Congratulations Mike!! That is what I call success! Kudos to you people that grow them inside. I grow mine outside in FL...way too easy compared to you guys up North, and believe me I have my own problems, lol...

Thanks for sharing your good news!! Keep up the good work...

Mersiepoo, where are you? You would enjoy this, Mike apparently has been learning from you...Nice Job!

Mike, I second the congrats..It's possible keeping them going, but not an easy task for sure. lol
Did you spray or let them be?

Ignoring is fine, but keep an out for, -> whispers, mites, is essential. Showering is important, too, whether it's done by a hose in the sink, or shower. Toni

Yes I did spray........How do you like that? And I still have no buggies!!! I listened carefully for the whispers of mites, and can hear nothing!! Not yet anyways. Watch me come back in a month screaming!!
Wait, thanks alot toni, now that you brought this up, watch me find them quicker than I can blink an eye.lol
Everytime it is warm out, I also take them outside and shower. Oh ya. I also shower with my favorite one...Then I leave it in the shower humidity all night long. I do have a favorite. There's is plenty of room in there for the both of us...lol..I must admit though, the one I ignore does seem to do alot better though...;-)

Mike, which plant do you mean? A Gardenia or Citrus? Which is your favorite?
It's ironic the neglected plant is doing better..Wouldn't you know it?
You're not hosing soil, too, right? Toni

Toni sorry, I meant the gardenias. My favorite,,HUM
I would have to say my favorite all around plant is the Citrus, because they are always doing something different. Either growing,smelling good, giving us something to eat, less finicky, more hardy, and so on. Gardenia is up there though, when they are in bloom and HEALTHY!
Take care

Mike, I feel the same..Citrus are my favorite..but Gardenias, Jasmines, and most other fragrant flowers are definately on top.
Keep spraying and praying..lol...maybe the plant angels will frighten demon bugs away..Toni

LOL! Puglvr you are so funny!! Actually I think I read a tip from you saying you use vinegar to acidify the soil..I think that is one big thing that helps mine, I just don't overdo it. Yes, they are mind readers, he's got that one right! I try to keep thinking of songs like MacArthur Park when I dare go near it...I won't think any good thoughts or even show any emotion around the damn plant! If I did I would start hearing the leaves drop....lol!

So far mine aren't dead yet, weirdly enough the leaves are (shh...) actually really dark green, even the newer ones. I'm typing this very quietly as I know that it's awake right now. No buds yet though!

Ok....mersiepoo, I have to say I am so so proud of you!!When I saw the pictures of your evil gardenias..well, I, my mom, and my sister laughed so hard when we saw the pictures and your post..So Sorry. Not that we didn't feel bad, in fact the fact is opposite! I just couldn't beleive I was looking at gardenias, they almost looked like something that lost its idenity in a sever accident. Looked like you would have to take a forensic test to determine what 'george use to be"..lol
Please, no more allowing your plants to read your mind, and try taking a bath or shower with them, they might actually reward you for the fun! Give them something to grow, live for!!lol
Oh man, I pray they come back as big and healthy as you want them too so you can send pics to us with the results. Start asap!!
Mike...:-)

Meyermike, you are so funny!! LOL! I'm very glad you and your family could appreciate the pictures...my gardenia made me laugh and laugh and laugh..in fact I couldn't stop laughing, even when I finally threw it off the back of the deck...even when I hear a tiny scream from the vicinity of where the evil thing had plummeted, I still was laughing!

Then I leaped over the railing, with my extra sharp pruning shears in hand, not sure that I had 'finished the job' and I forgot to keep laughing when I saw the plant trying to crawl away on it's stubs..still dragging part of a broken pot behind it.... :D I sorta got distracted. ;D

Hmm, that's an excellent idea to take a shower with my gardenias...I wonder if they could survive the shock of seeing me nekkid however! That alone might make them explode into flame right there.

I'll make sure to take some pictures for posterity. I'll just make sure I edit my posterior out of the photos. :)

I'm glad that yours are doing great!! Maybe you got a good breed of gardenias, not those mean type that growl and bite your heels when you walk past them.

Sounds like a bad Hitchcock movie scene again!!hha
OH I can see it now, not just the image of a slasher women chasing an evil gremlin away..Do I want too..lololol
As that girl on the dancing of the stars would say.....Time to take a ride on the "hot tamolly train" for those that would like to get fired up..
Poor "george", wait poo you. What about you? You're the one suffering through all these personal attacks from your denias!!
Maybe I will have mine breed and give you a baby from a nicer breed!!
Don't be so down on your self, maybe pictures of your posterier might be better looking than you think by the way. Give yourself some credit will ya.!! lollololol
Oh mersiepoo, do do need merciepoo from all of us here!!! I sure have some for you. Man to think your hearing voices near your denias.. That is torture..You sure they aren't posessed some how?lolol
Oh boy, you got me started on a funny ride!!! Unbeleivable! I needed a laugh! I have been sad for quite awhile...
Please, seriously, if your gardenias do any better, or if they look great anytime soon, I want to see it posted A.S.A.P..
E-mail me sometime, and I will walk you every step of the way to bringing back your sic plants to better health, this is my challenge everytime I seem to go out to buy plants. I always seem to pic out the weakest or sickly ones out of sympathy, then nurse them back to health. Lots of practice I guess. I am getting to be a pro at it. I like it. I like to see the end results of my hard work and see the advice from all here work for me.:-)
So far so good.
Have fun till next time!! Be safe till next time. No more nightmares, no more hearing evil voices in your head. Let "georgie go ok!!....Mike:-)

LOL! Meyermike you are a riot! You give me hope..maybe it's not my fault my gardenias are evil..maybe it's THEM! Like that movie, "The Bad Seed"..maybe they were born that way!

Yes, it all makes sense to me now. It's THEM. They are bad. They need to be punished. Wait, what the heck am I thinking??? Okay, must be calm. Must put pot back and not throw it out window. Okay. Breathe deeply, go to my happy place...aaaah...there..there. Okay, better! :)

I went upstairs and took some pics of georgie or gary or whatever his name is these days and here they are. I can't believe there are newer leaves coming out!

You must be a sorcerer, if you can rehabilitate gardenias! I mean how do you do that?? Do you have like magic spells and stuff to have them regenerate their little stick bodies?

Wow....I'm..I'm in awe!!

I sent you an email so it's probably in your spam folder by now, lol!

Mersie, is that sand on top of the soil? If not, may I ask what it is?

Bad Seed, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven King, and Lolita showering with her plants. Maybe one of your plants will be like the one in Little Shop of Horrors..lol..Toni