Gardenia can only compete with camellia in elegance and beauty. This exquisite plant with gorgeous and fragrant inflorescences that can outshine even a rose. One flower is enough to fill the entire apartment with fragrance. But you need to know how to grow such a crop correctly. Detailed characteristics and care of gardenia will be discussed in the article.

This is an elegant evergreen shrub that belongs to the madder family. There are many types. Some of them in the wild can reach a height of 1.8 meters. There are even specimens that grow up to 3 meters. The birthplace of the culture is China, Japan and the Ryukkyu Islands. This flower is often called Cape jasmine.

The plant looks very decorative, but caring for gardenia is difficult. At home it usually grows up to 60 centimeters. The foliage is leathery and glossy, dense, dark green in color. It has an oval shape with pointed tips. The leaves are arranged in pairs: opposite each other. The shape of the bush is compact and beautiful.

The buds are waxy, sometimes collected in corymbose inflorescences or solitary. When opened, they reach 10 centimeters in diameter. There are terry, simple and semi-double options. The shade is often slightly creamy and white. The aroma is pleasant and strong. Check out the article: .

Popular varieties of culture

Due to the fact that caring for indoor gardenia at home is simple, this crop is often chosen by beginning gardeners, as well as those who do not have a lot of free time. Today more than a hundred varieties are known. However, not all of them are suitable for growing in an apartment.

Usually, gardenia jasmine is kept at home. This is an evergreen bush that grows 80 centimeters in height. Foliage is 8 centimeters long. Its shape is back ovoid or broadly lanceolate. The surface is glossy, painted in a dark green tone. The flowers are solitary or collected in inflorescences. Usually white or with a yellow tint. This view can easily be called one of the most beautiful. But care for jasmine gardenia must be correct. The flower requires attention and the creation of a number of necessary conditions.

True, today breeders have bred others indoor varieties. They are compact and easy to cut. This makes caring for indoor gardenias somewhat easier. But still the crop remains quite complex and demanding in terms of cultivation.

Here are the types that are most in demand:

How to care for a plant at home?

Beginners in the field of floriculture often choose gardenia. However, growing it sometimes poses great difficulties. After all, the plant is capricious and requires the creation of certain growing conditions. Therefore, it is worth giving some advice on how to care for gardenia at home for novice gardeners. Care involves performing a number of activities to ensure the flower’s comfort. This includes: choosing a location, observing temperature and humidity conditions, fertilizing, pruning, replanting, etc. Let's look at each of these points in more detail.

Choosing a place for a flower

It is advisable to place the pot on a south or west window. In the first case, you will have to build shelters from the scorching rays of the sun in the summer. In winter, gardenia is usually not limited in light and is moved to the sunniest place.

Suitable temperature conditions

Involves caring for gardenia at home and maintaining the temperature at a certain level. In summer, the crop feels comfortable when during the day the air warms up to +21-24 degrees, and at night it stays at +15-18 degrees. As for the winter season, the rules are somewhat different. It is important that the room temperature does not fall below +10 degrees. It is optimal if it is at +16 degrees.

A comfortable temperature is maintained by ventilation, installation heating devices. The main thing is to avoid drafts. Cold air currents negatively affect the plant, especially during the bud formation phase. At the same time, there is a risk that the flowers will begin to crumble.

If the apartment is not warm and humid enough, this will also negatively affect the plant. To saturate the air with water vapor, the pot is placed on a tray with a layer of moistened expanded clay. Or they are located near heating devices.

Irrigation and watering of a flower

To keep the leaves fresh and healthy, water and spray the plant.

In this case, only filtered, clean and warm water is allowed. It is useful to wipe the leaf plates periodically with a damp cloth. It also involves caring for gardenia in a pot at home using shower procedures. In this case, you should be careful and not allow the substrate to get wet. IN cold season years, irrigation is made less abundant and more frequent.

The flower loves acidified soil. Therefore, it is recommended to periodically acidify water for irrigation with citric acid. Just a few drops per liter of liquid are enough. This water will improve the flower’s absorption nutrients from the ground.

