Gardenia - Laborious Care Needed

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Among gardenias, species such as rooting or jasmine are especially popular as indoor cultivation. These plants are very beautiful and vibrant, capable of decorating any interior

However, gardenia requires special and laborious attention and self-care. Under natural conditions, this flower is a large-sized shrub, and sometimes trees. During the flowering period, a delicate and rich aroma reigns around the plant, fragrant at a distance of several meters. The gardenia bloom itself is lush and abundant, which even roses and peonies can envy.

For the first time, such magnificent flowers became known in China, when it was these plants that adorned the chambers of the imperial Song dynasty. It was over a thousand years ago. Despite the fact that in castles and palaces gardenias could prove themselves as a real luxurious tree, gardeners still tried to get even more lush flowering from the gardenia, although they did not allow the crown to grow, constantly cutting it. Soon, large gardenia trees were transformed into miniature shrubs, and were used in bonsai compositions. This plant reached Europe only by the end of the eighteenth century, but here, too, crown pruning was carried out regularly so that the type of plant was compact and neat. Caring for gardenia at home today haunts many novice and experienced flower growers. But everyone knows that gardenia is a rather capricious and demanding flower.

In the modern world, gardenias have varieties and small sizes that were bred specifically for indoor cultivation. Their small size had a positive effect on simplifying care in the form of crown pruning from the plant. However, it will still be difficult for an inexperienced grower to grow a gardenia at home.

How to keep a gardenia at home? Care features

The decorative gardenia flower originated in Southeast Asia. There he feels most comfortable in natural conditions. The plant is very fond of warmth, and it takes root especially well in aerated and acidified soils. Despite the fact that sunlight is almost a necessity for a gardenia, the hot rays can cause a lot of damage to the flower.

Indoors, a container with planted gardenias must be placed either on the south or west windows. Although in the first case, it will be necessary to create a shelter for the plant from the scorching sun. However, in the cold season - in winter and late autumn, the plant can be in the sun as much as necessary. Any evergreen plant has a comfortable temperature limit. Gardenia also has it. During the summer period, during the day, room air can be heated to twenty-four degrees, but at night eighteen, and sometimes fifteen degrees are enough. In winter, the optimal temperature for the normal development of gardenia is considered to be about sixteen degrees. Ten degrees Celsius is the minimum below which the temperature cannot be lowered.

Airing will help maintain the temperature necessary for the plant, but it is important to ensure that the cold air does not affect the flower itself. Otherwise, the formation of inflorescences will be very slow. Sometimes a gardenia can even in such a situation drop the already formed flowers altogether. The kidneys just dry up.

Insufficient heat or moisture deficiency also negatively affects the development of gardenia. In order for water vapor to get on the plants, it is necessary to use household appliances or place a pallet with wet expanded clay placed in it under the container with the plant. But here, too, there is a rule - the roots of the flower should not come into contact with water.

To maintain a healthy and attractive leaf color, it is necessary to irrigate in a timely manner with clean and warm water, sometimes wipe the surface of the leaves with wet wipes and occasionally arrange a warm shower for the flower, but so that the soil in the container does not get wet at all.

How to water and fertilize a gardenia?

In the summer and spring seasons, the soil in the gardenia pot should always be moist, but moisture should not accumulate under the container. In winter, you need to water the plant much less. For top dressing, citric acid can sometimes be added to the water for irrigation. As a result, the crop will better absorb fertilizers.