use before transplanting? Thank you all in advance I've learned so much here!

Comments (2)

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    12 years ago

    Hi, welcome!

    (still in the pot and soil I bought it in)I've had it almost 3months...
    Plants are usually in need of repotting upon purchase.

    i placed it under a tree that gets morning sun and filtered sun after about 10am.
    Gardenias need more sun.

    until we had a week of temps of 110Fand higher.
    It gets hot here, too.

    leaves are crispy and dry, the buds and stems are wilted looking and dont seem to perk up after the temps die down.
    Without seeing the plant, it's hard to say for sure, but this plant probably would need to be watered in the morning and again in the evening. It sounds like it has gotten dangerously dry, possibly fatally.

    I never mist her because we live in a very humid area
    Misting is for indoor plants.

    anyways ,I try to water when the top 3-4 inches of soil is dry.
    In a pot in heat like this, twice-a-day watering is probably necessary.

    I always water in the evening.
    As long as you don't get water on the leaves, watering whenever the plant is thirsty is necessary.

    I would like to transplant her into that mix A.S.A.P.
    Probably a good idea.

    Gardenias live in the ground in zone 8. Are you able to dig a hole and plant it somewhere sunny? It will probably need daily watering in the ground also until it establishes roots and the temps cool off.

  • mehitabel
    12 years ago

    It's hard to tell without a picture, but IMO, if the stem wilt was heat stress, watering and more shade would refresh the plant and it would perk back up.

    My guess would be root rot, which is a common cause of death in gardenias, often brought on by either overwatering or underwatering followed by overwatering. Crispy dry leaves on the plant would suggest a point where it didn't have enough water.

    About giving a gardenia sun, I agree that's an ideal case, but in a temporary heatwave, and when the plant is showing distress, I believe full sun would only aggravate problems. A stressed plant with wilting stems needs shade.

    Sorry to bring bad news, but my guess is that your gardenia is dying. You will know in a few days if it doesn't perk back up after watering. Don't give more sun to a stressed plant.

    It won't hurt to transplant it, but I don't think that will help.

    About your daughter. I would just tell her the truth-- Gardenias are beautiful plants that require just right conditions to thrive, and show displeasure by dying. Most gardeners who are successful with them, have killed several while learning. We'll get another one, and learn together how to help it grow.

    The one thing you can do to increase your success with any plant is close, daily observation. That helps you know when it's doing well, and catch problems early. That's what "green thumbs" do.

Sponsored
SK Interiors
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars49 Reviews
Loudoun County's Top Kitchen & Bath Designer I Best of Houzz 2014-2022