Fertilizer and feeding of gardenia

This involves caring for jasmine gardenia at home and feeding it. The soil is usually fertilized in summer and spring. Complex mixtures and sets designed specifically for flowering plants. Showing weekly foliar feeding products rich in microelements. In winter, it is also sometimes a good idea to carry out a similar replenishment of the culture. This type of care for gardenia is especially indicated in winter, when signs of chlorosis are observed on the foliage. If the gardenia has been replanted, fertilizing is allowed only after 1-1.5 months.

Transplanting a flower into another pot

Caring for gardenia after purchase has some features. Typically, plants that go on sale are planted in soil rich in long-acting nutrients. These useful elements last a long time. Therefore, culture is capable of additional fertilizing bloom throughout the growing season.

But if the flower is in an overly moist peat substrate, the root zone has grown greatly and sticks out of the drainage holes, the gardenia needs to be cared for: transplanted into a new, more spacious pot.
A similar event is carried out in the spring before the plant enters the phase active growth.

If you do not make a transplant, then:

• The soil nutrition will not be enough for the bush to fully develop and bloom.
• The plant will stop growing and lose its decorative appearance.
• Flowering will become scarce, much fewer buds will form and they will open poorly.

Transplantation is carried out by transferring it into a new container. The plant, together with the earthen lump, is transferred to a pot of larger diameter, and the free space is filled with new fresh soil. If the crop has flowers, it is advisable to cut them off before replanting. Otherwise, they will begin to exhaust the weakened specimen. In order for a beautiful gardenia to show off on the windowsill: planting and care at home must be carried out correctly.

Pruning and pinching plants

Pruning helps to maintain the flower in a form acceptable for a city apartment. Without this procedure, some varieties of gardenia can grow greatly, reaching the height of the ceiling. Such a plant will look untidy and occupy a large area. By cutting off part of the top, the crop stops growing in height. But the lateral processes begin to actively appear. Usually, pinching and pruning of shoots begins in the second year of a flower’s life. All faded buds are cut off. Dried and overgrown shoots are also removed.

Pruning provides good care for gardenia at home and propagation of the crop. After all, cut parts of branches are used for rooting and growing a new plant. The main thing is that the cuttings have several leaves. It is immersed in water, to which a few drops of a product that stimulates the formation and growth of roots are added. When roots appear, transplant into nutritious and light soil. Creating the necessary conditions and with proper care, the gardenia will bloom the next year.

What diseases and pests are dangerous for gardenia at home?

If you organize good care for your gardenia, diseases and pests will not harm the plant, but it is not always possible to follow all the rules.

The following ailments most often plague culture:

1. Iron deficiency. In this case, yellowing of the foliage is observed, green veins become clearly visible.
2. Too dry air, temperature changes, insufficient irrigation. All this leads to the leaves darkening and drying out.
3. Fangus. A clear sign is yellowing sheet plate and the appearance of brown spots. Treatment is carried out with copper-based products.
4. Hypothermia, too hard water for irrigation, unsuitable soil type. As a result, the leaves turn yellow and wither.

Conclusions about the above information

Gardenia belongs to the madder family. In the wild, this plant is found in South Africa, India and China. In total, there are approximately 250 species of the genus; it has become widespread as a houseplant. This shrub grows up to 1.8 m in nature, and at home its growth does not exceed 45-50 cm. This plant has glossy, broadly lanceolate leaves. Flowers are solitary or collected in corymbose inflorescences of 4-6 pieces. White flowers up to 5-7 cm in diameter have pleasant aroma. Home gardenia blooms in summer and autumn.

Gardenia should be sprayed frequently - several times a day. Also, caring for gardenia at home requires removing faded flowers. In the spring, at the beginning of the growing season, gardenia should be pruned to form a bush crown. Gardenia leaves can be treated with a plant-based leaf polish.

How to care for gardenia jasmine to achieve rich flowering? This requires a lot of effort and strict adherence to all flower care rules. When purchasing or making your own soil mixture for gardenia, you should check its acidity. To do this, you need to pour a soil sample into an empty pot and water it; when the water has drained, determine the pH level using In winter, you need to make sure there is no blowing from the window so that the soil in the pot does not become too cold.

Maintaining a certain temperature regime should be part of caring for gardenia at home, since this plant is quite heat-loving. It is kept in winter at a temperature not lower than 16°C and not higher than 22°C. The best option- about 18°C. Should be avoided sharp fluctuations temperature.

This plant loves light, and caring for gardenia at home should provide adequate lighting, necessary for the plant For good growth and flowering. In summer, the plant should be protected from direct sunlight during the hot day. Excessively bright summer sun may cause gardenia leaves to turn yellow or develop brown spots. In winter, it is advisable to place the plant in the brightest place, and you don’t have to be afraid of direct rays of the sun at this time of year.

Special watering also includes caring for gardenia at home, including regular spraying. In spring and summer, watering should be plentiful. In winter - more moderate. This plant cannot tolerate dry soil, however, stagnation of water in the root system is also extremely undesirable. Water for irrigation at any time of the year should be lukewarm and always soft. To water gardenia, it is good to use filtered or boiled water. rainwater. During the period of active growth (March - August), the gardenia should be watered once every two weeks with liquid fertilizer for flowering plants. indoor plants. The dose of fertilizer should be taken two times less than the amount indicated in the instructions. Twice a year (spring and summer) preparations containing iron are applied, which lower the pH level.

Gardenia care also includes a mandatory transplant, which is carried out in the spring, preferably once every two years. Gardenias require acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 - 5.5. The soil mixture for this plant consists of five equal parts: turf, coniferous, foliage, peat and sand. Required condition is good drainage, the best is expanded clay, which is poured onto the bottom of the pot. If you can’t prepare your own soil mixture, you can buy soil for azaleas at a flower shop.

Gardenia is propagated by cuttings in February - March. Cuttings are planted using phytohormones in soil heated to 25-27°C. When rooting cuttings in water, they are placed in a weak solution (kornevin, epin or heteroauxin).

gardenia flower(Gardenia) - native to China and Japan. There are many types, more than 250, but at home, no more than two dozen are used. Gardenia jasminoides is considered the most demanding. The flower is grown in small pots.

There are some special care requirements, especially the plant is afraid of sudden changes in temperature and drafts, and also needs pruning. Often serves as an addition to a composition.

At proper care, the beauty and smell of luxurious buds cannot be compared with many popular flowers. A flower of the madder family, named after the American gardener A. Garden.

Description: Shrub or subshrub, sometimes in the form of a tree, not exceeding 0.5 m. Shoots slightly drooping, strong. The leaves are whorled, 3 pieces each, with small leaflets, smooth to the touch. The flowers are beautiful, large and of various colors: white, pink, yellow, they all have a pleasant smell. The flowers are located singly, in the axils of the leaves. Flowering occurs depending on the species, often from June to October.

Gardenia - species

Gardenia flower - home care

Location and lighting: Beginning gardeners need to remember that the flower is very demanding to care for and sometimes can simply disappoint the owner. Even with a slight rotation of the pot, all the flowers can be thrown off.

Gardenia prefers bright, diffused light, warm climates and high indoor humidity. Adaptation to a new place is long and painful.

Throughout the year it is necessary to provide bright diffused light, in winter period extend daylight hours with fluorescent lamps. Prefers east and west facing windows. At lunchtime, it needs shading from direct sunlight. The northern direction will not provide enough natural light. Take care of additional light.

The flower can be placed on the balcony or in the yard, but in the absence of drafts, rain and sufficiently warm air. When buds appear, do not turn the flower or change the lighting suddenly. Lack of light leads to plant drying and lack of flowering.

Temperature: For successful flowering and growth, temperature control is especially important for gardenias. During the warm period optimal performance 20-24° C. Starting in autumn, the temperature is gradually reduced to 17-18° C. Drafts and temperatures below 16° C negatively affect growth. High rates during the dormant period lead to active growth of shoots, but reduce the intensity of bud development. Optimal temperature soil must match the indicators of the habitat.

Humidity: Throughout the entire period, it is necessary to maintain high humidity of 60-80%, especially during the period of bud emergence. During hot periods, or heating season, the pot is placed on a tray with wet expanded clay, pebbles, or wet peat. Also, the plant is sprayed using soft or settled water, but the water should not get on the buds; often during this period, spraying is stopped, otherwise they will appear on the flower. dark spots. Wipe the leaves regularly with a damp cloth.

Soil: The composition should be slightly acidic and loose. Must allow water and air to pass through well. Use a mixture either purchased for decorative flowers, or prepare it yourself.

Composition: sand, peat, pine needles, turf soil. Take all components in equal proportions and mix thoroughly.

First, good expanded clay drainage is placed on the bottom of the pot.

Over time, the acidity of the soil decreases; to restore the norm, water with a slightly acidic solution. I add a few drops per 1 liter of acid, usually citric acid, to the water for irrigation. with the addition of 0.5 g. copper sulfate. You can also drain acidic water infused with peat.

Watering: Starting in spring, gardenia is watered frequently and abundantly. Watering is carried out after the top layer of the substrate has dried. In winter, with the onset of cold weather, the same volume of water is used, but the period is twice as long. That is, after the top layer has dried, they wait 2-3 days and only then watering is carried out. A month before active growth, watering is reduced by another 2-3 times. In this way, active and lush flowering is achieved as much as possible. The water used is soft, or well settled, partially acidic, slightly above room temperature.

Replanting and pruning: Transplantation is not carried out every year, but only as needed, approximately once every 3 years. The flower is extremely picky about changing its habitat and substrate. You can do transshipment with the addition of fresh peat, thereby increasing the acidity of the soil. When transplanting, part of the root system is cut off.

Starting in mid-autumn, after flowering, gardenias are pruned. Cut off half the length of the shoots, and also completely remove dry, limp, and densely sprouted shoots.

In the spring, shoots are pinched to make the bush fuller. During pruning, the shoots can be used as cuttings for propagation.

Propagation: The plant is often propagated by cuttings. In the spring, during the pruning period, the apical shoots are cut off at least 10 cm and placed in soil made of sand and peat, taken in equal proportions.

First, the cuttings are placed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to stimulate growth. The cutting can take root in water, but the process is much slower and not always successful. The container with the shoot placed in the ground is covered with a glass flask.

The rooting process is quite long and difficult. The temperature should be 24-25 degrees. The jar is regularly removed for ventilation. The earthen ball is constantly kept moist; for stimulation, bottom heating of the earth is used. No earlier than a month later, roots will appear and the shoot is transplanted into soil made of sand, peat, turf and coniferous soil, taken in equal proportions.

Feeding: During the period of active flowering and growth, from spring to mid-autumn, the flower needs to be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers. Feed once every 2 weeks, alternating organic and minerals. It is better to use in liquid state according to the instructions.

Pests and diseases: Common pests include: aphids, scale insects, spider mites, thrips.

When pests appear, the flower is sprayed with solutions: actellik, intavir, decis. Sometimes on initial stage against aphids, spraying with a soap solution helps.

The above insecticides are used either once or several times with an interval of 7-8 days, until complete recovery.

• The leaves begin to turn yellow - the plant needs to be sprayed with a solution of iron sulfate in a small concentration.
• Temperature changes during the period of appearance and ripening of buds are detrimental to the plant. Gardenias can lose all their color.
• Sharp lighting adjustments and turning the pot during flowering negatively affect the ripening of buds.
• Yellow spots on the petals, or yellowing of the leaves - perhaps water got on the flowers when spraying, watering is carried out with hard or cold water.
• Incorrect or irregular watering leads to massive fall of buds. Perhaps the earthen ball is too dry, or the temperature is 16 degrees or lower.
• The buds do not open due to insufficient light. Install additional artificial lighting.
• The color of the flowers is dull, not bright, or even colorless - the soil is slightly acidic, or too high humidity at low temperatures.

Gardenia is a flower from a genus of tropical plants, the Rubiaceae family. It was named in honor of the American naturalist A. Garden. It grows in Asia, Africa, Japan and China, prefers tropical and subtropical climates. Gardenia flowers are painted in delicate shades of creamy white and are distinguished by incredible grace and an intoxicating aroma.

Gardenia is very capricious and demanding to care for. So that the plant grows well and produces abundant flowering, you will have to put in a lot of effort.

Planting gardenia

Before planting a plant, you should first select a specific variety that is most suitable for climatic conditions.

Important: When choosing a planting site, make sure the soil is acidic enough to suit the plant's preferences.

Planting methods

Gardenia planting can be done in open ground or decorative pot.

When planting in the ground, first water the soil. Then they dig a hole of sufficient depth into which the whole root system. Next, the roots are placed in the prepared place, sprinkled with earth, which is lightly compacted. Cover the soil with mulch.

The first watering of the planted plant should occur a day later if there was no natural precipitation the day before. Fertilizers that require acid content should be applied up to several times a year.

In order to plant a gardenia in a pot, you must first fill the selected container with soil, pour warm water and mix thoroughly. The soil should become moist, without air cavities.

The stem is placed in the center, fertilizer is added, and the pot is placed in a place open to sunlight. Watering should be done regularly once a week on a regular schedule.

Optimal time for planting

The most preferred planting time is winter-spring.

How to choose the right soil (Soil composition)

When growing gardenia, you need to stock up acidic soil, while quite loose and highly fertile. A slightly acidic substrate, the same as for azaleas, is suitable. You can prepare it yourself from identical parts of coniferous and turf soil, as well as peat and sand. In this case, sand can be replaced with perlite or vermiculite in a ratio of 3:1.

Over time, the substrate tends to leach. Watering the flower two or three times a month with a weakly acidic solution, for example water in a volume of 1 liter, where a couple of drops were diluted, will help restore acidity citric acid and iron sulfate (0.5 g/l) was added. You can also use water infused with peat.

Caring for a flower requires strict adherence to a number of rules that will help ensure a favorable environment.

Location and lighting

Gardenia is a light-loving plant and requires large amounts of lighting.

The light will need to be bright and diffused. Direct sunlight in the hot summer will not do her any good, while the brightest place in winter does not pose a danger from direct exposure.

It is best to place the flower on windows facing west or east. A pot placed in a south-facing window should be lightly protected with a cloth during hours of maximum sun activity. A flower growing on a north window will need additional light, which can be created using fluorescent lamps. Lack of light causes the stem to wither and the buds to fall off.

The flower is extremely sensitive to temperature changes; it cannot be placed under an open window or on a balcony.

Air humidity

Gardenia, like everyone else tropical plants, needs to high level humidity, to a greater extent during budding. This can be achieved by placing moistened peat or sphagnum moss in the tray where the pot stands, while avoiding submerging the bottom in water.

Spraying the leaves, especially in summer, should be carried out several times a day. IN winter time it should be reduced and done no more than once every two days. When spraying, it is best to use a spray bottle, avoiding drops falling on flowers and leaves, which lead to the appearance of brown spots. For the same reason, the most suitable time for spraying a flower is the first half of the day, which will allow the moisture lingering on the leaves to evaporate before nightfall. During the flowering period, it is better to replace spraying with wiping with a soft cloth soaked in water.

Temperature

Maintaining temperature conditions is one of the most important factors for good survival of gardenias. The optimal temperature for its successful growth in spring and summer is 22-24°C. In autumn the temperature should be slightly reduced to 18°C, the same as in winter. At this time of year, it is necessary to ensure that the flower warms up the air at night to 16°C. A slight decrease has a beneficial effect on kidney formation. Overheating the air in winter (more than 22°C) will contribute to excessive vegetation, preventing the formation of buds.

The danger is severe cooling of the root system. Drafts can be detrimental to a flower.

Watering mode

The plant is unusually capricious regarding watering. He needs water

strictly at room temperature. If it is chilled, this will cause the leaves to turn yellow and grow poorly. Typically, gardenias respond well to watering with rainwater.

More watering will be required during growth. Immediately after the top layer has dried, you need to add the next one, but do not allow water to stagnate in the pan. With the onset of autumn, reduce watering to moderate, waiting 2-3 days each time. More less water required with the onset of winter. The flower's dormant time ranges from 4 to 6 weeks. As a rule, it occurs at the end of March - beginning of April, one month before flowering. Moderate watering at this time will help proper budding. However, the soil should not be allowed to dry out. Also, do not forget to maintain the level of acidity necessary for absorption mineral supplements, and add citric acid solution in time.

Advice: You can check the acidity using litmus paper; for this purpose, a pinch of soil is filled with water, which is then drained and the soil is tested.

Create favorable conditions The plant will benefit from additional nutrition, which gardenia especially needs in spring and summer. At this time, feeding will be required twice a month. Fertilizers for flowering plants are suitable, alternating organic and mineral, without calcium. Adult plants need to be fed before autumn, and done regularly.

Liquid concentrates, such as Vito, as well as peat-humic fertilizers, are suitable for feeding gardenias.

The first feeding of a store-bought flower will be needed in six months. If signs of chlorosis are detected, ferovit and iron chelate should be added to the fertilizing.

Trimming

To form a decorative gardenia bush, you need to prune it. The right time is the period after the end of flowering or immediately before planting. To do this, the shoots are shortened by about half. To avoid harming the flower during active growth, you should pinch new shoots at the very top of the bush.

Pruning the bush will stimulate the growth of additional lateral shoots and provide for the next season lush flowering, smooth formation of the bush.

Advice: Shoots that were pruned during pinching are suitable for flower propagation.

Trimming methods

The main technique for achieving a spherical crown is to prune all side shoots in early spring. There is no need to touch the leaves. On an elongated seedling, you need to pinch the bud located at the very top, then you can create a neat tree. To do this, only 3-4 buds are left at the top, all the rest are cut off along with the foliage. After waiting for noticeable growth of the remaining branches, pinch out the buds on them too.

Watering the flower with a large volume of water a day before the planned pruning will help to significantly ease the impact of pruning on the flower. Then treat the cut areas using charcoal.

Transfer

As a rule, gardenia is sold as a whole bush, so for normal development she needs a transplant.

In order to avoid damage to the root system of the flower, which can often be very tangled roots, for transplantation purposes it is best to use the transshipment method, transporting it along with an earthen clod. The procedure should be carried out regularly, every year, after flowering has ended.

Transplant methods

For adult plants, replanting once every three to four years will be sufficient.

Azaleas soil is suitable as soil for replanting gardenias. It can be purchased at flower shops or nurseries, or you can prepare it yourself.

Before transplanting, you need to place the plants in water heated at room temperature for one hour, which will allow you to separate the excess soil and untangle the roots.

Next, it is recommended to immerse the flower in a solution in which the growth stimulator “Kornevin” is diluted for two hours. During transshipment, leave the soil present on the roots and add it to the pot new soil. The lower part of the stem should enter the ground only 0.5-1 cm in order to avoid death from sudden rotting.

If you wish, you can propagate gardenia, but this process will be quite complicated and will cause a lot of trouble.

Reproduction methods (Basic techniques, subtleties)

There are several ways to propagate a flower. The most common is cuttings using stems. To do this, you need to take shoots from the top up to 10 cm high. Then prepare warm ground, adding a root formation stimulator to it. A positive result will be facilitated by placing the cuttings in a mini greenhouse. They need to be covered with glass or film. The room must be ventilated daily. Should be observed temperature regime not lower than 25°C. Bottom heating has a beneficial effect.

When does gardenia bloom?

Gardenia blooms from May to August.

Bloom time flower shape

The duration of flowering can be up to six months, which will depend on the size of the plant and the number of buds that appear, which usually open one by one. In rare cases, re-blooming is possible closer to winter.

What to do after flowering

Withered flowers must be removed, freeing up the plant's energy for the formation of young shoots.

The most famous plant species and varieties

In the home environment, gardenia jasmine or, more correctly, jasminoides, has taken root best. It is distinguished by high decorative qualities. She is extremely thermophilic. In hot countries it is grown in gardens, in areas with a cool climate - in rooms or greenhouses.

Currently known a large number of various varieties of this species:

• Beauty is one of the most common; it can be distinguished by its large double white flowers;
• Amy - its foliage is colored dark color, and the perfection of the form of large double flowers gives it the appearance of an artificial plant;
• Radicans is a compact bush, ideal for creating bonsai.

Problems, diseases and pests of a flower

When growing gardenia indoors, various problems may arise, including massive bud drop. This can be caused by dry air, an earthen coma, or a sharp drop in air temperature. Too low temperatures and lack of necessary acidity of the substrate leads to leaf discoloration, called chlorosis.

Gardenia is susceptible to pests such as:

• spider mite;
• whitefly;
• scale insect;
• thrips;
• mealybug.

To combat them, spraying with an insecticide solution twice, leaving an interval between procedures of up to 5 days, will help. The infected plant should be isolated.

A favorable regime for caring for gardenia, which allows you to preserve its lush flowering and prevent the falling of buds and foliage, includes a number of basic rules:

• Watering the flower and humidifying the air, as well as fertilizing, should be regular.
• There should be no sudden temperature fluctuations.
• Yellow stains on the leaves appear when the soil is not acidic enough.
• Using flower polish will help give your gardenia a decorative look.
• It is better not to move the flower pot during the period of bud formation and flowering.
• The appearance of buds will be facilitated by additional lighting and steam baths once a week.
• The buds will open faster if you water them with warm water.

Answers to readers' questions

Difficulties in caring for gardenia often stop many gardeners from purchasing it, however, many questions that arise in practice already have answers.

If the plant is cared for correctly, it life cycle can last up to seven years.

Is gardenia poisonous?

Gardenia refers to plants, all parts of which are poisonous. Its fruits are especially dangerous to health, as they can cause stomach upsets. To prevent unwanted consequences, you must wash your hands thoroughly after touching the color.

Why doesn't the flower bloom?

As a rule, the lack of flowering of gardenia can be observed in two cases:

• the soil is not acidic enough;
• Too hard water is used for irrigation.

Favorable temperature conditions, sufficient lighting, air humidity, and the supply of nutrients to the soil within normal limits are of great importance.

Advice: If the plant does not form buds, more frequent spraying, placing the pot on wet expanded clay, and lowering the air temperature to 18°C ​​will help.

Why do the leaves turn yellow (black, dry out)?

Improperly watering your gardenia can cause the leaves to suddenly turn yellow. The cause may be either excessive moisture or drying out of the soil. All these factors lead to the development of root diseases, which affect the quality of the foliage. In addition to yellowing, they can cause blackening of leaves.

Another reason could be iron deficiency. This happens when water is too hard. Feeding the plant with iron chelate (Ferovit) will come to the rescue. They are applied strictly according to the instructions until the flower has completely recovered.

Why do gardenia buds fall off?

If there are too strong changes in air temperature in the room where the gardenia grows, as well as if there are errors in the watering regime, buds may fall off. In addition, abscission can be caused by reasons such as:

• insufficient lighting;
• low level of air humidity;
• cold drafts;
• rearranging the plant.

Important: At the moment of budding, the flower exhibits a particularly acute reaction to any changes in environmental conditions.

How does the plant overwinter?

Providing conditions for wintering gardenia is a rather difficult task, especially in a city apartment. Lack of lighting leads to rapid depletion of the flower. The place to place it should be both cool (from 10 to 16 degrees Celsius) and maximally illuminated, which can be achieved using fluorescent lamps. During wintering, it is necessary to monitor the soil moisture, protecting it from both drying out and excessive dampness.

Optimal care provided to the flower will definitely make itself felt with delightful results that will allow everyone to enjoy the look of this unique flower, capable of creating an atmosphere of comfort and harmony in the home.

Gardenia a small plant of the Rubiaceae family. Found naturally in the forests of Japan, China, and India. About 250 species of representatives of this genus are known. Most often these are evergreen shrubs, sometimes small trees.

One species is common as a houseplant - Gardenia jasmine ( Gardenia jasminoides) . At home, it forms a low bush approximately 45–50 cm tall with beautiful dark green shiny leaves.

Blooms from July to October, when good care small shoots of gardenia are completely strewn with buds and flowers. Its large white double flowers are similar to roses and can compete with them in aroma.

Elegant gardenia fits well into any interior, giving it sophistication.

Gardenia is considered a demanding and capricious plant. She loves warmth, light and high humidity, suffers from drafts and watering with hard water. But with proper care, gardenia, like no other indoor plant, will delight you with an abundance of beautiful flowers.

Most often, gardenia is received as a gift, without realizing what kind of care it needs. A change in habitat or replacement often leads to the death of the plant. It’s not easy to “make friends” with it, but by learning how to care for an indoor gardenia, you will get many pleasant moments enjoying the exquisite beauty of this amazing flower.

Tips for caring for gardenia

Growing gardenia at home requires compliance with certain rules: first, enough light, heat and moisture, second, no changes (temperature changes, moving from one place to another, overdrying or overwatering).

Lighting. Gardenia is a light-loving plant; it needs full lighting throughout the day. But on a summer afternoon it needs to be protected from direct sunlight.

Western and eastern windows that are not shaded by any trees are best. In winter - south windows. Gardenia is very sensitive to changes in light. During the laying and development of buds, it should not be rearranged or the pot rotated, this can lead to the buds falling off.

Temperature. Gardenia is a fairly heat-loving plant, the optimal temperature for gardenia in the spring and summer is 22-24 degrees, in winter it is kept at a temperature of about 18-20 degrees, at least 16 degrees. The optimal air temperature for the formation of gardenia buds is 18 degrees, but the roots of the plant should not be in cold soil. Avoid sudden temperature fluctuations.

Air humidity. During the development of buds, high air humidity is necessary; in dry air, the buds stop growing and often fall off. It is advisable to place the gardenia pot in a tray with wet expanded clay or sphagnum, and the bottom of the pot should not touch the water.

During the period of active growth, it is advisable to frequently spray the crown, since gardenia especially needs at this time high humidity air, however, it is not recommended to moisten gardenia buds and flowers when spraying.

Watering. In spring and summer, water abundantly; the soil should always be slightly moist. The water for watering gardenia should not be cold at any time of the year and must be soft. It is useful to use filtered rainwater or boiled water. In winter, watering is more moderate. Gardenia does not tolerate drying out of the earthen coma, but stagnation of water in the roots should also be avoided.

Fertilizer. During the period of active growth from March to August, fertilize every two weeks with liquid fertilizer for flowering indoor plants. The dose of fertilizer is taken two times less than recommended in the instructions.

Transfer. Replanting gardenia in early spring, usually after two years. Do not replant the gardenia until it has finished blooming - it may drop its buds. Good drainage is a must.

The soil. Gardenia does not tolerate soil containing lime; it needs an acidic soil mixture with a pH of 4.5 - 5.5. Soil - 1 part, 1 part, 1 part, 1 part and 1 part sand. If you use a store-bought soil mixture, soil for azaleas will do.

Trimming. After flowering, it is necessary to prune by half or two-thirds of the length of the shoots. During the growing season, the tops of young shoots are pinched, this stimulates the appearance of side shoots and the establishment of new ones. flower buds. Trimmed shoots can be used to propagate the plant.

Gardenia propagation. Usually propagated apical cuttings about 10 cm long, which are cut in February-March. Cuttings are rooted in a warm substrate using root formation stimulants. Make a mini-greenhouse for them - cover glass jar or in a transparent bag. They take root rather long and difficult. Before rooting in the soil, the tip of the cutting must be dipped in stimulant powder and then planted in a mixture of peat, pine soil and sand. You can root them in water, but this is not always possible.

Rooted cuttings are pinched when they reach a height of 15 cm.

Diseases and pests
Quite often gardenias are attacked aphids, thrips, scale insects and spider mites. If pests are detected, in any case, the plant should be sprayed with an insecticide (Fitoverm, Decis, Actellik, Intavir). With a small lesion, one spraying is enough; if the pest progresses greatly, it may be necessary to repeat the treatment up to 3 times, with an interval of 7-10 days.

Possible difficulties
The leaves are pale, the plant grows poorly, does not bloom – little light or lack of nutrients.
Yellowing in the form of streaks on the leaves – you need to acidify the soil.
The leaves wither, the plant droops, the buds and flowers fall off- low air temperature.
Leaves turn yellow and fall off or fall off before turning yellow– insufficient watering or watering with cold water.
Leaves turn yellow and fall off– temperature changes or watering with cold water.

The buds are falling- You can’t move the pot.

The buds are falling – low humidity air.